Travelling from UAE this summer: which countries require quarantine?

Quarantine periods often depend on whether or not you have been vaccinated

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  1. Scenic Albania is open to travellers with no PCR testing requirements. Renns Art / Unsplash

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  2. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an affordable destination for an 11-day holiday. Omar Nezih Gerek / Unsplash

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  3. Head to Cyprus with a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination. George Lemon / Unsplash

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  4. Greece is welcoming travellers and several airlines are flying to destinations on the mainland and the islands. Serhat Beya / Unsplash

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  5. Montenegro awaits travellers who have a negative PCR test result or are fully vaccinated. Omar Nezih / Unsplash

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  6. Just 50 nautical miles off the coast of Italy, Malta is worth the effort to get there. Courtesy Zoltan Tassi / Unsplash

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  7. A nature-filled wonderland, Croatia is open for visitors. Woo Hyeon Kim / Unsplash

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  8. Just a short flight from the UAE, Lebanon is amber-listed in the UK and open for holidays. Emile / Unsplash

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  9. Spain has reopened to vaccinated tourists seeking 11 days of sunshine in place of 11 days of hotel quarantine in the UK. Unsplash

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  10. Make a break to amber-listed US before heading to the UK. Ragnar Vore / Unsplash

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  11. Eleven days won't be long enough to explore all of Jordan's treasures, but you can make a good start. Rinaldo Valdi / Unsplash

More than a dozen travel corridors have now opened up for passengers from the UAE, including Bahrain, Serbia, Greece, Italy and the Seychelles.

The agreements allow for vaccinated passengers to travel between both destinations without the need to quarantine on arrival.

But you may be wondering what to do if you are not yet inoculated, or you want to travel to a country that requires tourists to quarantine?

And how about when you come back to the UAE from your holiday?

To get a sense of how these rules differ, The National considered the most popular destinations for travellers from the UAE.

These rules are subject to sudden change, so do check the latest rules on your airline's website or on the IATA travel regulations site before you travel.

Europe & Russia

Cafes and restaurants in France have reopened with limited capacity and can serve food and drink until 11pm. Adam Batterbee

• Cyprus – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

• France – the UAE is classed as an orange country by France, which means non‑vaccinated passengers must have a compelling reason for travelling to France, and must self‑isolate for 7 days. It is worth noting that Sinopharm is not an approved vaccine in France. Vaccinated travellers can holiday as normal.

• Greece – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

• Italy – passengers flying from Dubai to Rome, Milan and Venice on special flights are exempted from any quarantine requirement.

• Spain – unvaccinated passengers from the UAE may not enter the country, unless they are aged 17 and under.

• United Kingdom - all travellers from the UAE are required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 11 days, and must have two negative Covid-19 tests before being allowed to leave, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or not.

• Russia – there are currently no quarantine requirements for travel to Russia.

Middle East

Egypt is welcoming vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, quarantine-free.

• Bahrain – non vaccinated passengers are required to quarantine for 10 days at a government approved hotel or their residence. Proof of prepaid hotel reservation in their name for a designated quarantine facility must be provided before boarding a flight to the country. Sinopharm is an approved vaccine in Bahrain.

• Egypt – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

• Jordan – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

• Lebanon – unvaccinated passengers should home quarantine for 72 hours. This will be monitored by the Lebanese authorities through an electronic application. Passengers are required to download and activate the "covidlebtrack" application and present it to the Ministry of Public Health representatives at the airport. Sinopharm is an approved vaccine in Lebanon.

• Saudi Arabia - all non‑vaccinated international travellers must complete their institutional quarantine at their own expense starting from the time of arrival for seven days. It is worth noting Sinopharm is not an approved vaccine in Saudi Arabia.

• Turkey – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

Asia

Phuket is a popular holiday destination for travellers from the Middle East. Unsplash

• Maldives – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated holidaymakers from the UAE to quarantine. If you are travelling there for a different purpose, you should check with the authorities.

• Pakistan – all passengers arriving in Pakistan are required to undergo a 10‑day home quarantine following strict Trace, Test & Quarantine (TTQ) protocols.

• Phuket (from July 2) – non‑vaccinated passengers will need to stay at special quarantine hotel for 14 days. The hotel need to be booked before arrival. Sinopharm is an approved vaccine in Phuket.

• Philippines – most flights from the UAE are currently suspended until June 15. Unvaccinated passengers are required to quarantine for 14 days, with 10 in a government-managed hotel. Vaccinated passengers must show proof before only needing to quarantine for 7 days.

• Seychelles – there is no need for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers from the UAE to quarantine.

Quarantine on arrival in the UAE

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

There is no need for any other travellers to quarantine when they arrive in Dubai, however there are different testing requirements depending on where you have been in the last 14 days.

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.

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

Vaccinated passengers must quarantine for 5 days. Non-vaccinated passengers must quarantine for 10 days.

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.