Travelers within the United Arab Emirates will soon find themselves undergoing digital verification of COVID-19 medical records as Emirates and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) starts its implementation.

International airlines Emirates customers who have undertaken a PCR test in Dubai can choose to check-in without presenting their physical COVID-19 PCR test report. While passengers who have received their COVID-19 vaccination at a DHA health center in Dubai can, together with their COVID-19 PCR test results, have their documents synchronized during flight check-in.

The new streamlined verification procedures will enable secure and faster processing times for customers departing from Dubai International Airport. The information will then be verified with the entry requirements of the destination.

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“The Dubai Health Authority has been strongly foraying into paperless healthcare over the past few years to enhance patient convenience and further improve healthcare delivery,” said Ahmed Al Nuaimi, CEO of Joint Corporate Support Services at the DHA. “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deployed and fostered the use of digital healthcare. The strategic foresight into investing in digital healthcare has paved the way today for such a pioneering integration. This partnership will directly help streamline and make travel easy and convenient as well as ensure validation of all necessary COVID-19 medical records.”

Data privacy

Emirates will only process the relevant information specifically related to the COVID-19 entry requirements of the customer’s destination. Once check-in formalities are completed, information related to COVID-19 medical records will be immediately discarded from the Emirates systems.

The integration comes less than two months after the signing of the MoU between Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority and is a first-of-its-kind agreement between an airline and a government health authority. The integration also makes Dubai one of the first cities in the world to implement full digital verification of traveler medical records related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

Emirates’ collaboration with the Dubai Health Authority is another way to provide customers with a streamlined experience and meet current travel requirements, making travel safe and convenient. Emirates is one of the airlines that has introduced best business practices and applications to reenergize and stimulate international travel. In the coming months, the next phase of digital verification will see secure integration of health records within the IATA Travel Pass as another option to help facilitate travel for passengers.

Customers who have done PCR testing or vaccinations outside of Dubai will be required to physically provide their travel documents at check-in. Some destination countries require travelers to carry physical documents when traveling. Customers are encouraged to check the latest entry requirements for their destination by visiting: http://www.emirates.com/help/covid-19/travel-requirements-by-destination/