Al Hosn App: Status still red after testing negative for COVID-19? Here’s all you need to know about the Al Hosn app

Dubai: Are you vaccinated and have a booster shot, but your Al Hosn app status is still grey? Or, have you received a negative PCR test result, after completing quarantine, but the status on the app still shows red? You may have certain doubts about how to turn your status Green on the Al Hosn app and if these are some of the questions you are facing, here is a definitive guide on navigating the app.

What is the Al Hosn app?

Al Hosn is the UAE’s official app for contact tracing and health status related to COVID-19. On the Al Hosn app, you will be able to receive:

• COVID-19 test results and a record of all previous COVID-19 results with their dates.
• A notification if you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
• Vaccination information, including the type of vaccine you have taken and the date of dose given.

The app also facilitates sharing test reports and vaccination certificates. If you are a citizen, resident or visitor to the UAE, it is important to download the Al Hosn App.

What does the green, red and grey status mean on the Al Hosn App?

The Al Hosn app has three colours that change depending on the individual COVID-19 health status.

Green

Your status will turn Green if you fall under any of these three categories

Category 1

You need to:

1. Be fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot after six months of the second dose.

2. Have a negative PCR test result. A negative PCR result is required every 14 days to retain a Green Pass.

Note: To be considered fully vaccinated, you must have received both doses of the vaccine and a booster shot. If your second dose was six months ago, you are eligible for the COVID-19 booster dose. To maintain a green status, vaccinated individuals have a 30 day window period to get the booster dose.

Category 2

You can also have a Green Pass if you are qualified for vaccine exemption, but you will need to provide a negative PCR test result every seven days.

Category 3

Children under the age of 16 – no PCR test required.

Grey

You can be fully vaccinated or exempted and still have a Grey status. This means that the PCR result has expired, and a new one needs to be taken.

Also, if you have not received a booster dose after six months, the Al Hosn App will present a grey status.

If you are unvaccinated or have not received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, your status will be grey on the Al Hosn App.

Red

Your status will turn Red, in the following cases:

• Your PCR test is positive.

• If you were recently infected with COVID-19 but have tested negative after completing your mandatory quarantine, your status can still be Red. This is because the Al Hosn App needs two negative PCR tests and a 24-hour duration is required between them.

How to turn green after being infected with COVID-19 

If you were infected with COVID-19, and have now recovered, this is how you turn from red to green, according to the Al Hosn App:

Quarantine for ten days and wait for QR your code to turn green automatically on day 11. This green code will stay for 30 days. After that, take a PCR test every 14 days in the next 60 days.

Or if you have completely recovered from COVID-19 within ten days, you should have two negative PCR tests. After testing negative twice for COVID-19, you will have a Green Pass active for 30 days. The second PCR test should be 24 hours after the first test. After that, please take a PCR test every 14 days in the next 60 days.

How do I maintain a green status on Al Hosn

The duration of your green pass is based your COVID-19 vaccination status and PCR test result. Here is the following time span of the Green Pass:

Fully vaccinated

Your status will be green for 14 days after the last negative COVID-19 test result - if you have received your second vaccine dose in the last 28 days.

Vaccine exemption or have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

The green pass will be active for seven days after the last negative COVID-19 test result - if you have recieved only the first vaccine dose or have a vaccine exemption certificate.

Unvaccinated

Those who are unvaccinated or have missed their second COVID-19 vaccine by more than 42 days, the green pass will be active for three days. 

Do I need a booster shot to enter Abu Dhabi?

If you are a UAE resident and are planning to visit Abu Dhabi, it is essential to have your Green Pass status active, or you will not be allowed to pass through. As per the Abu Dhabi Media Office’s announcement, from December 30, 2021, entering the Emirate from within the UAE requires showing Green Status on the Al Hosn App for vaccinated people.

What if I am not fully vaccinated or haven’t received the booster shot?

Unvaccinated individuals are required to present a negative PCR test result received within 96 hours, as per the announcement by Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Rules for visitors

It is also important to note that Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism announced that visitors coming to the UAE from outside the country do not need a booster shot to enter Abu Dhabi. They would be required to present a negative PCR test result, received within 96 hours of entering the Emirate. Read the detailed rules for visitors here.

Why am I still red after receiving a negative PCR test result?

If you were recently infected with COVID-19 and recovered and also completed the quarantine period for a positive COVID-19 infection, receiving one negative test result is not enough. You must present two negative test results taken 24 hours apart and also be fully vaccinated to revert to Green Pass status.

Why are my PCR test result and vaccine doses not showing up on the Al Hosn App?

As per the Al Hosn app, if you are facing this issue, the matter should be rectified with the healthcare provider that administered the vaccine or conducted the PCR test. In a post on its social media channels, the authority addressed this query, and stated that the Al Hosn app only reflects the information provided by private and public healthcare centres in the country.

I received my COVID-19 vaccine abroad, can I upload the vaccine certificate on the Al Hosn App?

If you are a UAE national or resident who has received the COVID-19 vaccine outside the UAE, certain guidelines need to be fulfilled to register a vaccine received outside the UAE on the Al Hosn app.

For example, your COVID-19 vaccine certificate will only be approved and uploaded on the Al Hosn app if you have received the COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved in the UAE.

Read here for the complete guide.

How can I book an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine and booster?

Local health authorities in the UAE have reiterated the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot, and its role in building immunity against COVID-19 mutations. The COVID-19 vaccine and booster are available for every citizen and resident free of cost. For a complete breakdown on where you can get the vaccine and booster shot in every Emirate, read here.

Depending on the vaccine you received, the period within which you should receive a booster shot can vary. To read the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MOHAP) latest guidelines for the time period of booster shots, click here.

If you are a Dubai resident, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) also issued their guidelines for booster shots. Read here to find out more.

Where do I need to present the Al Hosn Green Pass?

The Green Pass is not only used to enter Abu Dhabi, here are a few places that require the Green Pass:

• Public Places in the Abu Dhabi. Find out where you need to present the Al Hosn app in Abu Dhabi, here. 

• Federal buildings and centres.

• To enter private and public educational institutions in Abu Dhabi. Read our report here for a comprehensive breakdown on the COVID-19 protocol for schools and universities in the Emirate.

• Expo 2020 Dubai.

Can I show my vaccination certificate and negative PCR test result on the Al Hosn App for international travel?

The Al Hosn app isn't just used in the UAE. In fact, UAE citizens and residents can use the Al Hosn Travel Pass to conveniently travel to countries in the European Union as well.

The Al Hosn Travel Pass is accepted by all EU DCC (European Union Digital COVID Certificate Regulation) member countries and IATA (International Air Transport Association) travel pass members. Read our guide on how to access the travel pass on the app, here.