Etihad confirms wristbands for residents returning to Abu Dhabi; mandatory 14-day self-isolation

All UAE residents returning to Abu Dhabi onboard Etihad Airways flights must self-isolate at home for 14 days, the airline has stated on its website.

To monitor this quarantine, the passengers will be issued medically approved wristbands. The wristband will be provided by the authorities at Abu Dhabi Airport after the travellers clear immigration.

However, exempted individuals who are not required to wear the wristbands include holders of diplomatic passports, those under the age of 18 or above 60, and individuals suffering from a chronic disease.

The airline added that those are arriving from a country deemed high risk by the UAE authorities, may be subject to quarantine at a government facility, without specifying which countries were on that list.

Passengers will be required to complete a form agreeing to self-isolate and do everything they can to limit the spread of Covid-19 in the UAE.

All incoming passengers, except those under the age of 12, will be subjected to a Covid-19 PCR test at the airport itself.

UAE nationals and residents with valid visas can return to the UAE without any prior Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) approvals, but are encouraged to register their passport and Emirates ID numbers on uaeentry.ica.gov.ae to verify the validity of their residence status.

Individuals who aren’t UAE nationals or residents with valid visas will be unable to enter Abu Dhabi. These include those who possess other visa types, including tourist visas.

All passengers, except those under the age of 12, travelling to Abu Dhabi must also undergo a Covid-19 PCR test before they board their flights undertaken a maximum of 96 hours before their flight departure time at any government accredited medical facility.

By the end of this month, Etihad is expected to have resumed flights to 58 destinations across its global network.