Latest: Airline flights and testing for residents and tourists explained
Related: Returning holidaymakers need to show Covid-free certificate - but not Dubai visa holders
Dubai will allow residents to travel abroad from Tuesday - and welcome back tourists from July 7.
Emiratis and expats can travel to any country that has flights operating out of Dubai.
And testing airline passengers for Covid-19 plays a key part of the decision to lift restrictions.
The new system has a series of rules that differ depending on your situation.
Here we explain:
I'm a Emirati or resident travelling abroad. What do I need to know?
- You can travel anywhere abroad, as long as it's on an airline approved to fly in and out of Dubai
- You are not tested before you leave
- But you must sign a Health Declaration Form stating you do not have any Covid-19 symptoms, such as a fever, cough, sore throat or flu-like aches
- Register for the Covid-19 DXB app, so that it can be activated on your return
- Ensure you are up to speed on the rules of the country you are visiting, as you may need to be tested there or undergo a period of quarantine
I'm a Emirati or resident travelling returning home from holiday
- You will receive a PCR test - that's the nasal swab used to identify Covid-19 - when you arrive in the terminal
- You'll be allowed to take a taxi home but need to stay there until the results, which can take several days, are ready. They'll be sent to your app, or you may receive a call
- If you're negative you can leave your home and end your quarantine at that point
- If you're positive, you must by law self-quarantine for at least 14 days and you can expected to be tested several times until you're clear. If you feel ill and need medical help, you should contact the Ministry of Health on 800 11111 or Dubai Health Authority at 800 342.
- Importantly, if you test positive and live in shared or high-density housing, you would be rehoused in a special facility used for patients. Your employer should arrange such a facility, a 'hotel hospital' for example, or choose somewhere provided by the government, who your employer would pay costs to.
I'm a tourist visiting Dubai from July 7. What do I need to know?
- You should take a PCR test up to four days before your flight to Dubai, in a local hospital or private clinic for example. Make sure you take the results to Dubai with you. If the test if valid and recognised and you have no symptoms, you are not tested in Dubai and not quarantined
- If you do not arrange your own test before you fly, you will be swabbed when you land in Dubai. You must self-quarantine until the results are ready
- You must have full medical travel insurance and need to sign a declaration that you will be responsible for any quarantine and treatment costs if you become ill
- Download the Covid-19 DXB app and upload your details to it
I'm a Dubai resident who's been stranded abroad
- Residents holding Dubai-issued visas will be allowed to return to the emirate from Monday - but the application process has not yet been set out
Previously, UAE residents who were stranded abroad had to register for a Residents' Entry Permit via smartservices.ica.gov.ae, run by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). In the update issued by Dubai on Sunday, there was no reference to the ICA's system, named Tawajudi, which was set up to bring residents home
Instead, Dubai Media Office said there was an approval process co-ordinated by their airline and Dubai's immigration service, GDRFA. The authorities have been contacted for clarification
- In addition, travellers must sign a declaration that you and your insurer will bear the costs of treatment if you get Covid-19
- You do not have to take a PCR test to travel home to UAE
- But you will be tested when you arrive in Dubai and be asked to self-quarantine until your results are ready
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UAE%20ILT20
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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
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
