The Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi has warned its citizens not to travel to the UAE on visit visas without the required documentation, or they risk being sent back home.
It also cautioned Pakistanis against travelling on tourist permits with the intention of seeking employment, without having concrete job offers in place.
The alert follows a rise in cases of Pakistani workers declined entry at UAE airports due to insufficient documents over the past eight months.
Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, said there was no ban on Pakistani citizens entering the UAE.
But he said the embassy and consulate staff received numerous calls from Pakistanis on UAE visit visas at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports who were asked to return home as they did not have the required documents, accommodation and funds to cover their stay.
Abide by travel rules
“The message we want to send across is that even on visit visa you need at least Dh3,000, valid hotel accommodation and a return air ticket,” Mr Tirmizi told The National.
“They should only travel to the UAE when all their documentation is complete.
“Unfortunately, these are workers looking for a job who think once they are here they will be able to find one.
“We want to tell them to travel here once they have a clear offer from a company and the necessary documentation otherwise it’s shooting an arrow in the dark.”
Airport authorities in the UAE have tightened rules requiring visitors to have a return ticket, a hotel booking and a minimum of Dh3,000 for their stay to prevent the entry of jobseekers who overstay their visit visas.
The UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has not commented on the stepping up of checks, but there have been cases of people from other nationalities also asked to take a return flight home when unable to show sufficient funds.
The regulations, which are not new, aim to ensure people are not misusing the tourist visa system to stay beyond 30 or 60 days, for example, and to catch out jobseekers that have no intention of leaving.
A special visa for jobseekers was introduced in 2022. The UAE 60-day, multi-entry jobseeker’s visa is to help attract young talent and skilled professionals to find employment in the country.
It requires a sponsor or a host, and a different set of documents.
Correct documentation
The specific number of visitors asked to return to Pakistan due to insufficient documents is not available. Officials hope to spread the word to stop more people being denied entry.
“Why put themselves in a difficult position?” Mr Tirmizi said.
“Having to return home adds to their financial misery.
“We receive a lot of calls, WhatsApp messages and emails from people stuck at the airport, from their relatives back home, and in many cases from their parliamentarians at home who call us to ask why is this person from our constituency being told to return to the country.”
About 1.8 million Pakistanis live in the UAE, the second largest expatriate contingent after India.
News about Pakistani travellers declined entry to the Emirates and visit visa applications being rejected has sparked online posts and videos contending there was a visa ban on Pakistanis coming into the UAE.
“There is no ban on Pakistanis entering the UAE, that is not true,” Mr Tirmizi said.
“Yes, they can travel, it’s on case-to-case basis and all documents must be provided.
“We have been facing issues of certain categories of people coming from Pakistan getting visas, especially blue-collar workers, from October and we are trying to resolve it.”
In the past, other Asian countries including India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had advised their citizens against travelling to the Gulf on tourist visas without valid employment offers and falling prey to unscrupulous agents who lure them with false promises of jobs.
Spread the word
The Pakistan embassy met social media influencers to encourage them to share the message with millions of followers that travellers must have authentic papers and funds to cover their stay.
Farooq Anjum Shah better known as Chacha Pakistani or Uncle Pakistani released videos reaching more than 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
“I tell people come legally, visit for tourism and then leave,” he said.
“I give my people this message so they don’t come here and spoil the name of our country.
“There is a lot of talent in my country so I tell them if you really have a job then UAE has the need for people with good degrees, so show your certificate and job offer.
“When people are sent back or come on visit visas and then stay even when they don’t get a job, it creates problems for all others.
“I say, ‘Keep at least Dh3,000-4,000 in your pocket.’
“The UAE is our second home so respect the rules.”
A Pakistani citizen said visa applications of dozens of people he knew in the Dera Ghazi Khan city, central Pakistan were rejected.
“I know more than 50 people in DG Khan who want to come to UAE to work and they were not given visit visas,” said Mohammed Zayed, a UAE resident.
“There are also so many people who were sent back from the airport.”
The Pakistan embassy has asked immigration authorities at home to ensure documents and funds were checked before departure.
“We have said clearly that people should only be allowed to travel if they have a minimum of Dh3,000 and valid accommodation in UAE,” Mr Tirmizi said.
“We have informed our Pakistani side, that those who say they have jobs should have a valid job offer and their diplomas and degrees must be properly attested.”
