The United Arab Emirates has quietly stopped issuing new entry visas to the majority of Pakistani nationals, according to testimony delivered on 27 November to Pakistan’s Senate Human Rights Committee. A senior interior-ministry official in Islamabad told lawmakers that Emirati authorities had considered an outright ban on the Pakistani passport but ultimately opted for a near-total freeze on new applications, citing cases of visitors "getting involved in criminal activities".
Pakistanis represent one of the largest expatriate communities in the UAE—some 1.7 million people who remit an estimated US $5 billion a year. A sudden halt in visa issuance therefore carries economic as well as humanitarian implications: employers cannot bring in new hires, small businesses relying on Pakistani labor face shortages, and families are split between the two countries. Recruitment agents in Karachi and Lahore report that Dubai-bound employment contracts are being postponed or cancelled, and travel agencies are warning clients to delay leisure trips until further notice.
![UAE Suspends Visa Issuance for Most Pakistanis Amid Security Concerns]()
UAE officials insist the measure is temporary and point to the launch of a new visa-processing centre in Islamabad that is handling “about 500 applications a day” under tighter background-check protocols. Pakistan’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi is pressing for a timeline to restore normal processing, but diplomats say the UAE will first require verifiable improvements in Pakistan’s identity-verification and criminal-record systems.
For multinational companies managing Gulf assignments, the suspension means contingency planning: 1) review upcoming start dates for Pakistani assignees, 2) explore alternative labor sources or short-term business-visitor options, and 3) brief affected employees on exit-re-entry risks if their residency paperwork is still pending. Mobility managers should also monitor any spill-over effects on dependent visas and renewal processing for Pakistanis already resident in the Emirates.
In the short term, Pakistani travellers still eligible for UAE entry—such as diplomats, certain professionals and those transiting to third countries—are advised to apply well in advance and keep additional evidence of purpose of travel on hand. Corporate mobility teams should watch for formal policy updates from the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) and Pakistan’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis.
Pakistanis represent one of the largest expatriate communities in the UAE—some 1.7 million people who remit an estimated US $5 billion a year. A sudden halt in visa issuance therefore carries economic as well as humanitarian implications: employers cannot bring in new hires, small businesses relying on Pakistani labor face shortages, and families are split between the two countries. Recruitment agents in Karachi and Lahore report that Dubai-bound employment contracts are being postponed or cancelled, and travel agencies are warning clients to delay leisure trips until further notice.
UAE officials insist the measure is temporary and point to the launch of a new visa-processing centre in Islamabad that is handling “about 500 applications a day” under tighter background-check protocols. Pakistan’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi is pressing for a timeline to restore normal processing, but diplomats say the UAE will first require verifiable improvements in Pakistan’s identity-verification and criminal-record systems.
For multinational companies managing Gulf assignments, the suspension means contingency planning: 1) review upcoming start dates for Pakistani assignees, 2) explore alternative labor sources or short-term business-visitor options, and 3) brief affected employees on exit-re-entry risks if their residency paperwork is still pending. Mobility managers should also monitor any spill-over effects on dependent visas and renewal processing for Pakistanis already resident in the Emirates.
In the short term, Pakistani travellers still eligible for UAE entry—such as diplomats, certain professionals and those transiting to third countries—are advised to apply well in advance and keep additional evidence of purpose of travel on hand. Corporate mobility teams should watch for formal policy updates from the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) and Pakistan’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis.
