Pakistani travellers are grappling with an unprecedented spike in UAE visa refusals, with some travel agencies citing rejection rates of 70–80 % for first-time or single-entry visit-visa applications. Dawn newspaper, quoting industry agents and applicants, reports that younger travellers — particularly males under 40 — are bearing the brunt of the stricter scrutiny, while those with family already resident in the UAE fare slightly better.
The tougher stance comes on the heels of the broader freeze on Pakistani visit visas, but mobility specialists say it also reflects the UAE’s move to risk-score applications using new data-analytics tools. Applicants now routinely receive cryptic refusal codes such as “Security-01” without explanation, leading to confusion and multiple re-applications that further clog the system and raise costs.
![Rejection rates for UAE visit visas touch 80 % for Pakistani first-time applicants]()
For businesses, the high rejection rate complicates short-term travel for Pakistani sales teams, engineers and project auditors who need to visit UAE sites. Corporations are turning to alternative Gulf hubs such as Doha or Manama for regional meetings, or switching to remote collaboration to avoid uncertainty over entry clearance.
Immigration lawyers advise applicants to strengthen documentation, including proof of stable employment, hotel bookings, return tickets and bank statements showing at least US $2,700 in available funds. However, even robust files are no guarantee of approval while the freeze remains unofficially in place. HR teams are urged to plan at least eight weeks for UAE travel requests and to keep contingency options available.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is negotiating with Abu Dhabi to introduce biometric pre-clearance and a trusted-traveller scheme for genuine tourists and professionals. Until such measures materialise, organisations should expect elevated mobility costs and potential project delays when Pakistani staff need to visit or transit through the Emirates.
The tougher stance comes on the heels of the broader freeze on Pakistani visit visas, but mobility specialists say it also reflects the UAE’s move to risk-score applications using new data-analytics tools. Applicants now routinely receive cryptic refusal codes such as “Security-01” without explanation, leading to confusion and multiple re-applications that further clog the system and raise costs.
For businesses, the high rejection rate complicates short-term travel for Pakistani sales teams, engineers and project auditors who need to visit UAE sites. Corporations are turning to alternative Gulf hubs such as Doha or Manama for regional meetings, or switching to remote collaboration to avoid uncertainty over entry clearance.
Immigration lawyers advise applicants to strengthen documentation, including proof of stable employment, hotel bookings, return tickets and bank statements showing at least US $2,700 in available funds. However, even robust files are no guarantee of approval while the freeze remains unofficially in place. HR teams are urged to plan at least eight weeks for UAE travel requests and to keep contingency options available.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is negotiating with Abu Dhabi to introduce biometric pre-clearance and a trusted-traveller scheme for genuine tourists and professionals. Until such measures materialise, organisations should expect elevated mobility costs and potential project delays when Pakistani staff need to visit or transit through the Emirates.
