With the spring break rush fast approaching and the first day of Ramadan expected in mid-March, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) moved on 27 February 2026 to remind Emirati citizens of the travel basics that are too often overlooked once tickets are booked and suitcases packed. The circular – posted simultaneously on MoFA’s website, X account and the ‘UAEMOFAIC’ mobile app – urges nationals to take three practical steps before leaving the country: 1) make sure passports have at least six months’ validity, 2) obtain the visas, e-visas or electronic travel authorisations required by the destination, and 3) buy international health insurance that covers the entire trip.
![UAE issues pre-Ramadan travel advisory for citizens abroad]()
Travellers scrambling to confirm visa rules or submit applications ahead of busy holiday periods can streamline the process with VisaHQ: the service’s dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets Emirati passport holders check entry requirements for hundreds of countries and file secure e-visa requests in minutes, reducing the likelihood of documents being rejected or passports held by third-party centres.
Officials stressed the importance of enrolling in the ministry’s Twajudi service, an online platform that allows consular staff to locate and assist UAE travellers in an emergency. During last year’s monsoon floods in Kerala and the Beirut port explosion in 2020, Twajudi data proved critical in reaching stranded families and arranging evacuation flights. The advisory also tackles an increasingly common pain-point for frequent flyers: passport retention by third-country visa centres. MoFA recommends submitting duplicate applications through accredited agents only and keeping digital copies of all documents on a secure cloud drive. The ministry published a global list of emergency numbers and pointed travellers to the ‘Dubai Civil Cases’ smartphone app for immediate legal help if they face detention or civil disputes abroad. For business travellers, the guidance includes tips on hiring licensed chauffeurs, avoiding unregulated short-term rentals, and checking local import restrictions before carrying product samples or promotional materials. Government relations managers in several large UAE multinationals told Gulf News that the advisory will be circulated internally as a mandatory checklist for staff travel over the next six weeks. While the circular does not introduce new legal obligations, it signals that consular protection will increasingly depend on citizens following official channels. HR directors therefore have a narrow window to update travel policies and ensure employee compliance – a small administrative step that could avoid costly delays and reputational damage if staff run into trouble overseas.
Travellers scrambling to confirm visa rules or submit applications ahead of busy holiday periods can streamline the process with VisaHQ: the service’s dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets Emirati passport holders check entry requirements for hundreds of countries and file secure e-visa requests in minutes, reducing the likelihood of documents being rejected or passports held by third-party centres.
Officials stressed the importance of enrolling in the ministry’s Twajudi service, an online platform that allows consular staff to locate and assist UAE travellers in an emergency. During last year’s monsoon floods in Kerala and the Beirut port explosion in 2020, Twajudi data proved critical in reaching stranded families and arranging evacuation flights. The advisory also tackles an increasingly common pain-point for frequent flyers: passport retention by third-country visa centres. MoFA recommends submitting duplicate applications through accredited agents only and keeping digital copies of all documents on a secure cloud drive. The ministry published a global list of emergency numbers and pointed travellers to the ‘Dubai Civil Cases’ smartphone app for immediate legal help if they face detention or civil disputes abroad. For business travellers, the guidance includes tips on hiring licensed chauffeurs, avoiding unregulated short-term rentals, and checking local import restrictions before carrying product samples or promotional materials. Government relations managers in several large UAE multinationals told Gulf News that the advisory will be circulated internally as a mandatory checklist for staff travel over the next six weeks. While the circular does not introduce new legal obligations, it signals that consular protection will increasingly depend on citizens following official channels. HR directors therefore have a narrow window to update travel policies and ensure employee compliance – a small administrative step that could avoid costly delays and reputational damage if staff run into trouble overseas.
