Coronavirus: UAE relaxes international travel guidelines

Passengers must complete UAE health precautions, and also any health requirements at the destination countries

Passengers of an Emirates airlines flight, departing to the Australian city of Sydney, wear protective gear at Dubai International Airport on May 22, 2020, after the resumption of scheduled operations by the Emirati carrier, amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. / AFP / Karim SAHIBShow less

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The UAE has updated its guidelines on international travel, with the government announcing Friday night that citizens and residents can travel if they adhere to precautions and measures imposed to fight Covid-19.

A government statement said passengers must complete UAE health precautions and preventive measures, and also any health requirements at the destination countries.

The statement added that compulsory health and social distancing requirements must be adhered to before departure and on arrival from travel destinations.

Citizens are still required to register with the My Presence service (Tawajudi) to facilitate communication with them during travel.

Passengers must test negative for coronavirus within 48 hours of the date of travel. Travel will only be allowed if passengers have insurance.

People over the age of 70 or with chronic health conditions are still advised to not travel.

The British government on Friday has maintained an effective ban on UK holidaymakers travelling to the Arabian Gulf after countries in the region were omitted from a list of nations people can now visit without restriction. 
In an effort to save the airline industry from collapse, Britain's Department for Transport publicised a list of 60 "low risk" countries to which people could travel without an enforced 14-day quarantine on their return home.
It is understood that with the conditions for travel to the UAE, which is primarily a winter destination for its 1.5 million annual UK visitors, could be amended after the Gulf's hot summer has finished.
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