COVID-19 Precautionary Measures in Dubai (21 July Update)

Can a resident enter the city?

• Yes

• Returning residents holding residence visas issued in other Emirates need approval from the ICA to return to Dubai.

Can a non-resident enter the city?

• Yes with exceptions

• Dubai is open to tourists.

• All visitors need a visa to enter the UAE unless they are from one of the following groups of countries, in which case a visa is granted on arrival: Countries of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), Western Europe, North America, Far East, and Australasia. Visitors can check this Government of Dubai website to determine if they qualify for a visa on arrival. Entry permit information and services can be found here.

• All passengers who have travelled from or transited through Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Nigeria in the last 14 days will not be accepted for travel to or transfer through Dubai from any other point. This restriction does not apply to returning UAE nationals, diplomats, holders of a UAE golden visa, travellers granted permission to enter the UAE, and passengers travelling on a business flight.

• Travellers arriving from India through other countries must remain in that other (third) country for at least 14 days prior to arriving in the UAE. UAE citizens and passengers in private jets are exempted. UAE nationals, diplomatic missions between the two countries, official delegations, UAE Golden Visa holders, and UAE “silver visa” holders are excluded from the travel ban.

• Travellers from Zambia, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, and Uganda including travellers recording a travel history in these countries in the last 14-days are not allowed to enter Dubai. UAE citizens and their first-degree relatives, accredited diplomatic missions, official delegations and businessmen (provided they obtain prior approval), holders of golden and silver residency, and people with essential jobs are exempted.

• Fully vaccinated travellers arriving from Seychelles, Bahrain, Serbia, Italy, and Greece are permitted to enter and exempted from quarantine on arrival.

Is transit allowed through the city?

• Yes with exceptions

• Transiting is allowed at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

• Transit flights from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam remain banned.

• Travellers transiting through Dubai from these countries must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued within the last 72 hours prior to departure: Angola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Poland, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe.

• Passengers from or who have travel history in Afghanistan or Indonesia are not allowed to transit through Dubai. However, the permitted passengers must have a COVID-19 negative PCR test certificate having a QR code issued within the last 48-hours prior to departure.

• Travellers from other countries do not require a test certificate to transit through Dubai.

Is a COVID-19 test required on the day of arrival?

• Yes with exceptions

• Travellers from the following countries will be required to take another COVID-19 PCR test on arrival at Dubai International Airport: Vietnam, Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe.

• Permitted passengers from the restricted countries must undergo COVID 19 PCR testing on arrival in Dubai, followed by two other PCR tests on the 4th day and 8th day of their quarantine period.

• Exempted travellers arriving from countries subject to UAE’s travel ban are also required to undertake a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

• Passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman can opt to take the test on arrival in Dubai if arriving by air.

• Passengers who need to get a test done at arrival in Dubai should either wait in their place of residence or hotel or enter institutional quarantine until they receive their results, which is expected within 24 hours. UAE citizens and diplomats are exempted. In the case of a positive test result, the traveller will need to strictly comply with 10-day isolation as instructed by the Dubai Health Authority.

Is a COVID-19 test certificate issued outside Dubai accepted?

• Yes with exceptions

• The COVID-19 negative test certificate must be for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Dubai does not accept other forms of tests including antibody tests and home-testing kits.

• Test certificates issued in other countries are accepted and must be in English or Arabic. Test certificates must be printed and issued by an approved lab listed here or a lab approved by the departure country. Digital certificates are not accepted. PCR test certificates in other languages except English or Arabic will be accepted if they can be validated at the originating station.

• UAE residents, passengers with disabilities, and travellers below 12 years of age are exempt from this requirement.

• Travellers from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, must undertake the PCR test at one of the designated laboratories.

• Travellers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Egypt and Ethiopia are required to present a COVID-19 negative certificate which includes a QR code linked to the original report for verification purposes.

• Certificates that have already been presented for travel to another destination cannot be reused for reentry even if they are within the validity period.

Is a COVID-19 test certificate required to enter?

• Yes with exceptions

• All arriving tourists, GCC citizens, and UAE residents must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued by an officially recognized testing centre no more than 72 hours before departure. Different test requirements apply to travellers arriving from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• Children under the age of 12 and passengers with moderate to severe disabilities are exempt from PCR test requirements.

• UAE nationals are exempted from taking a pre-travel COVID 19 PCR test unless required by the country of origin. They will be tested on arrival in Dubai.

• Permitted passengers arriving from Afghanistan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Namibia must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued 48 hours** prior to departure. There must be a QR code linked to the COVID-19 test certificates issued for travellers from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Egypt, and Ethiopia.

• Travellers arriving from Indonesia and India must take a Rapid Antigen test or Rapid PCR test at the airport prior to departure for Dubai.

Is quarantine required on arrival?

• No with exceptions

• Passengers who need to get a test done at arrival in Dubai should either wait in their place of residence or hotel or undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their results, which is expected within 24 hours. UAE citizens and diplomats are exempted. In the case of a positive test result, the traveller will need to strictly comply with 10-day isolation as instructed by the Dubai Health Authority.

• Travellers exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or who have come in contact with a COVID-19 patient will need to enter a 10-day quarantine.

• Exempted travellers arriving from or who have spent the prior 14 days before travel in Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Nigeria will need to enter a 10-day quarantine upon arrival and have COVID-19 PCR tests on days 4 and 8. Permitted travellers arriving from these countries will be required to wear “a monitoring and tracking device”.

• Fully vaccinated travellers arriving from Seychelles, Bahrain, Serbia, Italy, and Greece are exempted from quarantine on arrival.

• Based on the above restrictions, most travellers are exempted from the requirement to enter quarantine on arrival in Dubai, unless they test positive for COVID-19.

Is a vaccination required to enter the state?

• No, with exceptions

• A vaccination for COVID-19 is not required for entry into the country.

• Fully vaccinated travellers are allowed to enter from Seychelles, Bahrain, Serbia, Italy, and Greece without the need to enter quarantine on arrival.

• The list of approved vaccines in the UAE includes Sinopharm, Pfizer-​BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield, Moderna and Sputnik V.

Is insurance required to enter the state?

• Yes with exceptions

• Proof of insurance coverage for COVID-19 expenses is required to enter Dubai. Travellers ages 12 and below are exempt from the requirement.

Entry form required?

• Yes

• Arrivals in Dubai (DXB) will need to complete a self-declaration health form and a Quarantine Form. Both forms need to be completed, printed, and given to Dubai Health Authority staff on arrival.

• Arriving travellers are required to register on the COVID-19 DXB app.

Recommended border app

• Yes

• All arrivals will need to download and register on the COVID-19 DXB Smart App - iOS/ Android.

• Permitted travellers arriving from Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia will be required to wear a monitoring and tracking device.

Airline restrictions

• Moderate

• Masks are required.

• Commercial flights are operating.

• Flights from India, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam are currently suspended.

• Flights to and from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Namibia remain suspended. Cargo flights are not affected.

Restrictions on crossing the city border

• Moderate

• Strict travel restrictions apply to travellers crossing the city border to enter Abu Dhabi. Travellers intending to enter Abu Dhabi must have a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result issued within 48 hours or a negative DPI test result within 24 hours.

Curfew restrictions

• Minimal

• There is no curfew in place in Dubai at this time.

Restrictions on travel within the state

• Moderate

• Dubai has resumed its inter-city bus services to Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman.

Non-essential shops open?

• Yes

• Shopping malls are operating at a reduced capacity. Retail stores are open.

Accommodations open?

• Yes

• Hotels are open.

• Social distancing and the wearing of face masks are mandatory when away from home. This also applies to visitors staying in hotels when they are not in their rooms.

Restaurants open?

• Yes

• Restaurants are open.

Bars and cafes open?

• Yes

• Bars are open; however, all customers and staff must be vaccinated.

• Cafes are open.

Beaches and tourism sites open?

• Yes with exceptions

• Most public beaches and parks will remain closed until further notice.

• Grand parks (Mushrif, Al Mamzar, Dubai Creek, Al Safa, and Zabeel) are open from 08:00 to 11:00 (local time).

Personal care services open?

• Yes

• Most non-essential services are allowed to resume.

Places of worship open?

• Yes

• Mosques, churches, and temples are allowed to resume at reduced capacity. People below age 12 and above 60 who have a contact history with COVID-19 infected people or those with any symptoms of COVID-19 will be denied entry into the mosques.

Events allowed?

• Yes

• Weddings are allowed with limited participants. All participants must be vaccinated.

• Community sports events, concerts, and social and institutional events are allowed; however, all participants must be vaccinated.

• Entertainment venues can operate at reduced capacity.

Masks required in public?

• Yes

• Face coverings are mandatory for all people in public places. Anyone violating the rules could be subject to fines. Social distancing is required.

• People in Dubai may apply to the authorities through www.dxbpermit.gov.ae. for an exemption from the mandatory rule to wear a face covering.

The COVID-19 epidemic is constantly changing across the country. This information is subject to change as the situation evolves, sometimes with little or no notice. It is recommended that travellers carry a supply of face masks since the requirement can vary by location. It is recommended that travellers practise social distancing, maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals and avoid crowded areas. Airlines may have their own requirements for testing, masking, and distancing.