As the government lifted travel restrictions, many Dubai residents start planning a vacation abroad. In order to travel, residents will have to receive approval from Dubai’s immigration service, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
All Dubai residents returning to the emirate have to apply for permission through the GDRFA approval form. It is required to enter your Resident File Number, which can be found on the visa under “File”. If your application status is “approved”, GDRFA will email you a reference number. This number should be used while booking flights online or via a travel agent. After receiving approval, a traveler should check the local travel requirements of the country.
Travelers returning to Dubai will need:
– To take GDRFA approval to return and a copy of the approval email with you. There is no need to pass the PCR test prior to leaving Dubai unless your destination requires it;
– To print and complete a health declaration form and quarantine undertaking form. The traveler will give these forms to Dubai Health Authority staff on arrival at Dubai;
– To pass the COVID-19 test in a certified lab overseas or upon arrival in Dubai, then remain in your residence until you get the results. If you test positive, you’ll have to be quarantined, either in your home or an approved hotel;
– To download the COVID-19 – DXB Smart App (iOS or Android). At check-in, the traveler should declare about health insurance that will cover any costs for treatment or quarantine.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus which is causing illness in humans and animals. Most people infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus will feel mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without any special treatment. Older people, as well as those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness, and require immediate assistance. Novel Coronavirus was first identified in a cluster with pneumonia symptoms in Wuhan city, Hubei province of China, quickly spreading around the world. On early March 2020, the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic had officially started, becoming the defining global health crisis of our time. Today, it is the greatest challenge people have faced since World War II, worsened by subsequent lockdowns of whole countries, collapse of entire industries, and a major economic recession.