Has the UAE officially banned visas for Pakistani citizens?

No formal ban has been announced, but according to a report in Dawn, Pakistani officials confirm that the UAE has informally suspended regular visa issuance for ordinary passport holders, with approvals now extremely rare. Pakistan's Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry, while briefing the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, said both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had “stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport”. Such a move, he warned, would be extremely difficult to reverse.

Why has the UAE halted most visas for Pakistanis?

Emirati authorities have reportedly raised concerns over Pakistani applicants' involvement in criminal activities, questionable educational credentials, and documentation irregularities, prompting heightened scrutiny. Pakistan's Senate Committee Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri confirmed the ministry’s remarks, saying the restrictions were linked to concerns about Pakistani travellers “getting involved in criminal activities” in the UAE. She added that very few visas had been issued in recent months, and only “after much difficulty”.

How serious is the situation?

Pakistan’s Additional Interior Secretary revealed that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia came close to imposing a full ban on the Pakistani passport, calling the current refusal pattern “serious and significant.” Earlier, in April, the UAE ambassador had announced that visa issues had been resolved and Pakistanis would be eligible for a five-year visa. However, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was told in January that some UAE visas had been “unofficially closed”, partly due to concerns that Pakistanis travelling on visit visas were engaging in begging rather than legitimate work.

What led to the current crisis despite previous assurances?

Although UAE officials earlier claimed visa issues had been “resolved,” widespread rejections have persisted since mid-year, with artificial intelligence-based verification systems and stricter screening further slowing applications.

Why UAE stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals: 5 key questions answered

UAE ban Pakistan Visa Reasons and Impact: The suspension, long suspected due to months of unusually high visa rejections, was officially confirmed during a Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights meeting on Thursday.

UAE ban Pakistan Visa: Only blue passport (official) and diplomatic passport holders continue to receive visas. Ordinary passport holders face an unofficial freeze. (Reuters/File Photo)

UAE ban Pakistan Visa Reasons and Impact: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has halted issuing regular visas to Pakistani nationals, a move Islamabad now acknowledges is tied to concerns over some applicants “getting involved in criminal activities.”

The suspension, long suspected due to months of unusually high visa rejections, was officially confirmed during a Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights meeting on Thursday.

A senior interior ministry official told lawmakers that Emirati authorities had raised red flags over rising instances of Pakistani travellers implicated in offences, prompting the sharp tightening of visa approvals.

5 key questions on UAE visa ban on Pakistan

01
Has the UAE officially banned visas for Pakistani citizens?
No formal ban has been announced, but according to a report in Dawn, Pakistani officials confirm that the UAE has informally suspended regular visa issuance for ordinary passport holders, with approvals now extremely rare.

Pakistan's Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry, while briefing the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, said both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had “stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport”. Such a move, he warned, would be extremely difficult to reverse.
02
Why has the UAE halted most visas for Pakistanis?
Emirati authorities have reportedly raised concerns over Pakistani applicants' involvement in criminal activities, questionable educational credentials, and documentation irregularities, prompting heightened scrutiny.

Pakistan's Senate Committee Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri confirmed the ministry’s remarks, saying the restrictions were linked to concerns about Pakistani travellers “getting involved in criminal activities” in the UAE. She added that very few visas had been issued in recent months, and only “after much difficulty”.
03
Who is still eligible for visas?
Only blue passport (official) and diplomatic passport holders continue to receive visas. Ordinary passport holders face an unofficial freeze.
04
How serious is the situation?
Pakistan’s Additional Interior Secretary revealed that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia came close to imposing a full ban on the Pakistani passport, calling the current refusal pattern “serious and significant.”

Earlier, in April, the UAE ambassador had announced that visa issues had been resolved and Pakistanis would be eligible for a five-year visa.

However, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was told in January that some UAE visas had been “unofficially closed”, partly due to concerns that Pakistanis travelling on visit visas were engaging in begging rather than legitimate work.
05
What led to the current crisis despite previous assurances?
Although UAE officials earlier claimed visa issues had been “resolved,” widespread rejections have persisted since mid-year, with artificial intelligence-based verification systems and stricter screening further slowing applications.