A travel ban can be imposed on an individual by the government of the UAE, preventing him/her from entering or exiting the country due to a variety of reasons. There may be administrative or legal grounds for imposing a travel ban.
There could be many reasons for your travel ban in The UAE. Perhaps your bank loan has fallen due or you have a pending case against you in the UAE courts. In this case, a travel ban may worry you.
However, what are the various reasons you may face a travel ban? Let's find out.
1. Visa overstayed
According to Hari Wadhwana, an associate at Dubai-based law firm OGH Legal, if you have overstayed your visa and are facing deportation because of it, you would face a travel ban after leaving the country.
2. Absconding case against you
If your employer filed an absconding case against you because you failed to report to work, you also might have a travel ban placed on you.
Under UAE labour law, in the event that you fail to report to work for seven consecutive working days, the employer may file a report of absconding or Unexpected Work Abandonment (UWA). You can only be reinstated by the employer. If you can convince the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) that the absconding case is invalid, then the Ministry may lift the travel ban against you.
3. Failure to repay a bank loan
Whenever you default on a bank loan or pay your credit card dues, you may be placed on a travel ban, either because the security check bounced or because the bank is claiming the payment of the whole amount of money.
In the case of a secured credit card, for example, if you provided a security check for AED 20,000, but your card limit was subsequently raised to AED 70,000 and you used it all up, the bank may either attempt to encash the security check, in which case it would be a bounced check, or it may seek the payment of the full amount to the court.
Despite the fact that bounced checks are no longer a criminal offense, you would still be liable for a civil case.
In the event that the UAE decides to ban travel, all border crossing points of the country are informed of the ban and the person concerned is prohibited from entering or leaving the country. Furthermore, this decision does not require the authority to have a person's passport, as the UAE government already obtains the individual's details online.
4. Rent not paid on time
If you don't respond to your landlord's notice that rent is due, or if your landlord has sent you the notice that the property is neglected or if you have not renewed your contract, your landlord may approach the Rental Dispute Centre (RDC).
If that happens, the RDC will ban you from leaving the country and compel you to pay the rent, or do whatever else you have to do as a tenant.
5. There is a criminal investigation against you
When you are involved in a criminal case, you may be subject to a travel ban if there is a police investigation or court case underway, which means you may not be able to leave the country.
If a criminal complaint is filed, the administrative authority may issue a circular prohibiting a person from traveling until the complaint is finally settled and the verdict is implemented.
Furthermore, if you are convicted of a serious crime, such as drug use or assault, and are deported, you may be subject to a travel ban, which prevents you from entering again after deportation.
"A circular may be issued by the administrative authority to prevent a person from travelling after a criminal complaint is registered, until the complaint or case is finally settled, and the verdict is implemented."
- Hari Wadhwana, an associate at Dubai-based law firm OGH Legal
6. Involved in some civil or corporate litigation
There is also a chance a court can impose a travel ban on you in some civil cases, whether it has to do with nonpayment of dues by a company or family court cases involving guardianship.
Mohammed Elmasry, associate at Alsuwaidi and Company Advocates and Legal Consultants, believes that you may be placed on a travel ban if you manage a company which has defaulted on payments or if the company itself is facing legal action for non-payment of debts.
If the commercial case is against an LLC, a travel ban may be imposed on its manager. It will be illegal for the manager to travel until he presents a report to the execution court showing the cash flow statistics of the company and proof that it is unable to settle its debts. "If a sole proprietorship is being investigated, its owner will be banned from leaving the country unless he or she settles the debts, or was found bankrupt by a court order.
Similarly, according to the official website of the UAE government, if either parent is concerned that the other will flee the country with a child, they can request a travel ban to prevent the child from leaving the airport. If there is a disagreement, a judge will decide the case.
7. You stood up for someone as a guarantor
In the case of a family member or relative who has been charged with a crime or has a court case against him/her, you will be unable to travel during the time you are standing as a guarantor. The police or court may keep your passport. However, even if it is still with you, you may still face a travel ban while you serve as a guarantor.
In the event of a travel ban, the UAE authorities communicate their decision to all border crossings of the country so that the person concerned is not allowed to enter or leave the country. Additionally, the authority does not need the individual's passport to make this decision, since the UAE government already collects the individual's details online.
This ends our description of the situations in which you might face a travel ban. Please let us know if we've missed anything in the comment box. Please share it as much as possible.
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