Emirates COVID test and other questions
Sep 28, 2021, 6:22 am
#781
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Manhattan, Palm Beach Island, San Francisco, Boston, & Hong Kong
Programs: Lifetime United Global Services, Delta Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador, & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,165
Planning on flying Chicago -> Dubai -> Male and back.
Assuming I need a RT PCR prior to my Chicago flight. Do I need one coming back from Male too or can I use a Binax at home test?
Assuming I need a RT PCR prior to my Chicago flight. Do I need one coming back from Male too or can I use a Binax at home test?
Oct 4, 2021, 9:57 am
#782
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 108
Test in country of departure?
Folks, has anyone heard of anyone being denied boarding en route to Dubai because the PCR test was done in a different country than that of origin?
I'm flying LHR-CDG (BA) on a Friday and CDG-BAH-DXB (GF) on the Saturday.
The 23 hours I have in Paris aren't enough time to guarantee a PCR test result if done there, so I would do it in London on the Thursday.
The EK website is hard to interpret: 'COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test certificates must be issued by an authorised facility in the passenger's departure country. Certificates that have already been presented for travel to another destination can't be used for re‑entry even if they are still within the validity period.'
The first point is impossible to achieve in Paris, the second point is moot as I won't have needed to present the PCR test done in London to enter France (not that they'd know anyway).
The real risk is the Gulf Air check in agent at CDG - can anyone put my mind at rest here? (sorry, I know it's GF not EK but figured i'd get a quicker answer here!).
I'm flying LHR-CDG (BA) on a Friday and CDG-BAH-DXB (GF) on the Saturday.
The 23 hours I have in Paris aren't enough time to guarantee a PCR test result if done there, so I would do it in London on the Thursday.
The EK website is hard to interpret: 'COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test certificates must be issued by an authorised facility in the passenger's departure country. Certificates that have already been presented for travel to another destination can't be used for re‑entry even if they are still within the validity period.'
The first point is impossible to achieve in Paris, the second point is moot as I won't have needed to present the PCR test done in London to enter France (not that they'd know anyway).
The real risk is the Gulf Air check in agent at CDG - can anyone put my mind at rest here? (sorry, I know it's GF not EK but figured i'd get a quicker answer here!).
Oct 4, 2021, 12:21 pm
#783
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: DUB / DXB
Programs: EK Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 2,471
Ive used PCR tests from UK to board flight departing DUB-DXB, so i dont think this should be any problem'
The PCR test certs usually have a QR code on them which easily proves their validity
The PCR test certs usually have a QR code on them which easily proves their validity
Oct 4, 2021, 8:38 pm
#784
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 108
Thanks modularmayhem, yeah I suspect this is one of those where 99 times out of 100 common sense is applied. Just hope the GF check in team don't take a contrarian view!
Oct 12, 2021, 8:02 am
#785
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
hi all, travelling from Toronto to Maldives and wanted to know if any Covid travel test centre can be used for a PCR test or does it have to be a lab authorized by Emirates?
Oct 17, 2021, 9:00 am
#786
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 852
Will India / Emirates allow boarding to someone who was infected with Covid in the past 180 days and thus can't get a negative test? A doctor's note attesting to infection and recovery can be provided. EK website only mentions a test being needed.
Oct 17, 2021, 1:45 pm
#787
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
UAE requires PCR tests, and you should typically start getting negative PCR tests as quickly as 10 days after initial infection (YMMV but almost certainly after a month or so) - it's only the antibody test which is affected by past infection.
Oct 17, 2021, 4:48 pm
#788
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Mexico City
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold, IHG Silver, Choice Platinum, Wyndham Gold
Posts: 3,849
10 days might be the norm, but many people test positive way after that time, even 30 days later with a PCR test. Why? Because, the virus continued to mutate within them. That's why people get better and then bam back in the hospital with it again and fully infected again. Lots of documentation. But, 10 days or 2 weeks are the lucky ones.
Oct 17, 2021, 5:24 pm
#789
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 852
Emirates says they only require a negative test itself only if the destination itself requires it. Transit in UAE alone wouldn't require one. There was a post somewhere here about someone who flew London to the Philippines without a negative test because the Philippines doesn't require it. Emirates doesn't require it to step on the plane in itself, unlike Etihad.
Oct 18, 2021, 12:05 am
#790
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
10 days might be the norm, but many people test positive way after that time, even 30 days later with a PCR test. Why? Because, the virus continued to mutate within them. That's why people get better and then bam back in the hospital with it again and fully infected again. Lots of documentation. But, 10 days or 2 weeks are the lucky ones.
Emirates says they only require a negative test itself only if the destination itself requires it. Transit in UAE alone wouldn't require one. There was a post somewhere here about someone who flew London to the Philippines without a negative test because the Philippines doesn't require it. Emirates doesn't require it to step on the plane in itself, unlike Etihad.
Oct 18, 2021, 12:36 am
#791
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 852
The vast majority of people around me who have had Covid received negative PCR tests after 14 days, which they required in order to be released from home quarantine or to come back to the office. I'd say the ones 30 days later are probably the unlucky ones. As far as I'm aware, re-infection soon after recovery is also extremely rare (presumably to be distinguished from a person that didn't fully recover and gets worse). Yes, but the person who asked the question seems to be flying out of India, which means Emirates requires a negative PCR test even if only transit in DXB and going onto a destination which doesn't require PCR.
Oct 18, 2021, 12:41 am
#792
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
- All passengers, including children and infants, must upload their COVID‑19 RT‑PCR results on the Air Suvidha online portal for a test taken within 72 hours prior to the start of their journey.
- All passengers must carry a hard copy of a negative COVID 19 RT‑PCR certificate test at the time of departure. Digital copies will not be allowed. Certificate should be in English, specifying name of passenger and the outcome of the test.
- Arrival in India without a negative COVID‑19 RT‑PCR test report will only be allowed in cases of exigency of death in family. Passengers can apply for such an exemption on the online portal at least 72 hours before boarding. The decision taken by the government as communicated on the online portal will be final.
Oct 18, 2021, 7:35 am
#793
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
Just wanted to report that we returned home from Italy this weekend (MXP-JFK) and had no issue with Emirates accepting our proctored test results from Abbott's Binaxnow. We did have the hotel print out our results, but also has the results on our phone just in case. We just gave them the printed out ones, with everything else, so they never asked for anything on our phones.
Oct 18, 2021, 9:45 am
#794
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Mexico City
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold, IHG Silver, Choice Platinum, Wyndham Gold
Posts: 3,849
The vast majority of people around me who have had Covid received negative PCR tests after 14 days, which they required in order to be released from home quarantine or to come back to the office. I'd say the ones 30 days later are probably the unlucky ones. As far as I'm aware, re-infection soon after recovery is also extremely rare (presumably to be distinguished from a person that didn't fully recover and gets worse). Yes, but the person who asked the question seems to be flying out of India, which means Emirates requires a negative PCR test even if only transit in DXB and going onto a destination which doesn't require PCR.
Oct 18, 2021, 11:45 am
#795
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
Just make sure it clearly states PCR, and has your exact name and birthday.