Dubai has been taken off the UK’s ‘quarantine list’

All international travel (except for business and education) is currently banned in England under the national lockdown that came into force earlier this month. But whenever restrictions do finally lift – at the moment, that’s on December 2 – winter sun-seekers across the country will be able to dash off to their nearest airport for that much-deserved beach break.

And they may well be making a beeline for Dubai, where temperatures hover around 30C all through the Christmas period. Last Thursday, the British government announced that the city (and the rest of the United Arab Emirates) would be added to the country’s list of quarantine-free travel destinations. As of Saturday November 14, passengers arriving into the UK from Dubai will no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days – making the prospect of that holiday abroad much more enticing indeed.

The government also lifted quarantines on travellers arriving from Bahrain, Qatar, Iceland, Chile, Laos, Cambodia and the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, most of those destinations either have strict quarantine rules or aren’t accepting British travellers, full stop.

Dubai is the notable exception: currently, there is no mandatory self-isolation period on arrival. All travellers have to do is fill out this ‘health declaration’ form, provide valid health insurance, and bring a negative test result from within four days of arrival.

Sound good? Well, there’s one more thing you should know. If you’re thinking about heading over in the new year, it may be handy to know that, just last week, we announced the inaugural line-up for Time Out Market Dubai, which opens in early 2021 and aims to celebrate the soul of the city via food, drink and culture.

Handpicked by our expert editors at Time Out Dubai, eight award-winning chefs have already been confirmed to open new eateries at the Downtown Dubai site, which is right next to the Burj Khalifa – and many more are set to follow. That’s one more reason to put Dubai straight to the top of your winter getaways list.

Here’s the lowdown on Time Out Market Dubai, and what you need to know about England’s current lockdown restrictions.