The United Arab Emirates have announced that they will resume issuing visas to any tourist fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday, a month before the start of the World Expo 2020, postponed by a year due to the health crisis.
The measure comes amid falling infections in the Gulf country, which recorded fewer than 1,000 cases on consecutive days last week.
A first for months.
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The move to reopen the doors to vaccinated tourists from around the world is aimed at "
achieving sustainable recovery and economic growth
," the state-run WAM news agency reported on Saturday.
To travel to the Emirates, you will need to be fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer / BioNTech, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
"
The ruling applies to citizens of all countries, including those from previously banned countries
," WAM said.
Any passenger traveling to the Emirates on a tourist visa will be required to take a PCR test at the airport, the agency added.
When leaving for France, a negative PCR test lasting less than 48 or 72 hours will also be required "by certain airlines", specifies France Diplomatie.
The easiest way is to check the travel conditions directly with your carrier.
Read alsoA go to Dubai, where French tourists come to forget the confinement
Mask required, even outdoors
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven principalities, including the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where measures against the coronavirus and vaccination rules remain different. Life has largely returned to normal across the country, but residents must adhere to strict social distancing rules and wear masks outdoors and in public places. With the launch in October of the Universal Exhibition, Dubai hopes to fill up with visitors, after a year and a half marked by the health crisis.
With little oil and the Gulf's most diverse economy, Dubai has relied heavily on tourism and entertainment in recent years. The principality was one of the first tourist destinations to open its doors to international visitors in July 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic which has paralyzed the travel industry. Abu Dhabi had done the same at the end of December. In total, the country has recorded more than 715,000 cases of Covid-19, including more than 2,000 deaths.
