COVID-19 travel guidelines for travelling to the UAE – all you need to know

Dubai’s official tourism website – visitdubai.ae – provides the following guideline for visitors: “Effective November 8, 2022, passengers are no longer required to present COVID-19 vaccination certificates or negative PCR test results to enter the UAE.”

The website, however, asks travellers to check the following immigration/COVID-19 guidelines before they travel:

1. Ensure you meet entry visa requirements to visit the UAE.
2. If you are travelling onward from Dubai or are in transit, you must still comply with the travel requirement of your final destination.
3. As destination requirements can change on short notice, you are advised to check for any updates with your airlines before travelling.
4. Wearing a mask is optional at Dubai Airports and at all locations in Dubai, except hospitals and medical facilities. Airlines can request passengers to wear masks, if deemed necessary.

Similarly, Abu Dhabi’s official tourism website – visitabudhabi.ae – states: “As of February 26, 2022, you no longer need a [PCR] test before you fly to Abu Dhabi. Vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers are welcome to experience Abu Dhabi with no restrictions.

“As of November 7, 2022, almost all Covid-19 restrictions in Abu Dhabi have been lifted meaning green status on the Al Hosn app and negative PCR tests are no longer required to enter Abu Dhabi attractions.”

Masks in public places not mandatory

UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced Phase 2 of easing COVID-19 restrictions in the country, which came into effect from November 7, 2022.

The updates to the COVID-19 protocol announced mean that you no longer need to wear masks in open and closed facilities places, nor do you need to show a Green Pass on the Al Hosn app to enter public places. 

Isolation period

If you test positive for COVID-19, you will need to isolate for five days, as per the announcement by NCEMA.