Travelling internationally these days is not as easy as it used to be. Flights get cancelled at short notice because crew members catch Covid; many countries that used to be visa-free or visa-on-arrival before the coronavirus pandemic now require visa applications in advance; some require additional permits or proof of health insurance to enter and every country has different rules on vaccination status, quarantine, and requirements for PCR testing.

International travel now requires a lot of advance research, and a need to always have contingency plans in place should border rules change at short notice (in a few cases changes have been made while unfortunate passengers were mid-flight). Most airlines now offer date changes at no charge, but when flights are rebooked at the last minute, there is inevitably a fare difference that is never in the passenger’s favour. 

Many airlines increase fares in the two weeks before departure (or drop any promotional fares that may have been on offer) and passengers who rebook because of cancelled flights or changes in border requirements must pay the fare difference (which can be hundreds of dollars) or book a flight several weeks out that is the same as the fare they originally booked. 

One item that is often overlooked when researching the entry requirements for different countries is the format of the PCR test certificate. It’s important to determine the exact requirements of that certificate, because if the airline doesn’t consider that it meets those requirements, you will be denied boarding – as I found out to my cost on a recent flight from Adelaide, Australia, to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, via Singapore. 

As I wrote on my blog last month, my PCR test certificate only had a system generated signature and QR code, but Singapore Airlines wouldn’t let me board because they said Cambodia requires original PCR test certificates with a doctor’s signature and name stamp. Sri Lanka, they informed me, requires the same.

Japan and South Korea require ISO certificates from the laboratories that undertake the testing in addition to the normal test certificate. Other countries require an actual laboratory report to be attached to the PCR test certificate and some countries will only accept test certificates from laboratories that are on an approved list.

Most countries require the PCR test to be undertaken within 72 hours of arrival, but some require it to be done within 48 hours. That can be a challenge in some localities if the testing day falls on a weekend, or if the clinic undertaking the testing can’t guarantee delivery of the test certificate within 24 hours.

In theory, the larger the city from which you are departing, the easier it should be to get a PCR test certificate that meets your requirements. However, that’s not always the case as I found out in Dubai.

PCR testing in Dubai is big business. Dubai is currently one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world because of Expo 2020 and because the UAE has suffered fewer Covid cases than most other countries of its size (due primarily to its high vaccination rates and a universal face mask mandate). Millions of tourists pass through Dubai every year, and right now, as most countries require PCR test certificates to enter, clinics and hospitals in Dubai are carrying out thousands of tests every day for international travellers.

Prices range from AED 50 for some government drive-through clinics (but results can take up to 48 hours) up to AED 150 for private hospitals and clinics with results within 24 hours on a ‘best endeavours but no guarantee’ basis. Two of Dubai’s private clinic chains, Aster DM Healthcare and NMC Healthcare, offer tests for AED 85 if you produce an Emirates or FlyDubai flight ticket.

I used one of those clinics for a flight up to Bahrain recently. It was an Aster Clinic near where I was staying, and I was able to make an appointment online. There was virtually no waiting aside from the 10 minutes or so it took to complete the registration requirements on arrival. The only problem I had with the test was that the nurse pushed the swab so hard up my nose I thought she was trying to puncture my brain. My nose was sore for two days after that.

Upon arrival in Bahrain, I had another PCR test done at the airport, which was much more comfortable, and then a week later another test to return to Dubai which wasn’t great, but nowhere near as painful as the one I had done at the Aster Clinic. About 10 days later, I had to plan for another PCR test for my flight to Cambodia which I had rebooked from Dubai.

My flight was on a Thursday evening, and I started researching options for my PCR test on the preceding Sunday. I had worked out that I needed to get the test done after 5.30 pm on the Tuesday because my flight would arrive in Phnom Penh at 5.30 pm on the Friday.

I wasn’t keen to go back to the Aster Clinic near me because it was likely the same nurse would be there, so I did a Google search for other PCR testing clinics in Dubai. The Kings College Hospital came up on top of the list. It was actually a Google ad, so as they were spending money advertising their PCR tests, it sounded like they had plenty of capacity.

But when I looked at the Google reviews for the hospital (and there were 52 reviews mentioning PCR testing) it was a different story. Some clients had complained about waiting four and a half hours to get tested, and others had complained that they hadn’t received their results even after 48 hours, when 24 hours was promised as the standard delivery time. One complained that after two days the hospital contacted them to advise that they needed to take the swab test again. That wouldn’t work for me given that I had a tight timeframe in which to take my test, get the test certificate, get it physically signed and stamped by a doctor, and make sure it was still within 72 hours when I arrived in Cambodia.

Someone had mentioned to me that I should try the American Hospital. That was only a short taxi ride away, so looked like a good option, but when I looked at the Google reviews for the American Hospital, many who had been there for PCR tests were complaining of waits of up to three hours, and one described the nurses there as “monsters” saying that she had had over 100 PCR tests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and the one performed at the American Hospital was the most painful she had experienced.

Another hospital not far away from me was the Canadian Specialists Hospital. But the first review I read was complaining about having to wait over four hours for a PCR test and other reviews complained about rude staff, delays in getting their results and a lack of social distancing. I crossed that one off my list too. 

I checked a few other private hospitals and clinics, but the reviews for those were predominantly bad. The Aster Clinic suddenly looked like the better option after all, ignoring the pain of the test that I had done there for my trip to Bahrain. I thought maybe if I chose another clinic location, I might get a better nurse, so I got online and booked an appointment slot for 6 pm on the Tuesday at the next nearest Aster Clinic (which was only a few kilometres further away).

I checked the Google reviews for that clinic, and they were much better than all the previous ones I had read. There weren’t many reviews commenting on PCR tests because the clinic was one of Aster’s newer ones and I guess they hadn’t done as many tests as at other locations. I would have to remember to check with the clinic before taking the test that I would be able to bring back the certificate the next day to get it signed and stamped by a doctor.

I continued reading reviews for other PCR testing services but couldn’t find any that looked better than the Aster option. There were several services that for a higher price that came to your hotel and did the test in your hotel room. But some reviewers complained that after paying for the test online, nobody turned up, and others said that after the test was done, they never received their test certificates.

Of course, these bad reviews didn’t reflect the opinion of everyone. Many people gave good reviews for the clinics and hospitals that I looked at, but the number of bad reviews had me asking questions like “What if my test certificate doesn’t arrive in 24 hours?” or more importantly, “What will I do if the clinic won’t verify the certificate with an original doctor’s signature and stamp as Cambodia requires?”

In response to the first question, I made a decision to have a second test done in case the test certificate from the Aster Clinic didn’t arrive in time. That decision wasn’t taken lightly, but after one failed attempt to get into Cambodia, I didn’t want to take any risks the second time. I’d already booked a hotel there and an onward flight to Thailand a month later. Although I’d made sure those bookings could be changed, I didn’t want another major upset to my travel plans.

I tried to make an appointment for a PCR test with the other chain of medical clinics that Emirates and FlyDubai use, namely NMC Healthcare, but there was no online booking facility. I called them to make an appointment, but they advised they only accepted walk-ins. I’d noted that they had a clinic within walking distance of the Aster Clinic I would be going to, so I thought about going there for a second test if my nose wasn’t too sore after the test at the Aster Clinic.

But when I looked at the Google reviews for that NMC Clinic I saw complaints about long waits and a lack of social distancing at the clinic with patients getting tested because they had Covid symptoms sitting alongside people who were there only for travel tests.

The next day (Monday) I had intended to take a taxi downtown, and as I would be going past the American Hospital, I decided to drop in there on the way to see if the place was as bad as the reviews said it was. It was clear that the waiting time would be long because there were about 30 people seated inside their testing tent waiting their turn to be tested, and about half a dozen outside filling in registration forms.

The nurses doing the testing didn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry and in the five minutes or so that I was there I didn’t see anyone being tested. But I did get the opportunity to ask one of the nurses if it would be possible to get a doctor’s signature and stamp on the test certificate once it was issued. She said that it was, but I would have to take it to the Emergency Department to do that.

By Monday evening I had a strategy worked out: I would go to the Aster Clinic first and have a PCR test there, provided they confirmed I could bring the certificate back on the Thursday morning to get it signed and stamped by a doctor. Then I would go to the NMC Clinic nearby and do the same if it didn’t look too busy. If it did, or either clinic said they wouldn’t be able to get a doctor to sign the certificate, then I would go to the American Hospital as a last resort later that evening and take a chance that I wouldn’t get a “monster nurse”.

On the Tuesday evening I turned up at the Aster Clinic at 5.50 pm. I was delighted to see that there weren’t many people there and nobody at the registration desk. I walked up to the registration desk but the clerk on duty was focusing on his computer and didn’t look up. I waited in front of him for 7-8 minutes and eventually he looked up and said: “Yes?”

I told him that I’d made an appointment for a PCR test at 6 pm and he just thrust a registration form at me telling me to fill it in. I said I needed to check first that I could bring back the test certificate the following day and have a doctor sign and stamp it. He replied that was not possible and tried to assure me that the certificate they issued would be accepted.

I explained to him the special requirements for Cambodia, and he replied: “I’ve never heard of that. We get lots of people coming in here for tests for overseas travel and they don’t have any problems”. I asked him whether he’d had anyone in for a test to travel to Cambodia. He just shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t say anything so I went on: “If they had been traveling to Cambodia and got denied boarding, they probably wouldn’t have come back here to tell you, because either they rebooked to another destination or they would have gone to another clinic where they could get the certificate signed”. At that stage he was back focusing on his computer and didn’t respond. I stood in front of him for a few minutes waiting for a reply, but he said nothing. He didn’t even look at me again.

Then the doorman at the clinic suggested I go to the PCR testing clinic at Terminal 3. “They are doing tests there for international travel all the time, so they may be able to help you.” I turned to look at the reception clerk again to see if that suggestion might elicit some comment from him, but he still didn’t look up or say anything. He wasn’t interested in helping. I thanked the doorman for his suggestion and left.

As the NMC Clinic was within walking distance, I decided to go there first before heading out to the airport to check out the clinic in Terminal 3. When I entered their PCR testing area, I could see what the Google reviewers were complaining about with the lack of social distancing. It was much busier than the Aster Clinic, and whilst people queuing were making the effort to socially distance, those seated waiting for tests were shoulder to shoulder in a fairly small and poorly ventilated area.

I was about to walk out when one of the reception clerks passed me and asked what I wanted. I explained my requirements to him, but he told me they didn’t sign certificates. When I tried to explain why I needed it signed and that I was prepared to bring it back the next day and pay for a doctor’s consultation to have it signed, he just walked away from me. He was ruder than the guy at the Aster Clinic. Given the crowded conditions there I decided not to pursue the issue any further and left. 

It took me a while to find a taxi as it was well into the rush hour, but eventually I managed to hail one off the street and headed to Terminal 3. When I got there, I could only see signs to a Rapid Test Clinic, so I went there and asked where the PCR testing clinic was. I was told that there was no PCR testing clinic at the airport. I explained my predicament to the guys providing security at the entrance to the clinic, and they let me in to speak to one of the staff there to see if they knew of anywhere that might be able to issue a PCR test certificate with a doctor’s signature on it.

I spoke with a helpful Filipino nurse who said they normally sent people to a nearby private hospital for PCR testing, and she wrote down the name of the hospital on a piece of paper for me. It was the Al Garhoud Private Hospital. She also said I might be able to get it done at the Al Tadawi Medical Centre.

I thanked her for her help and headed down the escalator to Arrivals to take a taxi to the Al Garhoud hospital. I stopped by a coffee shop on the way to have a quick bite to eat, and whilst there I checked Google Maps to see how far away the hospital was. When I searched for the Al Garhoud Private Hospital, I discovered there were three hospitals of the same name, all 6-8 kms away in different directions.

Not being sure which one she had intended me to go to, I checked to see where the Al Tadawi Medical Centre was and saw that it was quite close to the airport. I decided to go there instead. I went to the taxi rank and was told by one of the taxi marshals that I couldn’t take a taxi because I didn’t have any luggage. He said I had to take a limousine instead. His instruction took me by surprise. I told him I just needed an ordinary taxi, but he insisted saying; “No, no, you must take limo”. 

The limo drivers were all lined up next to the taxis, but nobody was booking them. Perhaps his friend was a limo driver, and this was his way of giving him some business, but I was more concerned about getting to my destination that arguing with the taxi marshal. I got into the limo and told the driver where I wanted to go. I sensed that he wasn’t happy that it was such a short trip, but to his credit he didn’t complain.

When I got to the Al Tadawi clinic it didn’t look too busy and seemed quite well organised. I saw a staff member come out of the Customer Service Manager’s office near the entrance, so I asked her about getting a signature and doctor’s stamp on the test certificate. She said that wasn’t a problem, and I could bring the certificate back the next day and they would arrange it.

That was good news, and I was impressed with their electronic registration system. Instead of filling in paper forms as I’d always had to do at other places when getting a PCR test, I scanned a QR code on my phone and then filled in my details online. Once submitted it gave me a patient number. After that I had to show my passport at a registration desk for them to check the details I had submitted, go to a cashier to pay, and then line up for the test. The whole process took only 10 minutes.

Social distancing was good. The staff were polite and there was no waiting for the test. I had a male Filipino nurse do the test and he was thorough but gentle. Two swabs in the back of the mouth and one in each nostril. It was the most comfortable PCR test that I had experienced. So full marks to Al Tadawi for their efficient service after all the rudeness at the Aster and NMC clinics.

I still wanted to get a second test done in case there was any problems with the swabbing or issue of the certificate, and I contemplated going to one of the Al Garhoud hospitals that the nurse at the airport had recommended. But as the American Hospital was only a short taxi ride over on the other side of Dubai Creek, I decided to go there first to see how busy it was (even though I was a little nervous about the “monster nurses” that had been reported there).

I was glad that I did because when I reached the American Hospital’s PCR testing tent, I could see there were only about 10 people inside. One of the reviews I had read had mentioned that it wasn’t so busy in the evenings, and they were right. Although the American Hospital was using paper registration forms, the registration process was quite efficient and didn’t take much longer than at the Al Tadawi clinic.

The best news was I didn’t get a “monster nurse” (they must have been off duty). She wasn’t as gentle as the male nurse at Al Tadawi, but it was tolerable, and it was only one nostril that she swabbed. That made me pleased with my decision to go there, and I headed back to my hotel without the need to check out the Al Garhoud hospitals.

When I woke up the next day, my PCR test certificates (negative fortunately) from both Al Tadawi Medical Centre and the American Hospital were already in my email inbox. They’d arrived in the early hours of the morning, well under the 24 hours indicated. After breakfast I got them printed out at a local print shop and then headed back to the Al Tadawi Medical Centre to get it signed. 

One thing that is easy to do in Dubai is getting PCR certificates printed. There are print shops everywhere, and some mobile phone shops do printing and copying too. Many of those are open until midnight.

The Al Tadawi Medical was much busier than the night before (confirming that it’s better to get PCR tests during the evening and not during the day) and I had to push my way past a large crowd to get the Customer Service Manager’s office. The nurse in there directed me to the reception area to get my certificate signed, but when I got there the receptionist said: “Sorry, sir, we don’t have any doctors here today, so there is nobody to sign and stamp your certificate”.

I was informed they were only doing PCR testing that day, so that was the reason there were no doctors at the clinic. I asked if there would be any doctors there the following morning, but they weren’t sure. At that moment I was very thankful that I had decided to have a test done at the American Hospital as well, because I was sure there would be plenty of doctors on duty in a large hospital.

I’d decided earlier to use the Al Tadawi certificate for my flight because the American Hospital certificate didn’t comply with the date format required by Cambodia. The date had been printed in numbers only, whilst the Cambodian authorities require that the month be spelled out. I would need to ask the American Hospital to have a doctor sign, stamp and re-date it as well, writing the month in full.

I took a taxi over to the American Hospital and headed for the emergency department as previously instructed by the nurse in the PCR testing tent. Fortunately, the doctors on duty there didn’t seem to be too busy with emergency patients, so I had the certificate signed, stamped and re-dated in about five minutes. 

That brought on a great sense of relief. At last, I had a PCR test certificate that complied with Cambodia’s entry requirements. But it had taken a lot of time, effort, and patience to procure (not to mention the taxi fares criss-crossing Dubai). Now I could head to the airport for my flight to Phnom Penh – this time confident that I would not be denied boarding.

Header image: © Basilico Studio Stock. All other images: © David Astley