UAE Visa Ban Pakistan: Near-Ban On Green Passport Holders Over Criminal Activity, Check List Of Countries Where Pakistanis Are Banned Or Heavily Restricted

The United Arab Emirates has almost stopped giving out new visas to Pakistanis with regular passports. This sudden clampdown, reported by Dawn, follows a string of incidents where Pakistani travellers got mixed up in crimes in the UAE.

Still, the UAE’s consul general in Karachi, Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi, pushed back against these claims. He told Geo News that they’re actually processing all kinds of visas and that the high rejection rates probably just come from a flood of new applications.

On the ground, though, travel agents told Dawn a different story. First-time or single-entry visa applications for Dubai are getting rejected up to 80% of the time, unless the applicant has family in the UAE then their odds are a little better.

It’s not the first time Pakistanis have run into trouble getting UAE visas. Officials often point to begging rings, street crime, or people overstaying their visas as reasons for tighter controls.

This near-ban came to light when Pakistan’s interior ministry briefed the Senate Committee on Human Rights. They described the UAE’s move as the toughest restriction short of an outright ban, as per Dawn.

Right now, only people with blue and diplomatic passports are getting UAE visas. Regular green passport holders—those looking for tourist, visit, or work visas—are mostly out of luck, although anyone with a valid visa can still use it until it expires.

The freeze has thrown a wrench into the plans of thousands of Pakistanis who rely on the UAE for jobs, family visits, or business trips.

Here’s what the near-ban means for Pakistan:

1. IMMEDIATE HIT TO WORKERS AND REMITTANCES

Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis count on visit or tourist visas to get short-term work in the UAE and then switch to job visas. Every year, over 800,000 Pakistanis apply for visas to Gulf countries, and the UAE is a top choice.

Now, with new applications blocked, job seekers are stranded. Travel agents are scrambling to issue refunds, and flights are being canceled left and right. The UAE is home to one of the largest Pakistani expat communities, so if this drags on, remittances which are a lifeline for Pakistan’s shaky economy take a hit.

Remittances matter a lot. They’re one of Pakistan’s main sources of foreign cash. In 2024 alone, Pakistan took in $34 billion from overseas workers.

2. PAKISTANI PASSPORT’S REPUTATION TAKES ANOTHER HIT

Pakistan’s passport already ranks among the worst in the world. Now, with the UAE refusing visas, its reputation sinks even lower.

Senators heard warnings that if this turns into a formal ban, it’ll be nearly impossible to undo. The move only cements the idea that Pakistanis face extra scrutiny everywhere they go, and it’ll make future negotiations for easier travel even tougher. Crimes like murders, kidnappings, and organized begging by some Pakistanis in the UAE haven’t helped.

Begging rings, street crime, and overstaying visas are the main reasons Pakistanis lose their UAE visas. Saudi Arabia’s also cracked down, arresting over 4,000 Pakistani beggars, especially in holy cities like Mecca and Medina during religious pilgrimages.

3. STRAINED DIPLOMACY AND THE NEED FOR REFORM AT HOME

Even with recent UAE announcements about e-visas and a new processing center handling 500 applications a day, the freeze overshadows any progress.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry is working quietly behind the scenes, but there’s no sign the restrictions will lift anytime soon.

All these points to a bigger problem back home: Pakistan needs stronger police checks something Gulf countries have demanded and serious action against begging networks, or other Gulf states (especially Saudi Arabia) might follow the UAE’s lead.

List of countries where Pakistanis are banned or heavily restricted 

It’s not just the UAE. Pakistani citizens already face outright bans or harsh visa restrictions in countries like India, Israel, Libya, and Sudan. Some countries have complicated application processes or temporary suspensions that make travel tough.

Here’s a quick look at where things stand:

India: All visas for Pakistanis are suspended. Existing visas were revoked, and entry now requires special government clearance for rare, exceptional reasons.

Israel: Pakistan doesn’t recognise Israel, so Pakistani passports say right on them that they’re not valid for travel there. Entry’s just not possible.

Libya: With conflict and chaos raging, Pakistani citizens almost never get visas. The country is basically closed off to them.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia tightened its visa rules for Pakistanis too. They’ve cut back on multiple-entry visas and started detaining people for different offenses, including begging.

Bhutan, North Korea, Syria, and Yemen: These countries usually make the list for either not handing out visas at all or having really tough entry requirements for Pakistanis.

United States: In earlier US government proposals (around mid-2025), Pakistan was one of the countries facing partial travel bans. That meant certain visa types, especially some non-immigrant visas, were either suspended or put under deep scan. 

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