UAE to lift entry ban on travellers from Nigeria from January 29

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed it will resume passenger flights from Nigeria and 11 other African countries from Saturday, January 29.

The country’s National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) revealed this in a Twitter update.

Ethiopia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and the Republic of Congo are the other affected countries.

The tweet read: “From January 29, entry into the UAE for arrivals from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe is allowed again.”

It added that entry procedures have been updated for flights originating from Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda.

Passengers arriving from the three countries must have a negative COVID-19 test which was obtained within 48 hours of departure from approved labs in their respective countries.

The UAE authority also said the passengers must undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airports of departure.

On arrival in the UAE, they will be subjected to another PCR test.

Travel restrictions were put in place by the Arab country in December last year, over the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.