UAE imposes visa ban on 9 countries including BD

The United Arab Emirates has imposed a visa ban on nine countries, including Bangladesh, which will affect citizens of these nine countries who wish to enter the country for labor, tourism, and business purposes.

The new directive will come into effect from January 2026. No information was available on the Emirates government website regarding this.

However, Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Cooperation), Oriem Henry Okello, a country under visa ban, confirmed to China's state news agency Xinhua that Uganda is on the list.

According to the Emirates' immigration notice, in addition to Bangladesh, other countries covered by this ban include Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, Cameroon, Sudan and Uganda.

It is worth noting that the UAE's partial visa ban on Bangladesh is already in effect. The Bangladesh Embassy in the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not yet made any announcement to the media regarding this matter.

Meanwhile, the ban is considered temporary and will be reviewed depending on the UAE's security and health assessment. However, those who are already residing in the UAE with a valid visa are not covered by the ban.

As a result, citizens of these countries will not be able to apply for UAE visas for labor, tourism, and business purposes until further notice.

On the other hand, the UAE government has not officially provided detailed reasons for this. However, various sources have reported that the possible reasons for this are: security concerns, such as protecting Emirati citizens from terrorism or illegal activities; diplomatic tensions with Gulf countries; and the control of COVID-19 transmission and the implementation of strict entry policies.

Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs told Xinhua by telephone that the UAE has suspended the issuance of long-term visas for certain categories of Ugandan citizens. This is not a blanket travel ban.

"According to our ambassador, there is no complete ban. However, restrictions will be imposed on Ugandan citizens. Long-term visas will not be issued, only short-term visas will be issued, and certain categories of people will not be able to get visas," Oriem said.

He added that the Emirati authorities are mainly targeting people who have a low risk of returning home at the end of their visa period or who are at risk of engaging in illegal activities.

"This is not a blanket ban. Some people will be able to go, but it will depend on the individual's ability to return home at the end of their visa period and their respect for the UAE's laws and culture," Oriem said.

He also said that the Ugandan government will not start discussions to lift the ban immediately. The restrictions will take effect from January 2026.