UAE halts visas for Pakistani travelers

Social media posts on May 14 said the United Arab Emirates had halted visas for Pakistani travelers, including transit passengers, but Reuters could not find a fresh public notice from the UAE government confirming a new suspension. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa pages for Pakistan remained online on May 14 and continued to describe visa services for Pakistani citizens. Pakistani consular pages in Dubai also remained active. The latest clearly documented official acknowledgment of broad restrictions dates to November 2025, when a senior Pakistani interior ministry official told a Senate committee that the UAE was not issuing regular visas to Pakistani citizens. ### What exactly was posted on May 14? A May 14 post on X by Pakistani journalist Omar Quraishi said the UAE had stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals, including transit visas, and the claim spread on social platforms that day. Reuters could not independently verify the post’s claim through a same-day UAE government announcement. May 14 searches of UAE government sites did not show a new press release or advisory announcing a blanket halt for Pakistani travelers. The UAE foreign ministry’s main site carried other press releases dated May 14, but Reuters found no item on Pakistani visa policy. ### What do official UAE visa pages show right now? The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs pages for its missions in Islamabad and Karachi were accessible on May 14 and continued to list visa services for Pakistani citizens. The Islamabad mission page said visas are issued after approval by authorities in the UAE within 14 days, while the Karachi mission page said it provided visa services to Pakistani citizens and other nationalities. The UAE foreign ministry’s broader travel-updates page also remained live on May 14 as a general reference point for entry procedures and visa rules. Reuters could not confirm from those pages that a new suspension had taken effect on May 14. ### What is the last official record of a visa halt? November 27, 2025 is the most recent date Reuters could verify for an official public acknowledgment from Pakistan that the UAE had stopped issuing regular visas to Pakistani citizens. (mofa.gov.ae) At a meeting of Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry said the UAE was not issuing visas to Pakistanis and that only blue and diplomatic passport holders were being granted visas, according to multiple reports citing the committee briefing. (mofa.gov.ae) Those November reports said the restrictions were linked by Pakistani officials to concerns that some visitors were getting involved in criminal activity or misusing visit visas. Reuters has not found a direct public statement from UAE authorities on May 14 repeating or updating that rationale. ### Didn’t Pakistan later say the UAE was easing visas? (thenews.pk) November 27, 2025 also brought a separate Pakistani government account pointing in the other direction. Pakistan’s finance ministry said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met UAE Ambassador Salem M. Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi, who outlined visa facilitation reforms for Pakistanis, including online processing, e-visas without passport stamping and a visa center handling about 500 applications a day, according to reports citing the ministry statement. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) That left two competing official narratives on the same day in late 2025: a Pakistani interior ministry official describing a broad halt in regular visas, and Pakistan’s finance ministry describing reforms meant to speed processing. Reuters could not find a May 14, 2026 statement from either side reconciling those accounts. ### What should travelers watch for next? May 14 is likely to bring more clarity only if UAE authorities, Pakistani ministries or carriers publish a formal advisory naming affected visa classes, passport categories and effective dates. (brecorder.com) Until then, travelers and airlines are likely to rely on embassy pages, consular notices and airline check-in systems rather than social media posts alone. The next concrete marker will be any update posted by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs mission pages for Islamabad or Karachi, or a public statement from Pakistan’s interior or finance ministries setting out whether tourist, visit and transit visas are being processed. (thenews.pk) (mofa.gov.ae)