Travel Updates: UAE Residents Abroad No Longer Need to Apply for ICA Entry Permit
All UAE residents who were abroad and had a valid visa had to apply for approval to return to the country from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, given that they were planning to travel into any emirate except Dubai. This is no longer the case, as it was announced by the government that special approval for residents who are trying to return to the UAE will no longer be needed.
Even though this procedure has been removed and travel will be permitted into the country, travelers still need to carry out specific procedures. It is estimated that more than 200,000 people with a valid UAE visa were abroad when the borders closed on March 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The residents were gradually returning but many were unable to secure permission under the previous ICA system.
The National Crisis Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) made it clear that “all precautionary measures will be applied to residents upon arrival to the UAE, which include a lab Covid-19 test and to abide by quarantine rules, plus downloading Al Hosn app, in order to preserve their health and safety.”
