UAE said to halt visas for Pakistani tourists; envoy highlights reforms

Pakistan's Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told the Senate that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had "stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport"

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals, Pakistan's Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told a parliamentary committee in Islamabad on Thursday, according to Dawn newspaper. He added that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had “stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport”, warning that “if a ban is imposed, getting it removed would be difficult”, the report added.

 

Chaudhry's comments come on a day when the UAE’s envoy to Pakistan highlighted steps aimed at easing visa processes.

 

In a meeting with the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, Chaudhry said the UAE was currently issuing visas only to holders of blue and diplomatic passports, the report said. A blue passport is issued to government officials, military personnel and other public servants travelling abroad for work. A diplomatic passport, as the name suggests, is for diplomats only. 

 

The development could dent Pakistan’s economy, given that the UAE has long been a key diplomatic and economic partner of Islamabad, hosting a sizeable Pakistani workforce and contributing significantly to its remittances.

 

Chaudhry’s remarks were also confirmed to the newspaper by committee chair Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who said the panel had been informed that very few visas were being granted and only “after much difficulty”. The restrictions, she said, were linked to concerns over Pakistani visitors “getting involved in criminal activities” while in the UAE.

What does the UAE envoy say about visa reforms?

Earlier in the day, in contrast to Chaudhry's remarks, Pakistan’s finance ministry said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met the UAE ambassador to discuss major visa reforms, including the clearance of around 500 visas a day.

 

According to the finance ministry, the reforms include online visa applications, e-visas without passport stamping and faster system-to-system processing. Nearly 500 visas a day were being handled at the newly opened UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan, the ministry said in a post on X.

 

The ministry added that the ambassador highlighted the need to deepen cooperation in trade, investment and cultural ties, and the discussions also covered plans to expand long-term investments across ports, digital banking, logistics, infrastructure, tech, agriculture, minerals and higher education.

 

 

Has this happened before for Pakistani travellers?

According to Dawn, this is not the first time that the visa issue has occurred for Pakistani citizens. Similar issues were reported earlier this year in July, following which Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi brought it up with UAE Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who assured him of “full support” in expediting applications.

 

Similar reports emerged in January 2025, with an overseas employment promoter quoted by Dawn suggesting that the likely reason was the UAE government's concern over Pakistanis entering on tourist visas and subsequently resorting to begging.

 

However, Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis chair Senator Zeeshan Khanzada maintained that there were “no restrictions on work visas” for Pakistanis travelling to the UAE.