"Arrest on Arrival": New UAE regulation targets travelers with damaged passports
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- The UAE government published an official regulation granting its Identity and Citizenship Authority power to detain travellers at the point of entry
- The regulation targets specific signs in passports including scraping, distortion, cross-outs, or forged seals and visas
- Kenyans and other Africans travelling to the UAE for work, business, or tourism are urged to check their travel documents before departure
The UAE government has issued a formal regulation warning that any foreigner arriving in the country with a suspicious or altered travel document risks being arrested on the spot, in a move that has direct implications for Kenyans and other Africans travelling to the Gulf nation.
The rule falls under Article 5 of the UAE's legislation on the forgery of official documents and hands the Identity and Citizenship Authority (ICA) explicit powers to detain incoming travellers whose passports raise concerns during inspection.
What the UAE Regulation Says
Under the published law, ICA officials are authorised to arrest any traveller whose passport or travel document shows visible signs of scraping, distortion, cross-outs, or interference with the seals and visas inside.
The regulation further states that findings of this nature must be confirmed either by the authorities responsible for the entry and residence of foreigners, or by UAE diplomatic missions operating in the traveller's home country.
Crucially, the law makes clear that verified suspicion alone is enough to justify an arrest at the border.
A traveller does not need to be proved guilty of deliberate forgery before being detained.
What This Means for Kenyan and African Travellers
The regulation applies to all foreign nationals entering the UAE, cutting across nationalities.
For Kenyans and other Africans who travel to the UAE for employment, trade, or tourism, the implications are worth taking seriously before boarding any flight.
Physical damage to a passport that resembles tampering, such as ink smudging near visa stamps, worn-out entry seals, or any marks close to official pages, could draw the attention of ICA officers at immigration checkpoints, even if no forgery was ever intended.
UAE Lists 6 Conditions Foreigners Must Meet for Entry Visas
Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that the UAE had outlined six conditions foreigners must meet when applying for entry visas.
The rules cover different types of entry visas and set out requirements applicants need to meet before travelling to the country.
The report also highlighted that UAE authorities assess applications based on the relevant visa conditions.
Source: Legit.ng
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.