The United Arab Emirates and Pakistan have agreed to sign a formal agreement on pre-immigration clearance for Pakistani citizens traveling to the UAE, a move expected to significantly ease the travel process.
According to the Ministry of Interior, once the agreement is signed, Pakistani travelers will no longer have to go through lengthy immigration procedures upon arrival in the UAE, as their immigration clearance will be completed in Pakistan before departure.
The decision was made during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and a UAE delegation led by Director General of Customs and Port Security Ahmed bin Lahej Al Falasi.
According to Mohsin Naqvi, under the new system, passengers will complete their immigration process in Pakistan prior to travel, allowing them to exit the airport directly upon arrival in the UAE, similar to domestic passengers.
The Interior Minister stated that the system will initially be introduced as a pilot project, with the first phase starting from Karachi, although no official launch date has been announced yet.
He expressed hope that the new system will make travel easier and significantly improve the overall travel experience.
The UAE delegation described the initiative as beneficial for both countries and assured full cooperation in its implementation.
According to the statement, relevant authorities will remain in coordination to finalize the administrative and technical aspects of the pilot project, and after its successful implementation in Karachi, the system will be expanded to other cities.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Federal Secretary Interior Khurram Agha were also present during the meeting.
This development comes at a time when Pakistani citizens have faced difficulties in obtaining UAE visas over the past year.
In November 2025, Additional Secretary Interior Salman Chaudhry had stated that the UAE was not issuing visas to Pakistanis, and he also mentioned during a Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights meeting that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were close to imposing restrictions on Pakistani passports.
