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UAE officials announce travel ban on passengers arriving from four South Asian countries, effective May 12
10 May 2021
| Last updated on 10 May 2021
The travel ban affects all airlines connecting to the UAE
Starting Wednesday May 12, the UAE will prohibit entry to all travellers arriving from four countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
The move applies to all incoming flights and carriers to the country, excluding transit services.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation and National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (Ncema) posted the announcement on their official Twitter page, citing the new variant of Covid-19 as the reason for the temporary suspension.
Flights into the UAE from the four countries will end from 11:59 PM this Wednesday night.
"This decision also includes extending the suspension of entry for travellers who were in these four countries in the 14-day period prior to arrival in the UAE," authorities added.
Who are excluded from the travel ban into the UAE?
Passengers arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal who belong to any of the following groups are free to enter the country:
- UAE Nationals
- Diplomats
- Business planes
- UAE Golden Residence holders
- Official delegations
Last month, the country banned passengers arriving from India in an effort to limit the spread of the reportedly highly contagious B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was discovered in India.
Earlier this week, Bangladesh confirmed their first case of the Indian Coronavirus variant. In Sri Lanka, officials also detected the same strain locally.
An expected end-date for the travel ban has not been announced.
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