UAE activates visa-free travel for Pakistani diplomats and officials

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates have activated visit visa waiver for Pakistanis holders of diplomatic and official passports.

The agreement, which came into effect on July 25, 2025, will allow Pakistani diplomats and the government officials to travel visa-free to UAE.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the announcement on Sunday via a post on social media platform X, following his recent meeting with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“I have been informed by the UAE authorities that the visa waiver for diplomatic and official Pakistani passports entering the United Arab Emirates has been activated, effective July 25, 2025, at all UAE airports,” Dar said.

“We agreed on mutual visa waivers on diplomatic and official passports between our two brotherly countries and we both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to make this arrangement effective and operative after 30 days of the signing.”

The UAE embassy in Islamabad also confirmed the move in a message to reporters.

“His Excellency Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salim Al Zaabi, the ambassador of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates Islamabad, feels immense pleasure to announce that the visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports entering the United Arab Emirates has been activated, effective July 25, 2025, at all UAE airports,” the embassy stated.

The visa waiver follows the signing of an MoU during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) held in June, a forum designed to deepen cooperation in diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange.