The UAE issued a directive on Thursday, December 23, banning entry to the Emirates by passengers from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria from 07h30 on December 25.
The Tanzania ban eliminates Zanzibar as a stopover for South African travellers who want to tap into the Emirates hub network in Dubai during the current ban on South African traffic flying into Dubai.
The ban will affect all flights into the UAE, of all carriers. Banned travellers include transit passengers in the named countries, and those who were in any of the four countries in the 14 days prior to their planned arrival in the Emirates.
Flights from the UAE to the four countries are allowed to continue, and UAE citizens, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations between UAE and the countries, and Golden Residence Holders are exempt from the ruling, being allowed to travel both outbound and inbound. These exempt categories need both a negative COVID-19 test taken in the 48 hours before departure and a rapid PCR test at the airport within six hours of departure “whenever possible”, and another PCR test at the airport on arrival in UAE. A 10-day quarantine follows entry, and a PCR test on the ninth day of entering the country is required for these categories.
UAE citizens are barred from travelling to the four African countries except for the country's emergency treatment cases, official delegations, and scholarships.
UAE authorities have also introduced travel requirements for travellers on direct flights from Uganda and Ghana – a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within 48 hours before departure and a rapid PCR test at the airport within six hours of departure. Travellers from Uganda and Ghana who are transiting via a third country require an additional negative test at the airport of transit.
