COVID vaccination: Saudi Arabia issues fresh guidelines for airlines, travelers

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority has issued fresh guidelines for airlines and travelers moving to the Kingdom regarding the process to verify COVID vaccination status.

According to details shared by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Saudi Arabia, the passengers traveling to the Kingdom had to prove their status of having received vaccination at the Tawakkalna App.

The GACA in its circular said that the dedicated online portal (electronic registration of the vaccine) allows vaccinated travelers arriving at the Kingdom, those who are non-Saudi and from exempted groups, to register their immunization data electronically, which contributes to facilitating their procedures upon arrival for those who have completed all the regular procedures for entering the Kingdom.

It further asked travelers to adhere to all the required requirements and submit them to the competent authorities and warned strict action in case of violation.

On September 14, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia updated the entry mechanism and procedures for airline passengers arriving in the Kingdom related to efforts in curbing the COVID-19.

The new measures were enforced from Thursday (September 16.)

In an instruction sent to all airlines operating in the Kingdom, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said that passengers who received at least a dose of approved COVID-19 vaccines in the Kingdom would be allowed provided that a passenger submits a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before the flight.

The passenger must also undergo institutional quarantine for five days and must take a PCR test within 24 hours upon arrival and also the fifth day. The individual should take notice of the time their tests were taken through the Tawakkalna application.

The period of institutional quarantine ends with the appearance of a negative test result, GACA said.