ABU DHABI — Starting Wednesday (Aug. 12), Emiratis residing abroad no longer need to apply for pre-approval before returning to the country, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has announced.

In an effort to speed up the return process, authorities have replaced the registration and waiting procedures with an automated pre-approval that no longer requires travelers to apply ahead of time.

Citizens and residents wishing to return to the UAE must, however, present to the airline negative COVID-19 test results issued within 96 hours of their scheduled flight time.

The announcement, which is part of the second phase of reopening the country, coincides with the end of summer vacation for educational institutions and the return of commercial and social activities, NCEMA said in a Twitter post.

Authorities also said that all precautionary and preventative measures, including committing to quarantine if needed and downloading the Alhosn application, will be applied to residents upon arrival. — Agencies