It has been announced that from August 11, Abu Dhabi airlines will accept UAE residents returning to Abu Dhabi without ICA approval that previously was a mandatory requirement for those travelers coming to UAE.
The latest update claims “UAE residents with valid visas arriving at the Abu Dhabi International Airport are now not required to get travel permit from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA)”.
Currently, the official statement from the government is awaited. To enter UAE in any other country’s airports, residents will still need ICA approval. As it was said this news is a “huge relief for expatriates stranded outside the UAE waiting for approvals to come to the UAE. “
At the same time, every returning traveler has to obtain a negative COVID-19 test certificate (valid within 96 hours of intended entry)to come to AUH. Currently, travelers are not required to have a test certificate for onward travel from the emirate of Abu Dhabi into Dubai (or the other emirates) by road.
According to the Etihad guidelines, tests must be done at an approved medical center. There is a list of approved testing facilities. If you’re traveling to Abu Dhabi Airport from another emirate in the UAE by road, there is a need to obtain a negative PCR test or negative DPI test (valid within 48 hours).
A negative PCR COVID-19 test result is also mandatory for departure from Abu Dhabi (obtained within 96 hours of planned trip). Residents traveling out of Abu Dhabi will also need to check the entry requirements on their airline website.
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.