Tourists visiting Abu Dhabi are 'not eligible for coronavirus vaccine'

Reports that the capital was promoting 'vaccine tourism' are inaccurate

Abu Dhabi residents are inoculated at the screening and vaccine centre on the Corniche. A nationwide testing and inoculation campaign is credited with driving down cases. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

Staff and nurses from the Abu Dhabi public hospital group Seha urged the public to protect themselves from Covid-19 by signing up to be vaccinated.

Motorists queue for PCR tests at Seha's testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

Mass testing and a successful vaccination campaign has helped the UAE to tackle the pandemic.

Drivers wait at a centre that provides both PCR nasal swab tests and coronavirus vaccine doses.

Shenaz Abdul Salam, 13, gives a thumbs up as he waits to receive his first vaccine dose.

A staff nurse fills in a vaccination form for a driver at the Corniche centre.

Mariam Al Badi, an Emirati nurse working at Seha's drive-through vaccine centre, has urged everyone to get inoculated against Covid-19.

Ms Al Badi goes through the vaccination process with a driver.

Cars queue at the drive-through testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

More than 80 per cent of the UAE population has been vaccinated and the government is urging those who have not to sign up.

An Abu Dhabi resident gives the thumbs up after signing up for vaccination.

Authorities have made the vaccines free for everyone.

A medical worker checks papers as Abu Dhabi residents sign up for the Covid-19 vaccine.

The drive-through Covid-19 testing and inoculation centre has proved popular with Abu Dhabi residents.

Tourists visiting Abu Dhabi are not eligible to take a coronavirus vaccine during their stay, the government has said.

Officials issued a clarification following widespread and inaccurate reports.

An update to the emirate's vaccine booking app led to erroneous claims that visitors could 'fly in to get the vaccine'.

On Thursday, the authorities said only Abu Dhabi residency visa-holders were eligible for the vaccine.

In addition, people who are in the emirate on expired tourist or expired residency visas are eligible.

This would cover new residents, who often arrive on a 30-day tourist visa and may wait several weeks before they receive a residency visa, and residents out of work or in between jobs.

"Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has issued a reminder that free Covid-19 vaccines are available to everyone with an expired residency visa or expired entry visa, which does not include holders of valid tourist or visit visas," Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said.

Visitors must bring proof of the above.

Vaccines made by Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech are available in Abu Dhabi, along with Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

The options to book a vaccine can be processed on the Abu Dhabi Heath Services (Seha) smartphone app.

The UAE has rolled out one of the world's fastest inoculation drives, with more than 87 per cent of the eligible population vaccinated.

The authorities have also started to offer booster shots.