Vikrant Shekhawat : Aug 30, 2021, 09:14 AM
Washington: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has opened applications for tourist visas from all countries starting August 30.As per the new UAE travel guidelines, tourists will need to be vaccinated with one of the Covid-19 vaccine shots approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).The decision applies to citizens of all countries, including those arriving from previously banned nations.Besides, passengers arriving on tourist visas must take a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport on arrival.The passengers also need to register their vaccination status on the government’s health app.Travellers wishing to receive the benefits provided to those vaccinated in the UAE can register their vaccination via the ICA platform or Al Hosn application.However, all the rules for unvaccinated passengers, including exempted categories, remain in place, as per the new UAE travel guideline.Since scrapping arrivals from countries including India, Pakistan, and Nigeria, the UAE has been gradually easing rules on travel. The country, whose biggest cities include Abu Dhabi and Dubai, started to allow residents to return earlier this month.The WHO has so far approved shots from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.