Quarantine in Dubai and Abu Dhabi: everything you need to know when arriving from abroad

Abu Dhabi will allow quarantine-free travel from July 1

Mykonos is one of 12 quarantine-free destinations travellers can fly to from Abu Dhabi with Etihad. Unsplash /Jeet Dhanoa

Athens, Greece, is open for quarantine-free holidays. Unsplash / Constantinos Kollias

Fly to Washington, DC in the US with no quarantine if you're vaccinated. Unsplash / Casey Horner

The Seychelles is in a vaccine corridor with the UAE. Unsplash / Christian Cacciamani

Santorini, Greece, is open for holidays. Unsplash / Santorini Andreas

Vaccinated travellers face no quarantine in Bahrain. Unsplash / Charles Adrien

New York is welcoming visitors. Colton Duke / Unsplash

Barcelona in Spain, which has opened to vaccinated tourists. Unsplash

Fares to Chicago are on sale this summer with Etihad. Unsplash / Sawyer Bengston

Madrid, Spain, is open to vaccinated tourists. Clark Van Der Bek / Unsplash

Geneva in Switzerland, where vaccinated travellers will soon be welcome. Unsplash / Anokhi De Silva

Zurich in Switzerland is set to open to tourists. Unsplash / Ricardo Gomez

Read more: UAE residents rush to book tickets from India to Dubai as flights resume

As countries begin to allow their citizens to return to international travel, many expats living in the UAE are hoping to take long-awaited trips to visit family and friends.

At the same time, thousands of tourists are looking to visit the UAE for summer holidays.

While some countries and territories require visitors to quarantine on arrival, Dubai does not, and as of July 1, Abu Dhabi will no longer require travellers to do so either.

There are, however, protocols that need to be followed.

The National explains them here.

UAE travel rules

Quarantine rules for passengers arriving in Abu Dhabi from July 1 are set to change. Delores Johnson / The National

At the time of writing, most passengers from South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not allowed to enter the UAE.

All visitors arriving in the UAE need to download Al Hosn, the Emirates' track-and-trace app, which can also be used to prove vaccination status and last Covid-19 test details.

UAE residents travelling into Abu Dhabi must update their details on uaeentry.ica.gov.ae prior to travelling.

Residents travelling into Dubai airport must also update the form, unless they hold a Dubai visa, in which case it is not necessary.

Quarantine rules for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi will remove all Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for most international travellers on July 1. However, the emirate will have different testing protocols for visitors from low-risk and high-risk countries.

So, there are three major factors travellers need to consider before flying to the Emirate.

1. Are you travelling before or after July 1?

2. Are you vaccinated or not?

3. Are you a tourist or a resident?

Travelling to Abu Dhabi before July 1

The rules on how long visitors to Abu Dhabi spend in quarantine depend on where they are travelling from. Getty.

An airport worker escorts a passenger through Abu Dhabi International Airport. All photos by Victor Besa / The National

A passenger wearing a face mask checks in at the Etihad counter

The drop-off area at Abu Dhabi airport's main departures concourse

Passengers queue for check-in for repatriation flights

A traveller has his passport checked by security in the departures area

Staff are hosed down with a mild disinfectant before entering public areas

Etihad staff check passengers in during a media tour for The National in July

Etihad staff check passengers in during a media tour for The National in July

The airport has handled hundreds of flights in recent months but tourists have not been able to secure a visa since the borders closed in March

The airport has handled hundreds of flights in recent months but tourists have not been able to secure a visa since the borders closed in March

Passengers at the Etihad check-in desk

Arrivals can expect strict hygiene measures and must quarantine for 14 days on arrival

Passengers at the Etihad Check-In area at Abu Dhabi International Airport

At present, passengers arriving from countries not on Abu Dhabi's green list are required to quarantine, and must wear an approved wristband for the duration.

Among residents, vaccinated passengers must quarantine for five days. Non-vaccinated passengers must quarantine for 10 days.

Tourists arriving from countries not on the green list must quarantine for 10 days regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not.

If you have arrived from a country that the UAE authorities deem is high-risk, then you will be required to quarantine at a government facility.

Travelling to Abu Dhabi after July 1

Passengers flying to Abu Dhabi after July 1 will not need to quarantine.

The emirate will have different testing protocols for visitors from low-risk and high-risk countries.

Those coming from countries with higher infection rates will have to take two tests – one before they travel and another upon arrival.

At present, it is not known whether the rules will be different for those who have been vaccinated.

Quarantine rules for Dubai

Travellers arriving in Dubai are not required to quarantine. Photo: Dubai Airports

Travellers from South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are not currently allowed to fly in to Dubai, although in some cases, it is possible to fly out to these locations.

From June 23, vaccinated passengers from South Africa will be allowed to fly to Dubai, and all travellers from Nigeria, regardless of vaccine status, will be allowed.

Passengers will also be allowed to fly from India to Dubai, but only if they have had both doses of a UAE-approved coronavirus vaccine and hold a valid residence visa.

In addition, following arrival, passengers from India should undertake "institutional quarantine" until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours.

Other than travellers from India, there is no need for any other visitors to Dubai to quarantine.

Instead, there are different testing requirements depending on where you have been in the last 14 days.

Passengers from countries deemed a higher risk may need to take a PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

If you take a test at the airport, you must remain in your hotel or residence until you receive the result.

If the test result is positive, you will be required to undertake isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.