As travel restrictions continue to ease and Dubai prepares to welcome tourists back into the Emirate on July 7, residents are also starting to consider a summer getaway overseas. But before booking a ticket out of the UAE, Dubai residents will need to seek approval from the government in order to return.
Passengers intending to travel will need to submit an online form via Dubai’s immigration service, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), prior to booking a return flight. The regulation also applies to Dubai residents who are currently overseas and wish to return to the UAE. If the application is approved, the GDRFA will issue travellers with a unique reference number that is needed to fly.
The process is outlined on Emirates airline’s website — following the news that the Dubai-based airline will now travel to 52 destinations in July — where residents can apply for the approval while booking flights, or they can file submissions directly on GDRFA’s website where they can also check the status of their application.
Read what you need to know before your next daycation in Dubai
When heading off to the airport, residents will need to bring a copy of this GDRFA approval email with them. Passengers are also required to fill in a health declaration form and the quarantine undertaking form, which needs to be printed, completed and ready to hand over to the Dubai Health Authority at the airport.
It’s also important to note that those travelling back into Dubai must agree to bear the expenses of Covid-19 treatment and quarantine if required, partcpaite in a mandatory test upon arrival and download the Covid-19 – DXB Smart App.
Before packing a holiday wardrobe and planning a great escape, travellers will need to be aware of the eligibility and entry requirements of the places they are travelling to — with destinations such as Cyprus, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania set to reopen to UAE citizens and residents from July.
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