The UAE has now issued fresh guidelines for travellers from India, days after lifting the travel restrictions. It now stated that travellers will now require a rapid PCR test six hours before their departure, instead of four hours, which was the norm earlier.
Besides, the UAE has also started the visa on arrival facility for those Indians nationals who have a visa or residence permit issued by the United States, United Kingdom or an EU Member State.
Referring to this, a communication to all private operators and airlines by the authority stated that a rapid RT-PCR test can be conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure, which will provide flexibility to airlines. As per the reports, the will be applicable to passengers from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Nepal, Uganda, and Sri Lanka.
This move comes as a big relief for smaller as well as larger airports, where infrastructure is limited. This step will also help to avoid chaos in case two to three international flights are scheduled to depart to the UAE or other destinations, which requires tests to be done in a matter of hours. Further, this move would also help the airline staff to streamline the process of issuing boarding tickets to passengers who test negative in the rapid RT-PCR test.