UAE: Many British expatriates prepare to fly home, but are still waiting for vaccine details-News

Many Emirati and British expats are looking forward to going to the UK after October 4. New travel reform kick in.

The British authorities announced on Wednesday, The vaccination certificate issued by the UAE will be considered valid. Starting from October 4th, travelers from the UAE can enter the UK if they show proof of two Covid injections in the UAE.

Given that the UAE-UK travel situation has faced great instability since December 2020, some nationals and foreigners are now relieved and are starting to make plans to travel to the UK before the winter vacation.

What happened before:

>>Covid-19: UAE residents and Indian leaders criticize Britain’s new travel policy

>> Britain says it will simplify international travel rules

British expatriate Jane Boyce said: “This is the best news ever, especially for my daughter who can now return to the UK.”

Chris Ayris, Senior Project Finance Director based in Dubai, told Khalij Times He has not been to the UK since the outbreak of the pandemic. Before Covid, he would travel to the country at least twice a year, and his parents would visit him in Dubai once a year.

“I planned to travel in July and August, but then the lockdown period was extended in the UK and I had to cancel it,” Erics said. He has planned to let his parents fly to Dubai instead of going to the UK to meet them.

“My last visit to the UK was in March 2020. I flew back to attend the funeral. I saw my parents, brother and his fiancé, but I couldn’t see anyone else. I wanted to see my grandparents, but they were I am a little worried about Covid-19, so I miss them a lot,” he added. Ayris said he was a “quadruple vaccine” and took two doses of Sinopharm and Pfizer BioNTech.

Iris also stated that the UK has decided to keep the UAE On the amber list It is frustrating that travelers must be isolated for 10 days and then pay for testing after being discharged from the hospital five days later. “They (the authorities) say that we can avoid isolation only if we have been vaccinated in the UK, the US or the EU, and we certainly haven’t,” he added.

The expat originally planned to travel to the UK in September, but he decided not to do so because he currently cannot take more than a week of leave. “I canceled the most recent travel plan because I don’t want to go home for 7 days, quarantine for 5 days, then wait another day for PCR results, then stay outside for a day, and then fly back.”

Do you receive all vaccines?

Although travel restrictions have been relaxed, many expats still have questions, especially regarding the approved vaccine list.

Kityo Emmanuel asked on social media: “It’s great, but I’m still confused because the UAE uses different types of vaccines, including the Sinopharm made in China, and this is what I take. I’m in the UK. Is it one of the travelers who’addict drugs’?”

Lisa Holness also asked: “Can you clarify whether this is related to all types of vaccines that have been vaccinated in the UAE? My husband took three doses of national medicine while in the UAE! He can go home without isolation after October 4th. ?”

There are five vaccines distributed in the UAE, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sputnik and Sinopharm. It is not clear whether the UK can accept all these vaccines.

Travel experts tell you Khalij Times Not only tourists and business travelers, many people who are currently planning to travel to the UK are students who wish to attend classes at university, as well as family and friends who wish to meet their loved ones.

Sophia Tamang, a travel expert in the UAE, said: “At present, people are still applying for visas and waiting for the process to become clear. Since travel has just opened, most people who travel will come back to meet their relatives.”

“Demand is expected to pick up in December, but the travel regulations in this industry have been very unpredictable. It is constantly changing.”

Danusha Gukulan

Dhanusha Gokulan is from India and has been working as a journalist for more than ten years. For Khaleej Times, she reports on NRI affairs, civil aviation and immigration issues. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, economics and English literature from Mangalore University in 2008, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in contemporary media leadership and innovation at the American University in Dubai. In her spare time, she gets involved in singing/song writing, loves food, and is the mother of an over-enthusiastic Labrador Retriever. On her Twitter @shootsprintrite.