Abu Dhabi Opens Up Borders to Vaccinated Travelers

The emirate of Abu Dhabi has recently removed quarantine requirements for all travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as unvaccinated travellers who arrive from a country on their green list.

To be considered ‘fully vaccinated’, travellers must have received two doses of the same COVID-19 vaccine two weeks before departure, as long as that vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organisation. Fully vaccinated travellers will still require a valid PCR test within 48 hours of departure, a test upon arrival, and retesting on select days depending on the country they’ve flown in from.

While both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers are allowed in the emirate, only people who are fully vaccinated will be able to access public spaces that require the Abu Dhabi Green Pass to enter. The Green Pass - available through the Alhosn mobile app - is used by residents, citizens and visitors within Abu Dhabi to limit the spread of COVID-19, particularly in spaces like shopping centres, restaurants, universities and museums. The Green Pass can also be activated with an official exception as outlined in the Alhosn app, and is automatically activated for children who are under 16 years of age.

To sign into the Alhosn app, travellers will need to submit a Unified ID number, which they will either receive from airport immigration or by registering through the ICA Smart Travel Service.

Unvaccinated travellers who are arriving from countries that are not on the green list will be required to quarantine for ten days, and wear a mandatory medically-approved wristband.