Contradictions emerge over alleged UAE visa restrictions on Ugandans

Confusion is growing over the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) visa policy toward Ugandan nationals, with officials in both countries offering mixed messages about possible travel restrictions.

In a phone interview with New Vision, UAE ambassador to Uganda Abdalla Hassan AlShamsi dismissed widespread reports of a blanket visa ban. “What is circulating out there is false,” AlShamsi said, stressing that no official communication of a ban had been issued. He noted that while the UAE enforces normal requirements on applicants, “there has been no official communication regarding such a ban.”

Uganda’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire, echoed that stance, telling reporters that Kampala has not received “any formal notification from the UAE regarding changes in visa policy for Ugandans.”

He added that neither the UAE government website nor its embassy in Kampala had announced a visa freeze.

Yet, comments from another Ugandan official, Henry Okello Oryem, the state minister for international relations, speaking after consultations with Uganda’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi — paint a more complicated picture.

According to the official, the UAE is indeed tightening entry requirements following concerns of visa overstays and criminal activities by some Ugandan nationals.

“There is no total ban,” Oryem explained. “They are going to put restrictions on Ugandans travelling to the UAE. There will be no long-term visas, only short-term, and some classes of people will not be able to receive visas.”

Oryem further linked the UAE’s tougher stance to a recent BBC investigation exposing a Ugandan-led sex exploitation ring in Dubai.

“Yes, of course it’s because of that,” the official said. “This confirms what the UAE has always said—that Ugandans overstay their visas and get involved in criminal activities. There are a few bad eggs that are causing all these problems.”

These statements highlight a clear contradiction: while the UAE publicly denies a ban, Ugandan authorities acknowledge behind-the-scenes restrictions and attribute them to reputational concerns.

Past precedent adds another layer of ambiguity—Dubai temporarily suspended 30-day visit visas for Ugandans and other nationals in 2022 to curb overstays.

For now, more than 100,000 Ugandan migrant workers in the UAE, along with prospective travelers, remain caught between reassurances of “business as usual” and the reality of tightened controls that could limit opportunities for work and tourism.