UAE Eases Visit Visa Process for Pakistanis

News Desk

Islamabad: Travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is showing signs of recovery for Pakistani citizens, with registered travel agents reporting a steady increase in the approval of visit visas after months of delays and uncertainty.

Industry representatives say Pakistani families traveling for tourism, as well as those planning to visit relatives in the UAE, are now receiving visit visas more smoothly, marking a positive shift in the application process.

The improvement is also reflected in passenger traffic. According to a senior Pakistani immigration official, the number of travelers flying daily from Pakistan to Dubai has risen from around 170 at the start of the summer to nearly 400 by the end of July.

While the figure remains below the roughly 1,000 daily passengers recorded two years ago, it signals a gradual recovery in travel demand.

Travel operators say tourism campaigns have resumed, while regional air travel is returning to normal following disruptions caused by recent tensions in the Middle East.

Officials at the UAE embassy in Islamabad have also confirmed that ordinary Pakistani passport holders applying through registered travel agencies are once again obtaining visit visas, provided they submit complete documentation.

The easing follows months of complaints from applicants over lengthy processing times, despite repeated assurances from both Islamabad and Abu Dhabi that no formal visa ban was in place for Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan’s travel industry believes the improved situation could strengthen tourism, family visits, and business travel between the two countries, which share close economic ties. The UAE hosts around 1.8 million Pakistanis and remains one of Pakistan’s largest sources of workers’ remittances.

Authorities have previously attributed stricter visa screening to concerns over fraudulent documents and cases involving the misuse of visit visas. Officials say applicants with genuine and complete paperwork are now facing fewer hurdles in the visa process.