Dubai resident travelling to Abu Dhabi – Do I need ICA or GDRFA approval?

Dubai: Are you a UAE resident, with your visa issued from another Emirate, but planning to fly in to Abu Dhabi International Airport? You may be wondering if it is possible to do so, and which approval you might need - the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICA) or General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

A Gulf News reader travelling to Abu Dhabi Airport from Baku, Azerbaijan raised the query with us.

He said: “I am travelling to Abu Dhabi International Airport from Baku, Azerbaijan. Could you please explain the travel document requirements for Dubai visa holders arriving at Abu Dhabi International Airport?”

According to the Etihad Airways’ official website, if you are a UAE resident arriving at Abu Dhabi Airport, you must register with the ICA Smart Travel Service before you fly from the departing destination. Here are the guidelines for unvaccinated and vaccinated UAE residents flying in to Abu Dhabi, according to Etihad Airways.

Before you book your flight to Abu Dhabi, you need to make sure you fulfil the following requirements, according to Etihad Airways:

The ICA Travel Smart Service is an online application form that registers arrivals and attests their vaccination certificate. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers are required to fill out this form, to receive the approval from ICA. However, if you have been vaccinated outside the UAE, you will need to complete this registration process five days before your flight. Find out register vaccination certificate issued in another country on Al Hosn here.https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/health/how-to-register-vaccination-certificate-issued-in-another-country-on-al-hosn-1.1628678447631

For the application to be accepted, you should have been vaccinated with the following vaccines, which have been approved in the UAE:

If you were vaccinated outside the UAE, your vaccination certificate should comply with the following requirements:

After making sure you have received the approved COVID-19 vaccines in the UAE and have a valid vaccination certificate, visit the link: https://smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#/registerArrivals

Then start filling out information on the ICA Smart Travel Services online application form:

Applicant information:

Passport Information:

Arrival information:

Address inside the UAE:

Vaccine information:

Attachments info:

Final steps:

• After filling out the required information and uploading the documents, tick the box in the ‘Declaration’ category and click ‘Send’.

• The medical committee reviewing the application has the right to reject the application, or they can request for additional information.

• The time for completing and reviewing the application by the medical committee is a maximum of 48 hours.

All passengers arriving at the Abu Dhabi International Airport must present a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of their flight’s departure time. Children under 12 are exempt from COVID-19 testing.

If you are coming from a Green list country:

If you are coming from any other destination, not included in the Green list:

Passengers arriving from Green List countries are not subject to mandatory quarantine. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, countries, regions, and territories included on the ‘Green List’ are regularly updated based on international developments.

The countries included on the ‘Green List’ refer to the country from which you are travelling as a passenger, not necessarily the country of which you are a citizen.

There are a total of over 70 countries in Abu Dhabi’s Green List. Countries such Azerbaijan, Canada, Bahrain and Denmark are included in the list. For the complete list of destinations and the COVID-19 rules for arrivals from Green List countries, read here.

Also, as COVID-19 rules are regularly updated, and as individual airlines may have additional requirements, always contact your airlines before you travel to find out their specific travel requirements.