Emirates and Etihad Update Passport Rules for Dubai Flights as New Ban Takes Effect

(DUBAI, UAE) — Emirates and Etihad have implemented a ban prohibiting Iranian passport holders from entering or transiting through the UAE, including Dubai airports, effective as per updates announced around March 31, 2026.

The restriction covers all major UAE carriers, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, and flydubai. It bars Iranian nationals from both entry and transit through UAE hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

That change reaches beyond passengers ending their trips in the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have long served as international transfer points, so the restriction also affects travelers who planned to connect onward on Dubai flights or through Abu Dhabi without entering the country.

Airline advisories have not provided an official explanation for the ban. The move marks a policy shift amid diplomatic tensions and changes the travel position for a passport group that had used UAE airports as both destinations and stopover points.

For travelers and airlines alike, the breadth of the measure stands out. Emirates, Etihad and flydubai are central to the UAE’s role as a regional aviation hub, and the restriction applies across those major carriers rather than being limited to one airline or one airport.

The scope is also wider than a standard entry restriction. Iranian passport holders are barred not only from entering the UAE but also from transiting through its airports, closing off one of the most used travel options on routes that depend on Gulf connections.

That has immediate implications for itineraries routed through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A passenger booked on Emirates or Etihad for a journey that simply changes planes in the UAE falls within the ban if the traveler is an affected Iranian passport holder.

At the same time, the policy does not apply to every Iranian national in the same way. UAE Golden Visa holders can continue traveling to and through the UAE under their long-term residency, preserving access for one category of residents despite the broader restriction.

Emirates has also identified additional categories that remain exempt. Those categories include spouses of UAE nationals, children of female UAE nationals, athletes, bank executives, doctors and medical professionals, families of UAE nationals, engineers, investors, senior professionals, and traders.

Those exemptions mean the practical effect of the ban depends not only on nationality but also on a traveler’s immigration or residency status and, in some cases, on professional or family classification. For affected passengers, that makes document checks more important before departure.

The measure also sits above Etihad’s normal travel rules. Etihad’s general travel requirements include passports valid for at least six months from arrival, plus valid visas and travel insurance, but the new Iranian restriction overrides those requirements for passengers covered by the ban.

In ordinary circumstances, a traveler meeting those passport, visa and insurance conditions could proceed if all other requirements were in order. Under the ban, those baseline conditions no longer determine eligibility for Iranian passport holders who fall within the restricted group.

That distinction matters because Gulf transit traffic often relies on standardized document checks. Airlines usually assess passport validity, visa eligibility and insurance rules at check-in, but here the nationality-based restriction takes precedence over those routine travel requirements.

For passengers holding Iranian passports, the first question is now whether they fit within an exemption. If they do not, the presence of a valid visa, a compliant passport or travel insurance does not alter the effect of the ban described in airline updates.

The timing adds to the urgency for travelers with near-term bookings. The airlines announced updates around March 31, 2026, leaving passengers, travel agents and families to reassess routes that depend on UAE transfer points.

For some, that will mean checking whether an existing booking through Dubai or Abu Dhabi remains usable. For others, it will mean determining whether residency status such as a UAE Golden Visa or a family-based exemption allows travel to continue.

Emirates and Etihad are likely to become the first point of reference for many passengers because each carrier sets out its own travel updates and passenger requirements. Travelers should verify the latest details directly on Emirates and Etihad websites, as policies may evolve.

That guidance is especially relevant because airline advisories have not explained why the restriction was introduced. Without an official explanation in those advisories, passengers are left to rely on the text of the carrier updates and any category-based exemptions they list.

The absence of an explanation has not reduced the practical effect. A ban on both entry and transit through UAE airports changes route planning for anyone who had treated Dubai or Abu Dhabi as a routine aviation bridge between regions.

That role has been central to the UAE’s air network. Dubai flights and Abu Dhabi connections have long linked travelers onward to other destinations, which means a transit ban can reshape journeys even when the UAE was never the intended final stop.

For Emirates, the issue carries extra weight because Dubai is at the center of its network. For Etihad, the same applies through Abu Dhabi, where connecting traffic forms part of the carrier’s operating model.

Flydubai’s inclusion broadens the reach further. Together, Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai account for a large share of the UAE’s international passenger flow, so the rule applies across the country’s principal airline gateways.

Passengers covered by an exemption still face ordinary travel compliance. Etihad’s broader rules continue to require passports valid for at least six months from arrival, along with valid visas and travel insurance, for travelers who remain eligible to fly.

For exempt travelers, that means the ban does not erase standard documentation rules. It instead creates a two-step process: first determine whether the passenger falls inside or outside the nationality restriction, then confirm the usual passport and visa conditions.

The list of exempt categories also points to the narrow channels still open. Family ties to UAE nationals, long-term residency through the Golden Visa system, and certain professional classifications remain recognized despite the broader stop on entry and transit.

Among those listed by Emirates are spouses of UAE nationals and children of female UAE nationals. The airline also identified athletes, bank executives, doctors and medical professionals, families of UAE nationals, engineers, investors, senior professionals, and traders.

That range suggests the policy is broad but not absolute. It blocks travel for Iranian passport holders as a class while preserving access for selected groups with residency, family or occupational links recognized by the UAE or by airline guidance.

The broader travel market may also feel the effect because the UAE’s hubs occupy a central place in regional and long-haul routing. A change that cuts off transit through Dubai and Abu Dhabi for one group can carry ripple effects through booking patterns and transfer traffic.

Those ripple effects stem from geography as much as policy. Travelers who once depended on Gulf stopovers may need to look elsewhere when a route passes through the UAE, particularly when Emirates or Etihad formed the core of the itinerary.

For now, the public guidance remains simple but consequential. Iranian passport holders are barred from entering or transiting through the UAE on the affected carriers unless they fall within one of the listed exemptions.

That leaves travelers with little room for assumption. Anyone booked on Emirates, Etihad or flydubai with plans involving Dubai or Abu Dhabi needs to check the latest airline guidance before heading to the airport.

In the case of Etihad, travelers should also keep in mind the underlying documentation rules that continue to apply where the ban does not. Passports must be valid for at least six months from arrival, and valid visas and travel insurance are still part of the carrier’s general travel requirements.

Yet for affected Iranian nationals, those ordinary checks come second to the ban itself. The shift has turned what would normally be a routine document review into a threshold question of whether travel through the UAE is permitted at all.

With no official explanation in airline advisories, the update stands on its own terms: Emirates and Etihad have closed off entry and transit through the UAE for Iranian passport holders, while allowing travel to continue for Golden Visa holders and a defined set of other exempt categories.