Planning a trip to Dubai? Here are the Covid-related health guidelines you need to follow to and from the Emirati city

Travel to Dubai: Have you been planning to travel to Dubai? Indians have been looking to travel internationally after being cooped up at homes due to the pandemic for a long time. Dubai is among the preferred destinations for many Indians, be it for work or for leisure, especially due to the proximity and given the fact that the Expo 2020 as well as numerous cricket tournaments are currently being held in the Emirati city, the travel to the other nation is more than ever. Still, the pandemic is yet to die, and the UAE, which has managed to keep the virus under control to a large extent now, has implemented strict protocols for people travelling to the country.

So here is what you need to know and what you can expect while travelling to the other country amid prevalent COVID-19 guidelines.

Once all the documents like Passport, Visa and flight tickets are in order, travellers are required to undergo a COVID-19 RT-PCR test within 48 hours before the time of departure. The report needs to be kept printed and handy, since it is checked by the airlines as well as during immigration checks. But that is not the only report. Within 6 hours before the time of departure, travellers need to undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airport in India. This test costs anything between Rs 3,900 to Rs 4,500 and a printed report can be obtained from dedicated kiosks at the airport within an hour of testing.

However, passengers must be mindful of the fact that these tests take a lot of time due to long queues, and therefore, they must reach the airport in sufficient time so that they can get the test within 6 hours of departure but also have enough time to proceed with check-in, immigration and security check.

This report, coupled with the report of the RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure, are checked at the airlines’ check-in kiosks, and even the personnel at immigration checks can ask for these reports. These tests are also to be presented to the airline staff while boarding the flight.

But this is not where testing ends. Once travellers have arrived at the Dubai airport, they are mandatorily required to undergo another COVID‑19 PCR test at the airport itself. The report for this test is typically sent out in five to six hours, and during this time, the passengers are required to remain self-isolated at the hotel. In case this test comes out as positive, the travellers are required to go into quarantine as per the directives of the Dubai Health Authority.

While coming to India as well, a passenger needs to be tested within 48 hours before departure and this report is checked by the airlines at the check-in kiosk as well as at the time of boarding the flight.

Upon reaching India, the airport might either require passengers to undergo another test, or direct them to remain under observation for 14 days to look out for any symptoms of COVID-19.