Our Correspondent
DUBAI
The UAE government has announced that all UAE residents currently stranded abroad and wanting to return must complete a COVID-19 test. Only those who produce a COVID negative test done at accredited laboratories and taken within 72 hours of take-off will be permitted to board the flight.
The guidelines were announced on June 29 by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship for residents with valid visas returning to the country from July 1.
Residents can access the list of accredited laboratories in 106 cities from 17 countries on smartservices.ica.gov.ae. More countries will be added to the list shortly in the second and third phases.
Owing to time constraints, laboratories will have to deliver results digitally, it noted.
For residents returning from countries without accredited laboratories, the tests can be conducted upon arrival back in the UAE. Residents will have to take home or institutional quarantine for 14 days. The costs will have to be borne by the individual or under certain circumstances by their company. The returning residents will have to download an app for monitoring during quarantine.
