UAE agrees to pre-immigration clearance for Pakistani passengers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday agreed to introduce a pre-immigration system that will allow Pakistani passengers to complete immigration and clearance procedures in Pakistan before departure, enabling them to skip lengthy queues upon arrival at UAE airports.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi and a UAE delegation led by Director General Customs and Port Security Ahmed Abdullah Bin Lahej Al Falasi, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday.

‎During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on Pakistan-UAE relations, mutual cooperation, and measures to simplify immigration procedures for travellers. It was agreed that a formal agreement on pre-immigration clearance would be signed.

The system will initially be launched as a pilot project, with Karachi selected as the first city for implementation.

Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that under the pre-immigration clearance system, passengers travelling to the UAE will complete immigration and relevant checks in Pakistan.

Following its implementation, travellers will no longer be required to undergo lengthy immigration procedures upon arrival in the UAE and will be able to exit airports smoothly, similar to domestic passengers.

He added that the initiative would ease travel, save time, and significantly improve the overall passenger experience.
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The UAE delegation welcomed the initiative, terming it beneficial for the people of both countries, and expressed full readiness to cooperate.

It was also decided that relevant authorities from both sides would continue coordination to finalise the administrative and technical framework of the pilot project. Upon successful implementation, the system will be gradually expanded to additional airports.

The UAE delegation included Executive Director Digital Transformation Abdullah Al-Kabi, Executive Director Airports Hammad Saif Al-Mashghouni, and other senior officials.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Federal Secretary Interior Khurram Agha were also present at the meeting.