Pakistan, UAE agree on pre-immigration clearance to ease travel for passengers

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday met a high-level delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led by Director General Customs and Port Security Ahmed bin Lahej Al Falasi, during which detailed discussions were held on further simplifying the immigration process.

During the meeting, Pakistan and the UAE agreed to formally implement a pre-immigration clearance system. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the new system will initially be launched as a pilot project from Karachi.

According to Mohsin Naqvi, under the pre-immigration clearance system, passengers’ immigration and related clearances will be completed in Pakistan. Upon arrival in the UAE, travelers will no longer have to go through lengthy immigration procedures and will be able to exit the airport directly, similar to domestic travel.

The interior minister said this initiative will play an important role in making travel more convenient, saving time and improving the overall passenger experience.

The UAE delegation termed the initiative beneficial for the people of both countries and assured full cooperation. Coordination between relevant authorities will continue to finalize administrative and technical aspects of the pilot project, and after its success, the system will gradually be expanded to other cities.

The delegation included Executive Director Digital Transformation Juma Abdullah Al Qabi, Executive Director Airports Hammad Saif Al Mashghouni, and other senior officials. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Federal Interior Secretary Khurram Agha were also present at the meeting.