The UK will accept vaccination certificates from the UAE, the transport secretary has announced.
From 4 October, travellers who’ve been vaccinated in Dubai and the other Emirates can enter the country without having to quarantine or test before departure.
They will be subject to the same rules as those vaccinated in the UK, US and EU, and must simply take one PCR test within two days of arrival.
Grant Shapps tweeted: “We will be accepting UAE vaccination certificates from 4 October following updates to their vaccination app.
“As a major transport hub which is home to many British expats, this is great news for reopening international travel, boosting business and reuniting families.”
The UAE will join 25 other countries in having its vaccine certificates accepted from 4 October: Andorra, Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Vatican City.
Proof of vaccination from the UK, US and EU is already accepted.
For the purposes of vaccinations received abroad, the government is recognising Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen (J&J).
Those jabbed with two different doses of these vaccines – for example, a person with one dose of Oxford AstraZeneca and one dose of Moderna – will be regarded as fully vaccinated from 4 October.
The update means that a total of 55 countries will have their vaccination certificates recognised for travel to the UK.
From the same date the previous “traffic light system” for travel will also change.
Instead of red, amber and green, countries will be divided into two lists: red and Rest of World (or ROW).
Red list rules will remain the same, involving an expensive 11-night hotel quarantine stay, while rules will relax for travellers from ROW countries who’ve been fully vaccinated in one of the countries whose certification is recognised by the UK.
They must still take a day two PCR test after arrival, but will no longer need a pre-departure test before travelling to the UK.
However, for passengers who aren’t fully vaccinated, the scrapping of the green list makes travel more arduous. These travellers must still take pre-departure and post-arrival Covid tests when travelling from ROW destinations, plus quarantine for 10 days.
