Read also: Grant Shapps confirms UK to lift vaccine travel restrictions on travellers from UAE
Fully-vaccinated UAE residents and Emiratis will soon be able to fly to the UK without needing to quarantine or take a PCR test.
On October 4, England will relax travel restrictions for those who have taken one of four authorised vaccines.
Visitors will not need to take a PCR test before they leave the UAE, or on arrival. Instead, they will need to take a lateral flow test on or before day two of their arrival in England. No other tests are required.
Lateral flow tests are freely available in the UK at no cost, whereas PCR tests are still often expensive.
Travellers must fill out a passenger locator form in the 48 hours before they arrive in the UK.
Non-vaccinated travellers will still need to quarantine and take regular PCR tests, including a test before they board the flight for the UK.
The other countries of the United Kingdom may not follow the same rules as England, so travellers flying to Scotland or Northern Ireland are recommended to check the latest guidance.
Which vaccines are approved for entry to the UK?
Travellers must be fully vaccinated with either the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, which include two doses, or the single-dose Janssen vaccine. Sinopharm is not an approved vaccine.
If a fully vaccinated traveller has received mixed doses of the approved vaccines, that is deemed permissible. But people who have had only one Pfizer jab, for example, will not be allowed quarantine-free travel into the UK, even if they have also had two Sinopharm doses.
They must be fully vaccinated with one of the approved vaccines, regardless of any other vaccines they have received previously.
How long must you wait after being vaccinated before travelling to the UK?
Passengers must have been fully vaccinated for 14 days.
How do passengers prove they are vaccinated?
Travellers must be able to prove they are vaccinated with either a digital or paper-based document displaying, at a minimum, their forename and surname, date of birth, vaccine brand and manufacturer, date of vaccination for every dose, country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issuer.
If the document does not display this information, then they must follow rules for non-vaccinated travellers or risk being denied the right to board their flight.
The UK's approved vaccines for travel:
Pfizer-BioNTech
Pfizer-BioNTech was approved for use in Dubai in December 2020, and in Abu Dhabi in April 2021.
The mRNA vaccine was developed by US pharma company Pfizer and the German biotech company BioNTech.
Instead of using deactivated virus, like the Sinopharm vaccine, the Pfizer-BioNTech shot contains a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognise the spiked protein on the surface of the virus.
Most residents and Emiratis in Dubai who were vaccinated after December 2020 were given the choice between Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinopharm vaccines.
Since April, Pfizer booster shots have been made available across the UAE to people who have had two jabs of Sinopharm.
Most people have had just one shot, although some have had two. Travellers need to have had two shots to travel to the UK quarantine-free.
Oxford-AstraZeneca
Dubai approved the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca in February 2021.
Not many doses came into the country, and the shot was primarily made available to Emiratis and over-60s, frontline and essential workers and people with disabilities.
The consignment was ordered from the Serum Institute of India, which makes the vaccine under licence, using the name Covishield.
The vaccine is given in two doses, 28 days apart. It is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus from chimpanzees, which has been modified to contain genetic material which is shared by the coronavirus, but it cannot cause the illness.
Once it is injected, it teaches the immune system how to fight the real virus.
Moderna
Moderna was approved for emergency use in the UAE in July.
The approval followed a deal between Moderna and a UAE-based distributor, Magenta Investments.
The vaccine has not been widely administered to the public.
Moderna’s vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, uses mRNA technology and contains genetic instructions for the cells to make the coronavirus’s spike protein.
Janssen
Janssen, developed by Johnson & Johnson, is not one of the five UAE approved vaccines.
It was, however, approved in the UK in May 2021.
It is a single-dose vaccine, and it can be easily stored and transported at fridge temperatures.
The vaccine uses the same technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, in that it tricks the body into thinking it has the coronavirus, so that it builds up an immune response.
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20JustClean%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20with%20offices%20in%20other%20GCC%20countries%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202016%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20160%2B%20with%2021%20nationalities%20in%20eight%20cities%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20online%20laundry%20and%20cleaning%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2430m%20from%20Kuwait-based%20Faith%20Capital%20Holding%20and%20Gulf%20Investment%20Corporation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Shipsy%3Cbr%3EYear%20of%20inception%3A%202015%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Soham%20Chokshi%2C%20Dhruv%20Agrawal%2C%20Harsh%20Kumar%20and%20Himanshu%20Gupta%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20India%2C%20UAE%20and%20Indonesia%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20logistics%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%20more%20than%20350%20employees%3Cbr%3EFunding%20received%20so%20far%3A%20%2431%20million%20in%20series%20A%20and%20B%20rounds%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Info%20Edge%2C%20Sequoia%20Capital%E2%80%99s%20Surge%2C%20A91%20Partners%20and%20Z3%20Partners%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mobile phone packages comparison
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
