Last updated: 03 October 2022
Who can travel?
- Open to all visitors subject to meeting the entry requirements.
Effective immediately
, citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are allowed to enter the United Arab Emirates without a passport, if travelling with their national ID card.
What do you need to travel?
All passengers travelling to Dubai (irrespective of the country they are travelling from) will need to present one of the following on arrival in Dubai:
- a printed or digital copy of a valid vaccination certificate (with a QR code except the US COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card) in English or Arabic showing the passenger has been fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization or the United Arab Emirates (AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (SK Bioscience), CanSinoBIO (Convidecia), Covaxin, Covishield, Covovax, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Nuvaxovid (Novavax), Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty), Sinopharm, Sinovac and Sputnik V are accepted vaccines); or
- a printed or digital copy of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate (with a QR code) in English or Arabic from a test (based on molecular diagnostic testing intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS-COV-2 viral RNA) taken by an approved health service no more than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the passenger’s inbound flight to Dubai; or
- a valid medical certificate (with a QR code) in English or Arabic issued by a relevant authority which shows the passenger has recovered from Coronavirus SARS Cov-19 within a period of one month from the date of recovery to the date of arrival.
Passengers may be asked to undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai and to self-quarantine until they receive a negative result. Passengers testing positive must follow the guidelines issued by the relevant health authority in Dubai.
All passengers travelling to Dubai International (DXB) or Al Maktoum International (DWC) in the UAE must hold the correct travel documents for entry:
- passenger passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the arrival date;
- passengers arriving on a visit visa, tourist visa or visa on arrival must hold a valid return or onward ticket;
- passengers must have their own valid travel document (i.e. a passport issued separately to them by the relevant authority of the country of citizenship);
- children endorsed on a parent’s or guardian’s passport are not allowed to enter DXB or DWC.
Georgia citizens can now obtain a visa on arrival in the UAE for up to 90 days. Passengers must have:
- passports and other documents accepted for entry and valid for a minimum of 6 months from the arrival date;
- a valid return ticket.
For passengers transiting in Dubai, the rules/conditions governing any further transit point or entry at the final destination will apply.
If you are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test no more than 48 hours prior to the departure of your inbound flight to Dubai, you must be able to present a printed or digital copy of the negative result in English or Arabic to be accepted for travel. SMS certificates and handwritten test results will not be accepted. The test must be taken at an approved laboratory.
Please note that negative PCR test certificates must be issued in the country of departure. However, negative PCR test certificates issued in the UAE can be used to return to Dubai if the test result is still valid.
UAE nationals and first-degree relatives returning to Dubai
UAE nationals are not required to present a vaccination certificate or a PCR test certificate before returning to Dubai from any country. UAE nationals may be asked to undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai.
This exemption from the requirement to present a vaccination certificate or a PCR test certificate before travelling to Dubai is also extended to the following categories of passenger (irrespective of the country they are travelling from):
- inbound passengers accompanying the first-degree relative of a UAE national;
- domestic workers being accompanied by a UAE national sponsor.
These exempted passengers must be travelling on the same flight as the relative or sponsor.
Children under the age of 16 and passengers with moderate to severe disabilities are exempt from testing
. Moderate to severe disabilities include neurological disorders, as well as intellectual or developmental disabilities, for example, acute spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Ataxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Bell’s Palsy, brain tumour, cerebral aneurysm, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy and seizures. All other passengers (including those who are visually impaired, hearing impaired or physically challenged) must hold a negative COVID-19 PCR test result as per the requirements.
Departing from Dubai
UAE citizens
aged 18 and above are exempted from the restriction of travelling outside of the UAE if they have:
- completed 1 dose of an approved vaccine (provided a period of 1 month has not lapsed between the date of the vaccination and the date of travel); or
- completed 2 doses of an approved vaccine.
If not vaccinated, UAE citizens must be able to present a printed or digital copy of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate (with a QR code) in English or Arabic from a test (based on molecular diagnostic testing intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS-COV-2 viral RNA) taken by an approved health service no more than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure of their flight from Dubai. This does not apply to children below 16 years, and adults who are unable to conduct a PCR test due to medical reasons or have recovered from Covid-19 infection within a period of 3 months at the date of travel
Subject to obtaining approval from the concerned authority, the following UAE citizens are also exempted from the restriction of travelling outside of the UAE:
- individuals medically exempted from taking the vaccine;
- humanitarian cases;
- individuals travelling for medical and/or treatment purposes.
For other cases not included in the list above, UAE citizens aged 18 and above must present an official letter from the relevant health authority in the UAE.
All passengers departing from Dubai need to follow transit and final destination requirements. Please check travel requirements by country here.
