If you've been following international travel news, you've probably heard the recent development that sent ripples through communities at home and abroad: the United Arab Emirates has effectively stopped issuing visas to most Pakistani citizens. This isn't just a minor policy tweak; it's a significant move from one of the most popular destinations for Pakistani travelers and job seekers. But here's the thing—the UAE isn't alone. This move is part of a larger, more troubling trend of closing doors that makes global mobility a massive challenge for millions.
Key Highlights
- ✓ The UAE has stopped issuing most visas to Pakistani citizens over concerns about crime and begging.
- ✓ India implemented a complete visa suspension for Pakistanis following security incidents in 2025.
- ✓ Long-standing policies in countries like Israel prevent entry for ordinary Pakistani passport holders.
- ✓ Nations like Libya and Sudan have de facto bans due to instability and high visa rejection rates.
- ✓ These mounting restrictions contribute to the Pakistani passport being ranked among the least powerful globally.
The UAE Shuts Its Doors: What's Really Going On?
Let's break down what's happening with the UAE, because it's the most immediate and impactful change for many. According to Pakistan's Additional Interior Secretary, Salman Chaudhry, the development is official. He revealed the news during a Senate committee meeting, adding a stark warning that once a ban like this is imposed, getting it removed is incredibly difficult. This isn't a temporary hiccup; it signals a major shift in policy.
So, what's the reason behind this sudden freeze? It seems to boil down to some serious concerns from the Emirati government. They've linked the decision to a rise in Pakistanis "getting involved in criminal activities" after arriving. Specifically, Overseas Employment Promoter Aisam Baig pointed out that the UAE government was worried about individuals arriving on "visit visas, not work visas" who then resort to begging on the streets. This misuse of visitor permits seems to be a major catalyst for the shutdown.
This problem isn't entirely new, either. Back in December 2024, the UAE, alongside Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, had already imposed an indefinite visa ban on people from at least 30 different cities in Pakistan. The reasons cited then were shockingly similar: an alarming number of cases involving smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other serious offenses. It seems the issue has now escalated to a near-nationwide restriction.
Who Is Affected and Who Isn't?
This isn't a blanket ban on every single Pakistani passport holder, but it's close. The UAE is now only issuing visas to those holding blue and diplomatic passports. For the average person looking to travel for tourism or find work—a group that numbers in the hundreds of thousands annually—the door is effectively closed. Pakistani Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri grimly noted that only a "handful of citizens" were granted visas, and that was "after much difficulty." The situation is so tight that even prominent figures are feeling the squeeze. Podcaster Nadir Ali shared that he faced "a great difficulty" getting a visa for the IIFA Awards, highlighting that even well-known personalities aren't exempt from the crackdown.
Beyond the Gulf: A Landscape of Long-Standing Bans
While the UAE's visa freeze is the latest headline, it's just one piece of a much larger puzzle. For Pakistani travelers, some doors have been sealed shut for years due to deep-seated political and security reasons. The two most prominent examples are, without a doubt, India and Israel, where the restrictions are less of a freeze and more of a solid wall.
Let's talk about India. The situation here is unambiguous: there is a complete visa suspension for Pakistani nationals. This isn't a temporary measure or a case-by-case denial; it's a total shutdown of normal travel channels. The suspension was enacted after a series of security-related incidents in 2025, leading to the cancellation of all previously issued visas. No new tourist, business, or even medical visas are being processed, creating what is effectively a total entry ban.
Then there's Israel, where the restriction is rooted in decades of history. Israel does not permit ordinary Pakistani passport holders to enter the country, plain and simple. This isn't tied to a recent event but to the long-standing absence of diplomatic relations between the two nations. While there might be extremely rare exceptions for special delegations with high-level approval, for the average citizen, the Israeli immigration system is completely closed off. This is a classic example of a security-based ban driven by geopolitics.
The 'De Facto' Bans: When Rejection Is the Norm
Beyond the hard-and-fast bans, there's another category of restrictions that are just as prohibitive: the "unofficial" or de facto bans. These are situations where a country hasn't declared an official ban but has implemented policies that make entry practically impossible. For Pakistani passport holders, Libya and Sudan are prime examples of this challenging reality.
In Libya, the primary driver is the country's severe instability and ongoing internal conflict. Multiple travel-policy trackers confirm that Pakistani citizens face a near-total entry ban. Visas are either outright refused or so rarely granted that it's not a viable travel option. The combination of the dire security situation and strict immigration controls means that travel is, for all intents and purposes, impossible.
The story is similar in Sudan, though for slightly different reasons. Sudan imposes incredibly strict restrictions, with most visa applications from Pakistanis being rejected or simply left unprocessed. The official reasons point to political volatility and concerns over documentation. Though not an official, declared ban, the visa refusal rate is so consistently high that it functions as one. It's a frustrating dead end for anyone hoping to travel there.
The Big Picture: A Mix of Motives
When you step back and look at all these cases together, it's clear there's no single reason for these restrictions. The motivations are diverse and complex. On one end of the spectrum, you have nations like India and Israel, where the bans are driven by decades of diplomatic tension and national security concerns. These are political and security-based decisions.
On the other end, countries like Libya and Sudan cite internal instability and documentation risks as their primary reasons. Their concern is less about geopolitics and more about managing entry from regions they perceive as high-risk. And then you have the UAE, whose recent visa freeze is rooted almost entirely in immigration misuse, overstays, and crime-related issues. It’s a sobering reminder that the reputation of a few can have massive consequences for the many.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that these combined restrictions paint a grim picture for Pakistani travelers, highlighting some of the toughest mobility challenges in the world. From the sudden UAE freeze over crime concerns to the absolute bans from India and Israel, and the de facto barriers in Libya and Sudan, the options for global movement are shrinking. For the more than 800,000 Pakistanis who apply for visas to the Gulf and Middle East each year, not to mention countless others hoping to work, study, or visit family elsewhere, these policies create a world of uncertainty and profound limitation. It's a tough reality that cements the Pakistani passport's place among the least powerful globally, with no easy solutions in sight.
