omniture

Canada Welcomes Americans, New Zealand Mulls Reopening & More: Wego Recaps Travel News

2021-08-16 12:22

Coronavirus-related news continues to make headlines around the world as countries test reopening and return to normalcy. From Emirates ramping up UK-UAE routes to UK Green List update, here are some of the major travel news highlights from last week.  

Emirates plans to ramp up flights to the UK 

Following the removal of the UAE from the UK’s red list, Emirates Airline is planning on ramping up flights from Dubai to UK cities namely London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester. By mid-September, Emirates will operate a total of 73 weekly flights to said UK cities.   

The update is highly welcome as flights between the UK and UAE are some of the airlines’ most popular international routes.

Canada has reopened  to US leisure travellers

Canada has reopened its borders to non-essential travels from the US, marking the first time that US travellers have been able to enter Canada since the start of the pandemic. American travellers must be fully vaccinated and they must observe social distancing measures at all times. Canada is currently categorized as Moderate, Level 2, which means it’s not among the US’ do not travel list.       

Meanwhile, Canada is also reportedly pursuing its own version of a vaccine passport for Canadians planning to travel internationally. The federal government is working closely with provincial governments to secure a pan-Canadian proof of vaccination specifically geared for international travel. 

New Zealand announces plans for reopening

The Prime Minister of New Zealand has announced the country’s planned reopening slated for next year. Entry to New Zealand will be contingent upon two things: travellers’ fully vaccinated status and their travel history for the last 14 days. This means that the initial phase of reopening will see New Zealand welcoming fully vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries.

New Zealand is currently maintaining travel bubbles with Niue and the Cook Islands, where visitors may enter the country without being subjected to managed isolation. 

Stranded Dubai residents to receive a three-month automatic visa renewal

Numerous residents holding Dubai residency visas have reportedly received automatic visa renewal for a period of three months until 9 December of this year. The automatic extension is observed on those whose visas have expired in the months of June, July, as well as those holding active visas.

However, other residents whose visas expired during the months of May to early June have yet to receive such extensions, as do some visa holders whose visas continue to show expired status. It has also yet to be confirmed whether or not residents of other emirates are eligible for the automatic visa renewal. 

Costa Rica to launch a new digital nomad visa

Costa Rica’s President Carlos Alvarado signed into law a project that seeks to attract digital nomads to Costa Rica. Under the newly signed initiative, digital nomads may obtain a permit to stay for one year and be exempted from local income taxes. They will also be able to open local bank accounts and be allowed to drive in Costa Rica using their country’s license.

Austria, Germany, among latest additions to the UK’s green list

On Sunday, 8 August, the UK authorities added seven countries to their list of green countries. The countries are Austria, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia.  

The countries making the green list are the ones deemed the safest by the UK. Hence, holidaymakers will be allowed to fly to and from these countries with fewer restrictions.

Source: Wego