UAE – India Travel Ban & Flight News: When Will Flights Resume?

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Updated 1 September 2021

The UAE, along with 38 other countries including the US and the UK, had previously put a travel ban on India. In August 2021, however, flights resumed operations and Indians wanting to travel to the UAE were finally allowed to book their seats. Further exemptions have also allowed Indian travellers to enter the emirates.

Read on to know more about current flight news for UAE-India travel.

When will the UAE ban end?

The UAE imposed a ban on passenger flights from India effective from 24 April which was extended till 7 August. However, there have been speculations of further extensions despite no government confirmation being made. The exemptions still hold true suggesting that a travel ban persists.

Anyone who has been in the country for 14 days preceding travel will not be allowed to enter the UAE directly from India unless they meet certain conditions/exemptions. Non-exempt Indian passport holders can be allowed entry to the UAE provided they have stayed for 14 days in a country from where travelling to the Emirates is allowed.

Exemptions apply for the UAE diplomatic missions in the aforementioned country, emergency treatment cases, official delegations, and previously authorized business and technical delegates. Among the exempted category, the newest addition is travellers fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine. The previously announced visa on arrival provision to travel for those holding a valid visa or green card to the U.S and valid UK residency permit remains temporarily suspended.

Who is exempted?

Travellers of the following categories have been left out of the scope of this ban, provided they adhere to COVID-19 protocols:

• UAE nationals and citizens
• holders of UAE Golden Visas
• members of diplomatic missions accredited by both countries
• official delegates
• those travelling on business/private planes*
  
• health workers, teachers, humanitarian cases and those employed in federal and local government agencies

*The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) will be allowing only 8 passengers on business aircraft and private jets, irrespective of their actual capacity.

The exempted individuals can fly between the two countries but will be subject to the following measures:

• Pre-departure testing. You'll have to take a test 48 hours before scheduled arrival at a laboratory approved by the UAE or by India. The test result must have a QR code, except if you're travelling to Abu Dhabi.
  - This doesn't apply to passengers younger than 12 years and passengers with disabilities.
• Post-arrival testing. On entering the UAE, you'll be asked to take three tests- the first at the airport itself, the second on day 4, and the third on day 8 of your quarantine period.
• Quarantine. All passengers coming to the UAE from India will have to quarantine for 10 days, either at home or at any hotel. You'll be required to sign an indemnity document for this.

Tourist visa for India to UAE

Indian passport holders with tourist visas can enter UAE jurisdiction although on certain conditions. Travellers who are fully vaccinated can now start applying for tourist visas and directly journey to the UAE. Read further to learn more about which vaccinated passengers are eligible to travel to UAE.

Unvaccinated tourist visa holders, on the other hand, will be able to visit UAE only if they haven't been in India in the last 14 days. Except for the 14-day stay at a third country requirement, other requirements will vary for every emirate.

Travellers journeying to Dubai will need a negative test report of an RT-PCR test taken not before 48 hours of travel. A valid approval of the city's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affair is also required. Travellers might also be subjected to rapid antigen testing on arrival or within six hours of landing at the airport.

Vaccinated passengers to UAE

Indian travellers who have received both doses of a WHO-approved vaccine can fly to the emirates. They must have received the second vaccine dose at least 14 days before travel.

Such passengers are required to take the customary PCR test within 48 hours prior to travel. Additionally, they also need to take a rapid COVID test not more than 6 hours before departure. Only QR-coded test results are accepted.

Before travelling to the UAE, eligible passengers who are UAE Residents and any fully vaccinated passenger wishing to travel to Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah need to receive approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). Registration for arriving individuals is available on the ICA app and website from August 15. Those who wish to travel should start with filling in personal and passport details, residency address in the UAE, then uploading vaccine details and attaching proofs.

If they reside in Dubai, they'll also need pre-entry approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

However, registering vaccination certificates is optional for travellers who wish to enjoy the benefits made available in the UAE to vaccine recipients. Only certificates of vaccines approved in the UAE will be approved, and accredited certificates will show on the AlHosn app.

On arrival, they must take a third PCR test at the airport and undergo institutional quarantine for upto 24 hours until the test results are delivered.

To recap, eligible Indian travellers with tourist visas/UAE residency need to:

• have a vaccine certificate stating that they have been fully vaccinated with WHO-approved vaccine, and the second dose was 14 days prior to travel
• reach your departure airports six hours in advance
• have a valid COVID‑19 test certificate issued within 48 hours of the time of sample collection and scheduled flight departure
• take a COVID‑19 Rapid Antigen or Rapid PCR test at the airport 6 hours prior to departure
• undergo COVID‑19 PCR testing on arrival in, followed by two other PCR tests on the 4th day and 8th day of arrival
• sign an indemnity document for a 10‑day home or hotel quarantine
• receive prior approval from the ICA (and from GDRFA if they reside in Dubai)

We'll update this article as new developments unfold.

India to Dubai flights

Emirates

If you have booked tickets before 1 April 2021 for travel on or before 31 December 2021, you can keep the ticket with you and choose to fly any time with Emirates in 36 months from the date of your original booking, or you can request a refund.

If you have booked tickets after 1 April 2021, you can either change the dates or and ask for a refund at no extra charge. All such tickets will be valid for 24 months.

If you want to use the ticket to travel later on, just keep it safe with you till then. It will be accepted for any flight to the same destination or within the same region, in the same or any class, depending on the date of your booking.

If you want to change the flight booking, call Emirates if you booked directly, or your travel agent.

If you want a refund, apply here.

For more details, click here.

Etihad

Etihad keeps its tickets open for you to use whenever you feel confident about travelling. Essentially, you have four options.

1. You can cancel your flight and accept Etihad Credit. The airline will reward you with up to USD 400 and up to 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles. Your credit will be added to a Travel Bank account to pay for flights or extras at any time within two years. Get Etihad Credit
2. You can rebook and change the flight date and destination anytime before 31 October 2021. There's no fare difference if you rebook in the same fare class and travel within the same zone.
3. You can keep your ticket open till 31 October and if you aren't able to use it within 12 months of your first cancelled flight, you will be entitled to a refund.
4. You can ask for a refund. However, you'll be eligible for a refund only in the following cases.
   - Any Etihad Airways flight on your ticket has been cancelled and you purchased your ticket directly with Etihad Airways or a travel agency in Australia, Canada or the USA, or your ticket originates in the European Union (including Switzerland and the UK)
   - Your ticket has an original travel date on or after 1 October 2020 and a flight on your booking has been cancelled
   - You have received a positive COVID-19 PCR test result (you must present your test result in line with country regulations). You can request a refund between 96 and 24 hours before your flight departure time
   - Travel is restricted by government regulations and you are unable to travel. You can request a refund a maximum of 14 days before your flight departure

For more details, click here.

Air India

Individuals in the exempted categories can still travel back to the UAE with Air India.

Air India operates regularly scheduled flights from major Indian cities to Dubai.

• Delhi to Dubai - up to two flights available 7 days a week
• Mumbai to Dubai - up to three flights available 7 days a week

It also has regular flights to Abu Dhabi.

• Chennai to Abu Dhabi - up to two flights available 7 days a week
• Delhi to Abu Dhabi - up to two flights available 7 days a week

While other airlines such as Spice Jet and IndiGo are usually scheduled to travel to UAE, currently the airline with the most flight availability is mentioned.

Air India will be granting one free change/cancellation to those whose flights have been cancelled due to the ban. This is not applicable to exempted individuals who can still board the flights.

If you want to change the booking to any later date, the difference in the current and future fares will be additionally chargeable.

If you want to cancel your booking and get a refund, no charges will be applicable.

For more details, click here.

Should you book flights for the UAE after 7 August?

Etihad Airways has resumed flights from New Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru and Trivandrum from August 7 for the exempted categories of travellers and residents. Flights from Ahmedabad (transit), Hyderabad, Mumbai have also resumed from August 10. Emirates Airlines have also resumed flights to Dubai from various Indian cities.

If you're neither in the exempted categories nor fully vaccinated or an eligible tourist visa holder, it's truly up in the air and travel will most likely not be possible.

The travel ban has been imposed in concern of the worrisome increase of COVID cases in India. Until the situation gets under control and the risk of transmission through Indian arrivals is mitigated, it is unlikely that the UAE will lift the restrictions.

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