Nothing official about it as the saying goes but a Pakistani passport is now considered a red herring by many Arabian nations. Rampant begging, involvement in criminal activities, unclear financial statements, history of illegal overstay and a host of other reasons means Pakistanis are no longer welcome in many West Asian (Arabian Islamic) nations. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the Senate in Islamabad on November 27 that no visas are being issued to Pakistanis by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The visa applications are being routinely rejected without assigning any reasons officially, the Senate was told. This pattern is now becoming more entrenched as the Arabian nations, wary of poor reputation and behaviour of Pakistanis, are cutting off their visits to their countries systematically. Without saying so much and without much ado.
Overall, abuse of the due processes established by law and illegal migration by people with very low educational attainments have given a bad reputation to the Pakistanis. This is in sharp contrast to the way Indians are treated in Dubai, or elsewhere in Arabian nations, with respect and dignity, valued for their contributions. The average income of the Indians living in most Arabian nations, estimated at least three to four times higher than their Pakistani counterparts, is one reason for the Indians being respected.
Visa rejections have recently become a recurring issue for Pakistanis wanting to travel to Dubai in UAE, or other destinations, despite the Gulf country’s close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with Pakistan. Incidentally, Abu Dhabi, a major trading partner of Islamabad in West Asia, hosts a large Pakistani population. These expatriate Pakistanis contribute significant foreign exchange to Islamabad and help keep the nation afloat, according to a Dawn report.
When 28-year-old Nadeem, a marketing professional from Lahore planned to visit Dubai for fun, he applied for a visit visa through a travel agency. He found to his chagrin that his application was rejected in January, and then for the second time in November.
The agency told him that younger applicants were facing higher scrutiny these days. “I don’t understand it. What does my age have to do with anything? I’m employed full-time, and I submitted my bank statement. My friend, a freelancer, got it on the first attempt. I have applied for a third time, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but it’s exhausting,” he said.
Criminal Records
Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, with top politicians of Pakistan being members, were told by Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry that the UAE has not been issuing visas to Pakistanis. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who heads the committee, told Dawn that the restrictions were imposed due to concerns about travellers “getting involved in criminal activities,” and said very few visas had been granted lately, “after much difficulty.”
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who heads the committee, told Dawn that the restrictions were imposed due to concerns about travellers “getting involved in criminal activities,” and said very few visas had been granted lately, “after much difficulty.” The issue has persisted for months.
In January 2025, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed that some visas to the UAE had been “unofficially closed”. Overseas Employment Promoter Aisam Baig said the UAE had reservations about Pakistanis on visit visas potentially “resorting to begging”. The following month, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, described the Gulf country’s refusal of visas to Pakistani nationals as a “serious and significant” issue.
Emirati Suspicions
He said Emirati authorities had raised concerns about the authenticity of documents, including educational credentials, as well as cases involving applicants with criminal records. “If they find a dichotomy somewhere, even if the document is genuine but the attestation either in Pakistan or in the UAE is not genuine, it could cause major rejections,” Tirmizi said, adding that AI based verification systems were now being used.
In April, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi announced that visa issues had been resolved and Pakistanis could now avail a five-year visa. Despite these assurances, early July saw renewed to the official agency coordinating the event, but every visa application for those under 45 was rejected. Even company directors’ visas weren’t approved in the first round. The second round only granted visas to applicants over 45 years of age. It’s not a Pakistan-only problem — people from Africa and other countries also faced the same.” Syed Abbas Raza Naqvi, 25, who works for an American company, said he received repeated rejections despite corporate sponsorship.
“I started trying in September last year for a conference in January. My company provided the invitation and all the supporting documents, but it still didn’t work. I tried three times. Eventually, a ‘guaranteed visa’ was issued at a higher fee, but the process remains opaque and stressful.” Abbas applied for a five-year, multiple-entry visit visa in September this year, only to be rejected again.
Visa Rejections
“The visa cost $1,200 (Rs 339,000). I was refunded $650, but it was still a significant loss. Luckily, my company covered the expense, but overall, it was a disheartening experience,” he lamented. A tech entrepreneur from Karachi, 36, who also had their visa rejected, told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that they had tried in September this year. “I then applied for a fresh visa rather than through my first application. Surprisingly, it was then granted in the same month.”
Muzamil Asif, a sports journalist assigned to cover the Asia Cup in Dubai, was unable to travel after his visa was rejected, despite having the necessary accreditation and documentation. “Our travel agent said ‘100 per cent rejection’ for Dubai visas. Every agency refused to apply. The Pakistan Cricket Board advised applying via Abu Dhabi, but even then, the process was uncertain. In the end, my visa was rejected because I’m a single man under 35. The ticket and hotel bookings were already done, and my news outlet lost nearly Rs 100,000.”
Travel agencies corroborated the trend. Saher Nazeer, the customer services representative at Visa Express Karachi, told Dawn that “first-time and single-entry visa applications for Dubai face 70 to 80pc rejections, while family ties improve chances”.
Financial Scrutiny
A manager at Trips Travel & Tours, speaking anonymously, added that single visas had an approval rate of just 20 per cent, whereas family visas see around 80 per cent acceptance. Ubaid Sajjad, a travel agent at AEG-Visa, cited strict financial requirements to get a visa. “You have better chances if you provide a six-month bank statement with around Rs 3 million,” he said. “Insufficient funds are the major reason for single visa rejections.”
Meanwhile, Quratulain, an agent at Premio Travel & Tours, said “previous overstaying and unclear financial documentation” were the causes for rejection. Discussions on Pakistani social media reveal wider frustration. Reddit users described blocked transit visas and contradictory messages from agencies like VFS Global, with one user noting that professional status or age often determined whether a visa would be approved. Some users said there was effectively a “ban on visit visas for Pakistanis in Dubai” due to concerns over alleged illegal migration.
However, a senior diplomat at the UAE embassy, who wished not to be named, dismissed the speculation, telling Dawn that “there is no ban on UAE visas for Pakistani citizens”. “The UAE government issues visas daily to various categories of applicants. However, some Pakistani travel agents had tampered with applicants’ data in the past, leading to issues, after which a centralised visa system was introduced,” he said.
Problems Persist
He added the UAE had set up three biometric desks at the embassy to ensure transparency in the application process. “There are 2.27 million Pakistanis residing in the UAE, who can sponsor their families under the new law. However, those with criminal records — those who have tampered with their data — are being asked to correct their records,” the diplomat said.
On the other hand, UAE Ambassador Zaabi shared major visa facilitation reforms with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday, including online processing, e-visas without passport stamping, and faster system-to-system linkages. According to a post on the Ministry of Finance’s X account, nearly 500 visas are processed daily at the newly launched UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan.
Despite the diplomatic assurances and recently announced reforms, the experiences of Nadeem and other Pakistani visa seekers show how uncertainty still hovers over the process. “It feels like you’re playing a lottery with your plans, your work commitments, and your money,” Nadeem said. “I just want to know if I can go or not and be done with it.’’
