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In view of the Omicron threat, countries across the world, including the UAE and India, have been updating their travel measures for arriving and departing passengers.
Travel bans on ‘red list’ nations; pre-departure and on-arrival travel tests; and several other fresh mandates have discouraged many travellers from taking that much-needed winter break.
In the initial days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529, Omicron, as a variant of concern, the travel and tourism sector confirmed a rise in cancellations of bookings. India also announced a postponement in the resumption of international flights that were set to begin from December 15, after India’s Ministry of Health announced cases of Omicron in the country.
“However, now that health experts have said the symptoms of Omicron are not very intense, the interest in travel during the winter holidays is one again peaking,” said Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels.
December is peak travel season, especially for those flying to India and ticket prices are usually sky-high. “Right now, the demand is normalising. UAE expatriates are planning trips to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in India. It is also peak wedding season in India,” he added.
Given the constantly changing guidelines, Khaleej Times has put together this fact file that answers all your questions.
What are the latest Indian mandates?
The Indian government has identified some countries ‘at risk’. They include:
Countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom
South Africa
Brazil
Botswana
China
Mauritius
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Singapore
Hong Kong
Israel
Travellers arriving from these countries must:
Rules for UAE- India travellers
UAE is not on India’s at-risk list of countries
Cost of RT-PCR tests in India
State-wise measures
Delhi
Kerala
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Jammu and Kashmir
*Source: Airports Authority of India
Travel rules for passengers travelling from India to UAE
Source: UAE airlines
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