ABU DHABI: United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to ease the travel restriction of Pakistan besides other south asia countries from July 7.
The Emirates will allow passengers from south asian countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal to enter the country after July 7, according to a notification published on the website of Etihad Airways on Tuesday.
The date, however, could be extended depending on the situation, the notification reads.
A search on the website for flights to the UAE from Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore shows a pop-up message, informing passengers about the July 7 date. Those who have visited these countries over the past 14 days, too, won’t be able to enter the UAE, the Abu Dhabi-based airline said.
No UAE visit visa for Pakistanis until 2018, claims Travel Agents Association of Pakistan
UAE warns citizens against travelling to UK after London attacks
“The only exemptions to this are if you are a diplomat or a UAE national or a Golden Visa holder. Your PCR test, in this case, must be taken a maximum of 48 hours before your flight departure,” the carrier said.
Flights will continue to show as available for the above destinations in the flight search as exempted passengers are still allowed to fly to the UAE.
As of 5pm on Monday, June 14, Dubai-based Emirates had not updated a date extension. Its website maintained that the carriage of passengers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will remain suspended “until further notice”.
The UAE had first announced the suspension of entry for travellers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka on national and foreign flights from 11:59pm on May 12. Cargo flights remain unaffected.
Last week, the Emirates had said that the suspension of passenger flights from India to the UAE will continue until July 6. Overall, passenger entry from 10 countries are currently suspended: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, South Africa, Zambia, DR Congo and Uganda. The suspensions have left several expats stranded in their home countries.
