Dubai Travel Requirement: GDRFA, ICA approval required for UAE residents from 10 countries

Emirates airline has updated travel requirements for passengers visiting Dubai.

The below Visa Holders do not require pre-approval (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA)) when entering UAE –

Employment visas
newly issued residence visas
short stay/long-stay visa
visit visa
visa on arrival

All the UAE residence visa holders can now travel to Dubai without GDRFA or ICA approval except when travelling from the 10 Asian and African countries. Residents travelling from the following 10 countries will have to take approval from the GDRFA and ICA before the flight to Dubai:

Bangladesh
India
Nigeria
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
South Africa
Uganda
Vietnam
Zambia
Indonesia

Passengers arriving from the above 10 countries must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code issued within 48 hours of the time the sample was collected at an approved health facility.

Meanwhile, passengers travelling from countries other than these 10 destinations must have a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure.