UAE allows travellers from India, stretches ban on Pakistanis

However, travel restrictions still apply to travellers from Pakistan at least until July.

"Emirates welcomes the latest protocols and measures announced by Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management to allow the safe resumption of passenger travel from South Africa, Nigeria and India to Dubai and onwards," said the carrier's spokesperson in a statement.

Last week, the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai had said that the passengers from India with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine will be allowed to travel to Dubai.

Travellers should also present a negative test certificate from a PCR test taken 48 hours before departure.

"We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India following these protocols from June 23," said Emirates.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the restrictions would also include transit passengers, except for transit flights travelling to the UAE and bound for those countries.

Cargo flights between those countries and the UAE will continue, as usual, the statement added.

The GCAA added that exemptions to its decision include: UAE nationals, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations, business jets - after getting prior approvals - and golden and silver residency permit holders, in addition to those who work essential jobs.

Those who are exempted will still have to take a PCR test at the airport and enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

Separately, Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said on Saturday it would allow travellers from South Africa, who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, to enter Dubai starting from June 23.

Travellers from India, who have valid residence visas and have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, will also be allowed in the emirate.

Meanwhile, travellers from Nigeria must only present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours before departure and will also undergo another PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since 23 March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.