Airlines operating in India, such as Air India and IndiGo, have released comments warning passengers of the new regulation.
With effect from November 28, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has modified its admission requirements for visitors from outside the country. Air India and IndiGo, two Indian airlines, have released statements warning passengers of the modification.
“Passengers with a single name (word) either in surname or given name on their passports, travelling on tourist, visit, or any other type of visa shall not be allowed to travel to/from UAE,” according to a circular sent by IndiGo to travel agents on Monday. “And immigration and the passenger will be considered as INAD (inadmissible).”
According to the airline, a traveller who has a first or last name on their passport will not be given a visa, and if a visa has already been issued, the immigration department would not let them in.
Existing UAE resident card holders are exempt from this new restriction, which only applies to travellers with visit, employment, or temporary visas.
However, the low-cost carrier stated that passengers having a single name on their passports and who are in possession of a work permit or a visa for temporary residency may travel as long as the same name is updated in both the “first name” and “surname” columns.