COVID Tests in Dubai Airport

[Doug3006]

Has anyone taken a COVID test in the Dubai airport in order to gain entry to the country you're headed to? If so, could you please let me know the basic steps and how it went for you?

Zimbabwe requires a test within 48 hours of arrival...so the test I take prior to leaving St. Louis will be too old. I'll arrive in Dubai at 7:45pm and depart for Harare at 9:25am the next morning.

I have a message into Gracey, but in the meantime some boots on the ground experience with the process would be great!

 

[VonJager]

Gracey told me 48 hours before first departure.

 

[Doug3006]

Thanks! I have an email into Gracey. I’ll confirm and post what they tell me. Stuff changes so fast. Can’t be too careful.

 

[jdemocko]

From what I have heard the airport test results come back rather quickly. That was an option for us last week in Johannesburg. We opted to have a test done in Louis Trechard the previous day. Our results came back in less than 18 hours.

 

[mark-hunter]

Has anyone taken a COVID test in the Dubai airport in order to gain entry to the country you're headed to? If so, could you please let me know the basic steps and how it went for you?

Easy. And very well organised.
Passangers on arrival follow their line towards the exit and baggage collection.
There is one check point, with few testing stations.
You make the test (free of charge), you are advised not to move out of hotel before you get results. My compay sent me to the hotel nearby airport, to wait for results (last year).
In hotel room, use room service, no moving around, stay in isolation.
Results you will get next day be email or by sms text message on the phone. Then you can move around.

For passangers in trasnit I dont know how it works.

Also, for some nationals - local authorities recognised their national PCR test, so they did not require them to make local PCR test, but for which countires this applies I dont know. This can alsso change depending of present rules - and rules change frequently.

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi you have drive in check points that works like "pit stop". Very efficient..
Go there (you can use taxi), go in by car - pay - give them yr contact details - get tested - and you get results on email or sms txt message, next day.

 

[Clifford Johnson]

I flew through Dubai last year in route to JNB. 4 hour layover. No one asked for test results. They checked that in Chicago.