Travellers without full name on Indian passports barred from flying to UAE

Passengers traveling to the UAE on residential or employment visas are, however, exempted from the rule.

New Delhi | Updated: November 24, 2022 08:36 AM IST

3 min read

Other airline services such as Air India Express and SpiceJet have reportedly advised UAE travelers to ensure that their passports contain both their primary (First Name) and secondary (Surname/Last Name) names. (Representational)

Indians travelling to the UAE are required to have their full names on their passport to be allowed entry to the Gulf nation, as per new rules that came into effect on Monday. This means that both first and last names need to be clearly declared.

A circular sent by IndiGo to travel agents on Monday states, “As per instructions from the UAE Authorities, effective 21st November 2022, passengers with a single name on their passports travelling on tourist, visit or any other type of visa shall not be allowed to travel to/from UAE.”

Passengers travelling to the UAE on residential or employment visas are, however, exempted from the rule. “However, passengers with a single name on passports and in possession of a residence permit or employment visa shall be allowed to travel provided the same name is updated in the “First Name” and “Surname” columns,” the statement by Indigo airlines added.

Circular sent by IndiGo airlines to travel agents on November 21, 2022.

Another airline service such as Air India Express has also shared this message with travel agents to ensure that Indian passengers planning to travel to the UAE contain both their primary (First Name) and secondary (Surname/Last Name) names on their passports.

The circular issued by Air India Express states, “As per National Advanced Information Centre – UAE … “any passport holder with a single name (word) either in surname or single name will not be accepted by UAE immigration and the passenger will be considered INAD.” Such passengers would then not be issued a visa and in case the visa was issued previously then he will be INAD (inadmissible) by immgiration, it added.

Circular issued by Air India Express to all travel agents.

According to a report by Dubai-based Khaleej Times, several Indian citizens without their surnames on passports are being barred from flying out of the country, after multiple airlines implemented the new instructions.

Although the new rules are effective immediately, travel agents are requesting people to wait for further information before applying for a visa, or making any changes to their existing documents.

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“We are still awaiting information from the embassy regarding this issue. So currently, we are advising people to wait 48 hours before applying for a visa,” a representative from Rayna Tours and Travels told Khaleej Times. “As we are still waiting for details, we are asking people to wait before they make any changes to their documentation,” he added.

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