International Travel: Air India Issues Fresh Directives For UAE-India Travel

Planning a trip? Before you sit down to make your itinerary read on. India’s national carrier Air India in its latest advisory to travel agents has released new directives regarding pre-flight registration of passengers travelling from UAE to India. The airlines have also asked the ticket validity of tourists from India to UAE. As per Khaleej Times, an Air India official shared that passengers are now required to fill out their details on the Air Suvidha portal or the New Delhi airport portal, wherever applicable. Pre-registration documents also include health declaration forms and other formalities of the state the passenger is travelling to prescribes. The official further told the portal that this procedure is followed in order to avoid crowding at the check-in counters ahead of their departure or arrival in India. The official recommended that all passengers must go through the requirements set by the state they wish to travel to well in advance of their departure. Meanwhile, Indians who are planning to visit Dubai on visit or tourist visa or have a desire to obtain a visa on arrival can travel, if they have a valid return ticket. Note that passengers should have a valid return ticket and not a single/conjunction ticket. If you are travelling to, from, and through Dubai then keep these guidelines handy. -Tourists must take two COVID‑19 PCR tests: one before departure with a validity of 96 hours from the date of the test, and a second test upon arrival in Dubai. – The certificate must be for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Other test certificates including antibody tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai. – You must bring an official, printed certificate in English or Arabic to check-in – SMS and digital certificates are not accepted. – Children under the age of 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability are exempt from this test.