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The United Arab Emirates has reportedly banned all Iranian passport holders from entering or transiting through Dubai International Airport, including those holding valid UAE residency, visit and tourist visas, according to an announcement by flydubai cited by Iran International. The sweeping measure, which took effect on March 31, also strips Iranians currently outside the country of their right to return, regardless of their residency status.
The ban covers all categories of Iranian passport holders without exception. Iranians currently abroad, including those who are UAE residents, are barred from returning. Some residents still inside the country have reportedly been given notices to leave within 30 days.
Iran International added that Ali Shariati, a member of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, said the UAE has cancelled the residency status of Iranians currently outside its borders and issued departure notices to some residents still on UAE soil. Many of those affected obtained residency through property purchases valued at between 500,000 and 1.5 million dirhams, or through company registration and investment, he said.
Shariati warned that the cancellations have left Iranian nationals effectively cut off from their assets, real estate and bank accounts. He described the UAE's approach as deliberately ambiguous, noting that Abu Dhabi has used the word "cancelled" rather than "confiscated" or "banned," creating a state of legal limbo for thousands of people. Total Iranian capital in the UAE, he said, amounts to roughly 500 billion dirhams on average.
The said measures affect not only holders of Iranian passports but also anyone born in Iran, even those travelling on a European passport, according to Shariati.
Dubai has long served as a primary commercial and transit hub for Iranians, functioning as an informal lifeline for trade, banking and travel in the face of decades of international sanctions on Tehran. Large Iranian expatriate and investor communities have built deep financial stakes in the emirate, particularly in real estate and small business.
The UAE government had not issued any public statement confirming or explaining the measures as of the time of reporting. The silence has compounded uncertainty for affected Iranians, who have been left with no official guidance on the status of their property or legal standing.
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