UAE finally opens up borders for SA travellers

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has finally announced the end to its flight and entry ban on South African travellers.

The United Arab Emirates imposed flight and travel bans on a number of southern African countries in November last year, as a result of the discovery of the Omicron variant in the region.  This meant that nationals from banned countries were unable to fly to or enter the United Arab Emirates.  

The ban was imposed in late November as a means to limit the import of the Omicron variant into the UAE. This resulted in Emirates Airlines having to keep suspending its flights from SA, impacting passengers who had to find alternate ways to get to and from South Africa.

It was hoped that the ban would be lifted by early January but this did not occur.  Authorities in the UAE were hesitant to ease restrictions on South Africa resulting in the flight and travel bans being extended even further through the month of January.

UAE LIFTS ENTRY BAN

There is good news on the horizon for South Africans who wish to travel to the UAE. Gulf News reports that the UAE authorities have announced the resumption of arrivals from several countries in Africa.

On Wednesday the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced the resumption of entry for passengers from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Entry will be permitted to nationals from these countries from 14.30 on 29 January.

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Travellers from Ghana, Uganda, and Rwanda will be required to present a negative PCR test which was obtained within 48 hours of departure, and they will also be subject to laboratory examination on arrival by way of another PCR test. It is not yet known whether these regulations will also apply to passengers from South Africa.

Emirates Airlines is yet to officially announce the resumption of flights from destinations in South Africa.  The airline flies from its hub in Dubai to Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

By: Lorne Philpot