To all those who are planning to visit the UAE, please be advised that all entry visas are currently suspended starting March 17, 2020. In an announcement made by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), the UAE is temporarily suspending visa issuance.
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This update affects foreigners who are currently applying for a visa to enter the UAE. The suspension will NOT include diplomatic passport holders or those who have been approved before March 17.
Coronavirus: UAE Entry Visa Temporary Suspension
This move is part of the preventive measures taken by the UAE in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no mention on when the suspension will end.
The Dubai Airports has further clarified that this does not apply to passengers of countries who hold the following passports:
| Andorra | Estonia | Maldives | Slovakia |
| Argentina | Finland | Malta | Slovenia |
| Australia | France | Mauritius | Solomon Islands |
| Austria | Germany | Mexico | South Korea |
| Bahamas | Greece | Monaco | Spain |
| Barbados | Holland | Montenegro | Sweden |
| Belgium | Honduras | Nauru | Switzerland |
| Brazil | Hong Kong | New Zealand | Ukraine |
| Brunei | Hungary | Norway | USA |
| Bulgaria | Iceland | Paraguay | United Kingdom |
| Canada | Italy | Poland | Uruguay |
| Chile | Japan | Portugal | Vatican City |
| China | Kazakhstan | Republic of Ireland | |
| Colombia | Kiribati | Romania | |
| Costa Rica | Latvia | Russia | |
| Croatia | Liechtenstein | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |
| Cyprus | Lithuania | San Marino | |
| Czech Republic | Luxembourg | Serbia | |
| Denmark | Macau | Seychelles | |
| El Salvador | Malaysia | Singapore | |
The travellers with passports from countries mentioned above will still be able to travel to and from the UAE, although they may be subject to additional screening.
Thermal Screening and Nasal Swab
Additionally, there will be an additional screening for countries mentioned below.
- Italy – Rome
- Lebanon (until March 16)
- People’s Republic of China – Beijing
- Syria (until March 16)
- Thailand
Those arriving from any of the countries listed above will undergo thermal screening and nasal swab facilitated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
Suspension of Flights
There are also suspended flights to the following countries until further notice:
- Bahrain
- Iraq (effective March 17)
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Italy, except for Rome
- Jordan (effective March 17)
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait
- Lebanon (effective March 17)
- People’s Republic of China, except for Beijing
- Syria (effective March 17)
- Turkey (effective March 17)
Please be advised that information above may change without prior notice as the UAE updates its policies.
Below is the full statement shared by Emirates News Agency regarding the temporary suspension of visas:
UAE temporarily suspends visas as COVID-19 declared pandemic
In a statement released today, the Federal Authority for Identity And Citizenship (ICA) said: “The move comes as part of the precautionary measures taken by the UAE in response to the World Health Organisation’s declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, a development which reflects the high risks now associated with travel under the current circumstances.”
The decision does not apply to those who already have their visas issued prior to the aforementioned date.
The ICA noted that the additional precautionary decision will be valid until a mechanism for medical examination has been established in the countries of departure as part of other global measures taken for the common good of all nations of the world to curb the proliferation of the novel virus.
“The ICA affirms that the decision stems from the UAE’s deep sense of responsibility and diligent efforts in collaboration with other countries of the world to fight the coronavirus pandemic and survive this ongoing crisis,” the statement concluded.