ABU DHABI 11 May 2021: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) have announced that entry from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be suspended for all incoming passengers on national and foreign carriers, as well as those carrying transit passengers, starting from 23:59 on Wednesday, 12th May, 2021.
The decision exempts transit flights coming to the UAE and heading towards these countries. This decision is applicable to the entry of travellers who were in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days before coming to the UAE.
Flights between these countries and the UAE will continue to operate, allowing the transportation of passengers from the UAE to those countries. It will also allow the transfer of some exempted groups from the four aforementioned countries to the UAE, with strict enforcement of precautionary measures, said Wam..
These groups include UAE citizens, diplomats appointed by the UAE in these countries, official delegations, businessmen’s chartered flights, and those holding golden residency visa, provided that they undertake preventive measures that include quarantine for 10 days and a PCR test at the airport, as well as on the fourth and eighth days following the entry into the country.
Moreover, the validity of PCR test period has been reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours prior to travel from accredited laboratories that issue test results carrying a QR code.
The authority also confirmed that it is required for those coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka through other countries to stay in those countries for at least 14 days before being allowed to enter the UAE. Cargo flights will continue to operate between the UAE and these countries.
The authority called upon all travellers affected by the decision to follow up with the relevant airlines to change or reschedule their flights and to ensure their safe return to their final destinations without delay.
UAE, Bahrain adopt safe travel corridor
The UAE and Bahrain have adopted a safe travel corridor for travellers vaccinated against Covid-19, as part of their joint cooperation and coordination, and their joint efforts to recover from the pandemic.
The travel corridor will enable people to travel between the two countries starting from the first day of Eid al-Fitr without the need to quarantine. They will be required to adhere to the precautionary measures adopted by the destination country, which were recently updated to ensure safer travel for everyone, the two countries said in a joint statement today.
This step also underscores the determination of the leaderships of the two countries to facilitate the movement of individuals and achieve the goals of their vaccination campaigns for all segments of the community.
Citizens and residents who wish to benefit from the quarantine exemption in both countries will be required to present proof that they have received the full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through approved applications and certificates, most notably the Al Hosn app in the UAE and the BeAware Bahrain app in Bahrain. Moreover, passengers can also save their PCR test results on the two apps.
The strategic partnership between the UAE and Bahrain is important, in light of the significant challenges facing the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting their efforts to address and overcome the crisis, added the statement.
