Gives conditions
The United Arab Emirates, (UAE), says it will lift a ban on transit passenger traffic from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries from August 5, the countrys National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA), reported yesterday.
According to a Reuters report, the UAE, a major international travel hub, has banned passengers from many South Asian and African countries for several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
NCEMA said on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours before departure.
Final destination approval would also have to be provided, the authority said, adding that UAE departure airports would arrange separate lounges for transiting passengers.
NCEMA said that a ban on entry to the UAE for passengers from these countries would also be lifted for those with valid residencies and who are certified by Emirati authorities as fully vaccinated.
However, they would need to apply for on-line entry permits before travelling and would need to present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours before departure.
Those working in the medical, educational, or government sectors in the Gulf Arab state as well as those studying or completing medical treatment in the UAE would be exempt from the vaccination requirement as would humanitarian cases.
The transit ban had also included Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Uganda.
