While the diversity in the expatriate population gives a great advantage to UAE’s various sectors in terms of economic growth and innovation, it also poses a potential risk to non-citizens fleeing the country to escape any legal issue. Hence, as a security and preventive measure, a travel ban in the UAE is imposed under certain circumstances. This measure ensures everyone is held accountable for a breach of any law.
In this article, we are going to talk about everything you need to know about travel bans in the UAE. Therefore, if you are concerned about legal challenges when visiting the UAE, here is what you need to know:
- What is a travel ban?
- Under what circumstances I could get a travel ban in the UAE?
- What happens if I have a travel ban in the UAE?
- How to check if I have a travel ban in the UAE?
- What options do I have to check my travel ban status in Dubai?
- How to check my travel ban status in Abu Dhabi?
- How to check if I got a travel ban in other Emirates?
- What do I do if I have a travel ban in the UAE?
- More considerations when traveling to or from the UAE
- How can PEO Middle East help you?
1. What is a travel ban?
A travel ban is one of a variety of mobility limitations imposed by governments. They are sent to all state ports by a government entity usually to prevent an individual from leaving or entering a nation in accordance with a police order or court for the protection of personal interests in certain situations such as immigration law violations, child custody, criminal inquiry, or financial default.
It entails that those who have been issued a travel ban by a government entity are not allowed to leave the country or may be detained upon entry if the reasons for the ban are not immediately resolved.
Travel bans can be selective or universal. Moreover, the restrictions that come along with them, can be imposed by either the originating or destination jurisdiction. They can also be imposed based on individual statuses such as vaccination or health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments banned entry by residents of some or all other countries.
A travel ban should not be confused with an arrest warrant. Subsequently, the purpose of an arrest warrant is to detain an individual accused of committing a crime with the intention of executing a court judgment or conducting a criminal investigation. On the other hand, the purpose of a travel ban is to prohibit such an individual from leaving or entering the country with the intention of protecting public interests.
Imposing a travel ban does not imply automatic detention. If the ban has not been issued on the grounds of committing a crime, the accused individual will only be not allowed to leave or enter the country.
2. Under what circumstances I could get a travel ban in the UAE?
If you wish to travel abroad, we recommend you perform a UAE immigration ban check to avoid any inconvenience at the airport. Therefore, there are several reasons why you could get a travel ban in the UAE. The most common ones consist of:
- Immigration law violations, particularly Federal law number 13.
- An ongoing criminal prosecution.
- Conflict on rent.
- Unpaid financial obligations and debts.
- Overstaying on the visa.
- Employment with no legal work visa or work permit.
- Notifying your employer and revoking your work permit before departing the UAE.
- A worldwide health crisis, such as the recent pandemic.
3. What happens if I have a travel ban in the UAE?
The United Arab Emirates immigration travel ban will act according to the law as a restriction from crossing the nation’s borders, whether by exiting, entering, or re-entering via any means of transport.
If you are thinking about immigrating to the UAE we advise you to check if you got a travel ban in advance. This way, you can take care of everything to lift the ban on time.
4. How to check if I have a travel ban in the UAE?
In order to prevent any unfavorable and unanticipated circumstances at the immigration desk, we advise you to complete the UAE immigration ban check if you intend to travel overseas. This process will be different depending on the emirate in which you reside. Here is what you need to do according to the emirate that you are currently located or you are planning to travel to:
5. What options do I have to check my travel ban status in Dubai?
There are four ways in which you can check if you got a travel ban in Dubai:
- A second and more convenient way to find out about your travel ban status is to make a phone call. You will need to provide your passport number, visa information, and other details to the call center agent. Immigrants can contact the Amer center in Dubai on the toll-free number 800 5111. For those who are overseas, they have the option to call on +971 4 313 9999.
- The third option is to hire an attorney/lawyer to conduct a thorough check on your behalf if you are facing a possible travel ban. This is by far the best option in cases where there is a likelihood of an arrest warrant. In addition, checking through a lawyer is often the only way to check if you got a travel ban when you are not in the country.
- The last method to find out about your travel ban status in the United Arab Emirates is to check online through the government website of the Dubai Police, which will discuss in detail in the next segment.
5.1 How to check if you got a travel ban in Dubai online?
Are you looking to check your travel ban status online?” The zero-cost service provided by the Dubai Police’s smart app or official website allows denizens to check if they got an immigration travel ban instantly. Here is a list of the steps you need to follow in order to check your travel ban status online:
- Visit the official website of Dubai Police or download the Dubai Police smart app which is available for both Android ad IOS users.
- Select ‘Criminal Status of Financial Cases’ on the website or ‘financial cases inquiry’ in the smart app in the individual services section
- Chose the individual check option and enter your full name and a valid Emirates ID card number. For more information about the Emirates ID card visit the official government website.
- In case there is a travel ban, you will receive a notification alerting you to head to the closest Dubai Police station along with your passport, Emirates ID, and an Authority letter
There is no service fee for checking your travel ban status online through the Dubai Police app and app. Moreover, for further inquiries regarding travel banning and criminal status, feel free to drop an email at [email protected] or call the Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Department at 901.
6. How to check my travel ban status in Abu Dhabi?
Residents in the capital have two options in order to check their travel ban status:
- The first one is to go to the nearest police station in Abu Dhabi and make an in-person inquiry to see if any legal complaint has been filed recently against you.
- The second option is to visit the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s page or download the smart app. Once on the page, you can use the “Estafser” e-service to check if any claims have been filed against you. Note: You must have a unified ID number in order to use the Estafser e-service and check your travel ban status. If you do not have a UID number yet or you are not able to find it online, you can visit the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) website to get it there.
7. How to check travel if I have a ban in other Emirates?
If you are currently located in any other emirate of the UAE, you can check your UAE travel ban status at the UAE government portal. You just need to click on the “service and information” section and select the option “preliminary checks”. Once there, choose “check if you have a travel ban” and complete the next steps. Lastly, this process is pretty simple and can be done in under 5 minutes.
8. What do I do if a have a travel ban in the UAE?
I have completed the travel ban check and I have a travel ban in the UAE, what do I do now? Well, there is nothing to worry about, you can request a cancellation of a travel ban order at any time, and we will guide you through the entire process:
- UAE Ministry of Justice’s official website.
- Once here, select the “Start service” option to start the process.
- Create an account or log in with your UAE PASS.
- Submit the cancellation application through the electronic system.
Be sure to submit documents supporting your application. The application evaluation can take up to 5 working days. A statement regarding your travel ban will be sent to you as soon as possible. Consequently, this service is completely free of charge.
For more information regarding this subject, you can call the UAE Ministry of Justice at 800 333 333.
9. More considerations when traveling to or from the UAE
After you have successfully checked your travel ban status and confirmed that no ban has been imposed on you, it is good to know certain things before going to the airport.
Firstly, in order to enter or exit the country you need to bring proof of sars-cov2 vaccination and a recent negative test for COVID-19 disease with you. Without this, you will not be allowed to enter the country or leave.
Further, there are certain things that you cannot bring to the airport. The most common retained items are certain medicines such as narcotics or psychotropics. In addition, goods from other nations that could be brought with the intention to sell, electronic hookahs, and gambling equipment are at the top of the list.
It is worth mentioning that while there are many prohibited objects, there are several custom-exempted items such as cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, etc.
10. How can PEO Middle East help you?
Immigrating to the middle east can be often complicated. Many rules, paperwork, and legal processes must be taken into consideration. However, there is nothing to worry about, thanks to our experience providing immigration-related services at PEO Middle East, we can provide you with the advice and assistance necessary to go through the entire process with no hassle. Subsequently, these are the services we offer:
As a result, our company provides its services for the following countries:
If you want to know more about our services, do not hesitate in contacting us! With a quick phone call at +971 43 316 688, you can learn everything you need to know about our services and how we can assist you with your immigration process. In addition, you have the option to contact us by email at [email protected].
Moreover, are you looking for job openings? Feel free to register on thetalentpoint.com. Additionally, you can send your resume or curriculum vitae to [email protected] to request more information about job offers.
