ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday announced that Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reached a significant agreement on mutual visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official Pakistani passports, effective from July 25, 2025.
In a post on social media platform X, Dar revealed that the agreement was finalized in collaboration with UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, calling the move a step toward enhancing the longstanding and close relationship between the two nations.
“This visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports is now active at all UAE airports,” Dar stated, adding that reciprocal arrangements would also apply to Emirati nationals arriving in Pakistan. The visa exemption will be operational within 30 days of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a significant source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate community residing and working there. This development is expected to further ease travel between the two countries, strengthening diplomatic, economic, and cultural cooperation.
Earlier in July, the UAE’s Interior Minister Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan assured full support in expediting visa processes for Pakistani citizens. This commitment was reiterated during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, where the importance of relaxing visa policies for Pakistani nationals was underscored.
This visa waiver arrangement follows the signing of an MoU earlier this year, during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission, marking another milestone in the growing bilateral relationship between the two countries.
