The United Arab Emirates has new travel guidelines for international travellers, which is already in effect. Indian airlines like Air India and IndiGo have issued statements informing UAE travellers of this crucial change. It may come as a surprise to many, but you will not be allowed enter UAE if your passport has a single name.
Air India, in its circular titled "name as appearing on the passport for travel to UAE", noted that the UAE immigration won't accept any passport holder with a single name, either in surname or given name. The passenger will thus be considered INAD, which stands for the inadmissible passenger.
INAD is a term used in the aviation sector, and passengers considered INAD will have to be taken back to their country by the airline.
Exception for Resident Card holders
To further clarify, the circular also noted that the new rule "applies only to passengers with visit visa/ visa on arrival/ employment and temporary visas. It is, however, not applicable to existing UAE Resident card holders.
To further decipher UAE's new travel guideline, a passport having full name (ie: first name and last name) in the Given name or Surname sections will not be affected. However, a name cannot be a single word, such as "Praveen" as Given name and the surname as blank or vice versa, Air India explained.
No reason has been given for the decision taken by the UAE government, but it is bound to create problems for some international travellers who have single names on their passports.
No police clearance certificate required for Indians: Saudi
Only last week, Saudi Arabia announced that Indian nationals will no longer be required to submit a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) to obtain a visa there.
It is being seen as a beneficial move for workers seeking employment in that country. The Saudi Arabian embassy said that the decision was based on the strategic partnership between the two countries and was part of several measures to boost bilateral relations.
