Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation urges UAE citizens to follow travel guidelines during summer holiday

Coinciding with the beginning of Summer and School holidays, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAAIC), has renewed its call to UAE nationals travelling abroad and urged them to follow the travel guidelines and procedures before travelling outside the country.

The move reflects the MoFAAIC's keenness to facilitate the travel of citizens and ensure their safety while abroad.

H.E. Rashid Ali Al Dhaheri, Director of National Affairs Department at the MoFAAIC, called on citizens to follow the travel guidelines and tips, as well as the travel warnings on the citizens affairs page of the website of the ministry, which includes all the information and customised services for citizens travelling abroad, whether tourists or students on scholarships or those travelling for treatment.

He added that the travel guidelines facilitate all their consular transactions to ensure their safety and security abroad and enables them to spend their holidays without any problems or obstacles.

Al Dhaheri urged travellers to register in "Twajudi', which means 'My Presence service' to enable the MoFAAIC and the missions abroad to communicate with them in case of any emergency or crisis during their travel and presence abroad, through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (www.mofa.gov.ae) or smartphone application 'UAEMOFA', and added that the arrangement is meant to respond directly to inquiries from citizens through the "Twajudi" on the social networking site on Twitter account.

He called on the citizens to respect the general laws of the host country and represent the UAE honourably abroad, while urging them to co-operate with the official authorities upon arrival at the host country's airport by disclosing some important personal information if asked, such as the duration of stay, accommodation, airfare and the date of return and the amount of cash they will have during their presence in the host country.

Al Dhaheri noted that passengers arriving or departing from European Union countries, carrying an amount of ?10,000 or more in cash should disclose the amount to the customs officer.

He cautioned the citizens not to travel to troubled or turbulent places and to follow the travel warnings periodically published on the website of the ministry before they choose their destination.

The Director of the National Affairs Department urged his fellow citizens to choose the right housing in terms of security and safety and to avoid places where there are no such conditions.

He added that they should not leave the doors of apartments or rooms open, and they should confirm the identity of any visitor before opening the doors, and should avoid going out, especially late at night.

He urged UAE citizens travelling abroad to closely monitor their children and not leave them alone outside, especially those with special needs, to ensure they do not go missing.

He also stressed the importance of avoiding wearing valuables that draw attention in public places frequented by people from various nationalities. In the event of escorting non-citizens, normal procedures must be followed to issue the prior entry visa and a written undertaking from a sponsor to incur expenses of a housemaid. Copies of passports and other identifications should be saved in self-addressed emails or mobile phones, which can be produced in case of an emergency or when visiting the UAE mission in the host country.

For citizens going abroad for treatment, particularly those who go on their own accord, Al Dhaheri advised that they visit the health authorities concerned in the state and the mission in the host country to confirm the presence of accredited institutions meant for them and their proper health situation so as not to fall victim to medical neglect, ill-treatment and poor services, or fraud.

He called on the UAE citizens to preserve the emergency numbers to communicate with the ministry or the UAE missions abroad, or contacts in the countries, where there is no diplomatic representation of the UAE, to be used in the event of an emergency. They can also call 00971- 600599991. Al Dhaheri wished the citizens travelling abroad happy holidays and a safe return.