UAE Travel Ban (2026): How to Check, Who Can Impose One and How to Lift It

A UAE travel ban is an order that stops you leaving the country through any airport, land border or seaport. Three authorities can issue one: a civil or execution judge, for debts of AED 10,000 or more; the Public Prosecution, during a criminal case; and the family courts, to stop a child being taken abroad. You can check for bans circulated in Dubai through the free “Circulars and travel bans” service on the Dubai Police app and website. In Abu Dhabi, use the Judicial Department’s Estafser service.

A ban ends when the reason for it ends. For a debt ban, that means paying or settling, depositing the amount with the court, giving a bank guarantee, or getting the creditor’s written consent. You can also challenge the order; if the execution judge made it, you have seven working days. This guide sets out the rules in force in October 2026, mainly Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 (the Civil Procedures Law) and Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2022 (the Criminal Procedures Law).

Who can impose a travel ban in the UAE

Travel bans for debts: the AED 10,000 rule

Under Article 324 of the Civil Procedures Law, a creditor can ask the judge to ban a debtor from travelling, even before filing a claim, if three conditions are met:

• there are serious reasons to fear the debtor will leave the country;
• the debt is at least AED 10,000; and
• the debt is a known amount, due and unconditional, or, if not yet fixed, it rests on written evidence and the creditor gives a guarantee against loss to the debtor if the claim fails.

The AED 10,000 minimum does not apply to court-ordered maintenance, an obligation to do or not do work, or wages (“work fee”). An employee owed salary can therefore seek a ban whatever the amount. The judge can order the debtor’s passport to be deposited with the court, and the ban is circulated to every exit port (Article 324(2)).

The creditor must show the judge within eight days that the claim has been filed, or the judge can declare the ban lapsed (Article 325(5)). Once a judgment is being enforced, the execution judge can also ban travel before the debtor is even served, if there is evidence the debtor is preparing to leave (Article 234(3)). If the debtor is a company, the order is made against its legal representative or the person personally responsible for the non-payment (Article 322). Our guide to execution of Dubai Courts judgments explains the enforcement stage.

The court president can let a banned debtor travel for medical treatment of the debtor, a spouse, a parent or a child, with an official certificate that the treatment is not available in the UAE. The ban stays in place (Article 324(6)).

Bank loans, credit cards and bounced cheques

Most debt bans in the UAE are requested by banks. A bank that sues over an unpaid loan or credit card balance, or enforces a judgment for one, is a creditor like any other, so the AED 10,000 threshold and the conditions above apply. The judge can order the ban on the creditor’s application alone, so a debtor may first learn of it at passport control.

A cheque that bounces for lack of funds is no longer a crime in itself. Under Article 667 of the Commercial Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022), the returned cheque is an “executive document”: the holder takes it straight to the execution judge, who can order a travel ban. Some cheque conduct is still a crime under Article 675, including stopping payment without a lawful reason, closing the account or withdrawing the balance. That can bring a criminal ban as well. If a mortgage is involved, see our article on mortgage default in the UAE.

Criminal travel bans and the Public Prosecution

In a criminal case, the prosecutor can summon the accused, issue an arrest warrant, or order a travel ban “according to the circumstances” (Criminal Procedures Law, Article 99). The order is circulated to all ports. A suspect released during the investigation can be released with a travel ban instead of, or as well as, bail (Article 109). After conviction, the Public Prosecution enforces fines and compensation with the same powers as an execution judge, including a travel ban (Article 308).

A criminal ban usually lasts until the case closes or the sentence and any fine are dealt with. Before that, you can ask the prosecutor handling the case to lift it, usually against a guarantee. Our page on the Public Prosecution in Dubai explains how criminal files move. If a ban appears in your name and you do not know about any case, speak to criminal lawyers in Dubai before you go near an airport.

Family cases: travel bans on children

Under Article 116 of the Personal Status Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024, in force since 15 April 2025), a custodial parent needs the other parent’s written consent to take the child abroad. If the other parent refuses, the court can authorise trips of up to 60 days a year in total, against a guarantee that the child will return, and longer for treatment or another need. Travelling with the child without permission is a crime, punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 5,000 to AED 50,000 (Article 252). The personal status execution judge can also order that a child may not travel (Civil Procedures Law, Article 324(3)).

For non-Muslim parents under the Civil Personal Status Law, Cabinet Resolution No. 122 of 2023 says that during joint custody neither parent may travel abroad with the child alone if the other objects, without the judge’s permission (Article 21). After divorce, either parent can ask the court to stop the child travelling for a period (Article 22). Read more on relocating children after divorce.

Labour disputes and “absconding” reports

Neither the Labour Relations Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) nor its Executive Regulation gives an employer or the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) power to impose a travel ban. A “work abandonment” report (still often called absconding) is an administrative matter with MOHRE. Its consequences fall on the work permit, including a possible one-year bar on a new permit, not on your right to leave. The law also forbids employers from holding a worker’s official documents (Article 13(2)).

A labour dispute can still lead to a ban through the courts: an employer’s civil claim for AED 10,000 or more, a criminal complaint such as breach of trust, or a worker’s claim for unpaid wages against the employer’s manager.

How to check if you have a travel ban

There is no single national search. Check the emirate where you live, work or have had a dispute.

The Dubai Police service page lists it as free, instant and available 24 hours a day. You log in with your UAE PASS, which non-residents can also hold. A clear result in one emirate does not prove you are clear in another, and some security or immigration blocks do not appear in any public tool.

If you no longer have UAE PASS, an active Emirates ID or the phone number linked to it, a lawyer can check for you under a power of attorney. You do not need to fly in to sign it: the Ministry of Justice has issued powers of attorney digitally since September 2022, and UAE embassies and consulates can notarise one abroad.

How to lift a travel ban

1. Identify the issuing authority and the case or execution file number from the Dubai Police or Estafser result.
2. For a debt ban, use one of the routes in Article 325 of the Civil Procedures Law: pay the creditor and file proof in the execution file; get the creditor’s written consent to lift the ban; deposit the debt and expenses with the court, where the money is held for the creditor; or give a sufficient bank guarantee or a solvent guarantor the judge accepts.
3. If the creditor missed a deadline in the table below, ask the judge to declare the ban lapsed (Article 325(5) and (6)).
4. To challenge a ban made by the execution judge, file a grievance with the court president within seven working days of the decision, or of service if you were absent (Article 209(1)). The decision on the grievance is final. A ban made by another judge, for example before a claim is filed, is challenged by a grievance against an order on petition (Articles 141 and 324(4)).
5. For a criminal ban, apply to the prosecutor handling the case. For a child’s travel, apply to the family court or get the other parent’s written consent.
6. Recheck the online service before you book a flight.

Much of this now happens online. In August 2024 the Ministry of Justice said removal of travel bans by the Federal Public Prosecution had gone from nine steps to none: eligible people no longer need to apply. Since January 2026, Dubai Police lets people pay amounts owed under bans from the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre directly in its app, and the ban is removed once payment clears. Dubai Police has said bans from Dubai Courts and the Public Prosecution will be added later.

How long a travel ban lasts

What happens at the airport

Bans are circulated to all ports, so immigration officers see yours when your passport or Emirates ID is scanned at departure. You will not be allowed through. If there is only a civil ban, you are normally told to resolve it with the court that issued it. If there is also an arrest warrant, from a criminal case or an unpaid fine, you can be held and handed to the police. Check before you book, or you may lose the flight.

Can you leave the UAE with an active travel ban?

Not lawfully. Every foreigner must leave through an approved port (Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, Article 5(1)), and breaching the law is punishable by at least one month’s imprisonment and/or a fine of at least AED 10,000 (Article 30). Leaving does not end the case either. The debt stays, an execution writ remains enforceable for 15 years (Civil Procedures Law, Article 212(5)), assets left behind can be seized, and criminal proceedings can continue in your absence.

A worked example

Ana, a Spanish engineer in Dubai, loses her job with AED 62,000 outstanding on a personal loan. The bank obtains a judgment, opens an execution file and gets a travel ban. She finds out at Dubai International Airport on her way to Madrid. Under Article 325 she can pay, deposit the AED 62,000 plus expenses with the court, offer a bank guarantee, or agree instalments with the bank in exchange for its written consent. She signs a settlement and pays the first instalment. The bank files its consent, and the Dubai Police check shows her clear before she rebooks.

What to do now

1. Check the Dubai Police “Circulars and travel bans” service and, if you have any link to Abu Dhabi, submit an Estafser inquiry.
2. If a ban shows, note the authority and the file number before you call anyone.
3. Gather the statements, cheques, judgments and settlement emails, and pick the Article 325 route that fits.
4. If you want to challenge an execution judge’s ban, count seven working days from the decision or its service.
5. Do not book a flight until the online check shows you clear.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check a UAE travel ban with my passport number only?
The public services are built around UAE PASS and Emirates ID. If you have neither, a lawyer can check for you under a power of attorney.

Is a travel ban lifted automatically after I pay?
For bans issued by the Federal Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Justice says removal is now automatic for eligible cases. In Dubai, rental bans paid through the Dubai Police app clear once payment goes through. For other bans, make sure proof of payment or the creditor’s consent is filed in the court file, then recheck.

Can my employer put a travel ban on me?
Not through MOHRE or an absconding report. An employer can only obtain a ban through a court, for a debt of AED 10,000 or more, or through the Public Prosecution in a criminal complaint.

How Rubert & Partners can help

We check for travel bans under a power of attorney, including for clients already outside the UAE, and identify the case behind them. We negotiate settlements with banks and other creditors and prepare the guarantee or deposit. Where a court application, grievance or prosecution request is needed, we coordinate it with licensed advocates. We advise in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. Contact our team with your Emirates ID number and any case reference you have.

This article is general information, not legal advice.