How long will India has to wait?

UAE government has declared an extension of its travel ban for travellers from India. The travel ban will continue to stretch to the end of June. The emirates airlines officially declared that passenger flights from India will be suspended till June 30.  Passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days will not be permitted entry from any other point too. Being one of the largest international travel destinations for Indians, this travel ban is sure to cause dismay on immigrants who are trying to get back to UAE. The UAE travel agencies are scrambling to cope with the evolving travel regulations.

UAE has tightened its regulations to mitigate the effect of the deadly virus that is playing havoc in India. A few days ago, the UAE government had banned jet operators from selling seats on the flights from countries like India. UAE general civil aviation authority had earlier ruled that a maximum of eight passengers will be allowed on business jets to Dubai.

About 20 countries including UAE has imposed travel ban on India since mid-April due to the roaring surge in pandemic numbers. The Dubai travel agencies are helpless when it comes to this matter. The Covid situation in India continues to be a little out of hand as travel restrictions make it harder for immigrant workers to get back to their resident countries. According to surveys, about 27% of UAE’s population comprises of Indian immigrants who are serving a variety of industries and businesses. Many people are facing the risk of losing their jobs as the travel restrictions continues to prolong for months.

Travel restrictions around the world

Covid pandemic has forced many countries to impose travel ban and firm guidelines to nationals from many countries. The UAE travel agencies try their best to facilitate their client safe passage to Dubai but the new restrictions has put those in hold too. The recent second wave of pandemic swept India to a place of horror, as the whole country suffered from peaking covid numbers and death toll. Thanks to India’s population, the brutal effects of pandemic continue to linger as state and central governments are desperately trying to scale up vaccination levels.

As the situation got out of hand, many countries came up with travel bans for people from India. The travel ban is more significant in the case of Dubai as most of the travellers from India have UAE as their destination point. The formalities and conditions to be satisfied to collect a UAE visa are even more complicated now.

Requirements for passengers entering Dubai

All travellers from around the world has to comply certain strict guidelines upon entering Dubai. They must carry proof for a negative PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before the departure. This does not include travellers from India. No other test certificates including antibody tests are valid in Dubai. The certificate must be printed in English or Arabic. Test certificates of other languages must be validated at the airport. The test certificate must contain a QR code linked to the original verification. All the travellers must also fill a health declaration form.

Covid tests on arrival

Travellers from the below listed countries must take another PCR test upon arrival to Dubai

·        Afghanistan

·        Angola

·        Argentina

·        Bahrain

·        Bangladesh

·        Cambodia

·        Chile

·        Croatia

·        Cyprus

·        Czech republic

·        Dijbouti

·        Egypt

·        Eritrea

·        Georgia

·        Ghana

·        Guinea

·        Hungary

·        Indonesia

·        Iran

·        Iraq

·        Israel

·        Ivory coast

·        Jordan

·        Kenya

·        Kuwait

·        Lebanon

·        Malta

·        Moldova

·        Montenegro

·        Morocco

·        Myanmar

·        Nepal

·        Nigeria

·        Oman

·        Pakistan

·        Poland

·        Philippines

·        Qatar

·        Romania

·        Rwanda

·        Russia

·        Senegal

·        Slovakia

·        Somaliland

·        Somalia

·        South sudan

·        Syria

·        Tanzania

·        Tunisia

·        Turkey

·        Turkmenistan

·        Uganda

·        Ukraine

·        Uzbekistan

·        Vietnam

·        Zambia

·        Zimbabwe

 

Rules for travel from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Srilanka

Passengers on diplomatic missions, those who are holding UAE golden visa, UAE nationals and passengers on a business flight are allowed to enter UAE. They must also have a valid covid 19 PCR test certificate.  All passengers who have travelled to or transited through these countries in the last 14 days will not be permitted to Dubai from any other points. This does not pertain to UAE nationals.

·        Passengers must bear valid covid-19 PCR test certificate which is issued within 48 hours of sample collection.

·        The reports must be from certified digital laboratories

·        They must have a QR code linked to original verification

·        Passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival and another two on the 4^th and 8^th day of their quarantine.

·        Passengers must sign a document agreeing to 10 days hoe quarantine upon arrival.

·        Passengers must download and utilise the DXB Covid-19 app upon arrival.

 

Rules for transiting in Dubai

Travellers who wish to transit in Dubai from the above listed countries must carry with them a negative covid-19 PCR test report. The test must be taken within no more than 72 hours before departure. The traveller must also follow the various safety guidelines set by the Dubai government. Passengers from any countries other than the ones listed above need to carry a covid-19 PCR test to transit in Dubai.

These are the categories that are exempted from producing PCR test certificate

·        UAE nationals

·        Children under the age of 12

·        Passengers who suffer from moderate to severe disability

·        Depending on your original and final destinations there might be some exemptions.

Dubai tourist visas

Depending on the purpose of your travel and your intended period of stay, the nature of UAE visit visas change. There are different kinds of visas like 96 hour visa, 30 day tourist visa, 90 day visit visa single or multiple entry visas etc. Dubai visa price include consultation charges, medical insurance, service charges and taxes. Dubai has made significant changes in its visa processing system and introduced some new visas as well. These visa regulations are in the wake of a depressed economy struggling to overcome the negative effects of covid. The new remote work visa and the multi-entry tourist visa are examples of this.

Applying for and earning a UAE visa permit has now become more time consuming. But a good visa consultant agency can help you sort it out through minimum time. You can enjoy excellent visa services at low prices and with minimum documentation if you consult the best travel agencies in Dubai. You can also apply for your UAE visit visa online with the help of expert visa consultants in Dubai.

Future of Indian travellers to UAE

The covid situation is worsening in India day by day. The second wave recorded one of the worse covid hits since its onset on November 2019. While the decreasing death toll and the slightly deescalating test positive numbers give us a faint hope, the situation is still in the desperate need of cautious handling. Unemployment rate and frozen businesses are already plaguing the Indian economy. While migrant workers have been an important source of our income in the past, most of them are in the persistent fear of unemployment. UAE has been one of those primary destinations for Indian immigrants and the recent travel restrictions are taking a toll on the UAE economy in the lack of its skilled immigrant workforce.

Experts are predicting a third wave of pandemic in July-august months. Have our system and government are not prepared enough for the third hit, the situation could get much worse in the coming days. Although, Indian travellers are hoping that the travel ban get lifted by the end of June, one cannot be a 100% sure about what the UAE government’s decision will be.

The travel agencies in Dubai advise their clients not to buy air tickets for dates announced by different countries. The travel ban completely depends on the pandemic situation in India and unless you don’t want to lose your money or get it stuck somewhere, it is wise to just wait out and keep a watch on the covid numbers in India.