Digital verification of Covid-19 records for UAE-based travellers begins

Dubai: Dubai's flag carrier Emirates and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Monday launched a full digital verification of medical records related to Covid-19 tests and vaccines for travellers residing in the UAE.

Emirates passengers who took the PCR test in Dubai can choose to check-in without having to hand in Covid-19 PCR test report in paper form. Furthermore, records of those who received the vaccine will also be digitally verified at a DHA centre and synced-in with travel records.

The new system will coordinate the passengers' information according to destination entry requirements. Once check-in procedures are complete, all data on customer medical records are immediately withdrawn from Emirates' systems.

This development comes nearly two months after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Emirates and DHA, which is also the first of its kind between an air carrier and a government health authority.

"Our partnership with DHA in passenger travel management is unique and a first step towards other initiatives to be launched in the near future. This is evidence of Dubai's pioneering approach to delivering innovative digital solutions across various aspects of services," said Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer for Emirates Airline.

Ahmed al Nuaimi, Executive Director of DHA's Joint Institutional Support Services Sector, stated that the partnership will help simplify and facilitate travel, provide comfort to passengers, and ensure that all necessary Covid-19 medical records are validated.

Emirates' collaboration with DHA is set to provide a simplified travel experience amidst heavy precautionary restrictions imposed by most countries in a bid to contain the coronavirus epidemic.

The next phase of digital verification in the next few months will witness a secure integration of health records into the mobile app IATA (International Air Transport Association) Travel Pass to further ease passenger travel.

Customers who have performed PCR tests or vaccinations outside Dubai emirate will be required to provide the required documentation when checking-in. Some countries also require travellers to carry paper documents when travelling, so passengers are advised to keep tabs on the latest entry requirements for their destination on the Emirates' official website www.emirates.com/help/covid-19/travel-requirements-by-destination/