“The UAE visa for Lebanese citizens is suspended”

False as of 23 October 2026: the UAE visa for Lebanese citizens is not suspended, and no published decision provides for it. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Lebanon among the countries whose nationals need a visa (“Visa Required”), and on 28 September 2026 it announced the opening of an electronic visa centre in Beirut. You still need a visa obtained in advance through a sponsor in the UAE, and any application can be refused case by case.

Where the claim comes from

It comes back in waves, as lists of “suspended countries” shared in groups and picked up by business or travel news sites.

• September 2025: a list of nine countries, including Lebanon, presented as a “2026 visa ban”, circulates in September 2025. An Indian business outlet reports on 23 September 2025 that the UAE “suspends” tourist and work visas for these countries “effective immediately”, without pointing to any official text.
• On 26 September 2025, L’Orient Today reports that the authorities in Abu Dhabi have issued no official circular and that the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has not been informed of any such decision by its Emirati counterpart. The list had been spread by a private online visa agency, which itself acknowledged that no official circular confirmed a ban.
• As of 23 October 2026, sites of this kind still carry “banned countries” pages updated every month. They are not official sources: they describe refusals they have seen, not a decision.

What the UAE authorities publish

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Visa information to enter the country” page (read on 23 October 2026): “Republic of Lebanon: Visa Required”. Lebanon is neither among the visa-exempt countries nor marked as suspended. It means a visa is compulsory and must be requested before departure.
• Same ministry, statement of 28 September 2026: an electronic visa centre will open in Beirut “next month”, so that applicants in Lebanon can complete the process without leaving the country.
• ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security): no page mentions a suspension for Lebanese citizens. Its statement on the Beirut centre is dated 3 February 2026 (see below).
• Official u.ae portal, “Check if you need a visa to enter the UAE” page (updated on 13 July 2026): Gulf citizens enter without a visa; some nationalities are exempt or get a visa on arrival, the others must apply in advance. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
• GDRFA Dubai (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs): its “Issuance of a visit visa” page lists visit visas (relative or friend of a resident, job seeking, business, study) without mentioning any excluded nationality. Its FAQ could not be read from France on 23 October 2026.

Past suspensions: real, but never published

The claim rests on real precedents. None was the subject of an official UAE text made public: they are known from the press and from Lebanese statements.

• November 2020: Reuters reports on 25 November 2020 that new work and visit visas are suspended for nationals of 13 countries, including Lebanon, who are outside the UAE. The source is a document from a state-owned business park citing a circular of 18 November; the federal authority did not comment. On 18 November, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said there was “no official order”.
• May-June 2023: from late May 2023, visa applications for Lebanese citizens outside the UAE no longer go through the agencies’ online system. On 15 June 2023, a UAE official confirms to Reuters that “temporary restrictions” are in place and under review. On 16 June 2023, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that access to visas has been restored; according to travel agents, some applications remain pending in the following days.
• According to the press, both episodes concerned new applications from Lebanese citizens outside the UAE.

As a result, the absence of an official text is not enough on its own to rule out a suspension. What contradicts it as of 23 October 2026 is what the UAE authorities themselves publish: a ministry opening a visa centre in Beirut is not suspending visas for Lebanese citizens.

The electronic visa centre in Beirut

• 3 February 2026: ICP announces that it will open an electronic visa issuance centre in Beirut “in the near future”, one of 18 such centres abroad.
• Announced services: visit, medical treatment, study and work visas; checks on passports, medical reports and certificates of good conduct; ten-fingerprint capture, iris scan and facial photo; interview for work visas.
• 28 September 2026: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces the opening “next month”, so in October 2026, with no date, address, opening hours or fees.
• As of 23 October 2026, we have found no official announcement that it has actually opened. This page will be updated when it does.
• The statements do not say that the centre removes the need for a sponsor: they describe the steps carried out in Lebanon (documents, biometrics, interview).

Visa refused or stuck: what is down to the sponsor

• You do not file the application alone. Unless you get a visa on arrival, you need a sponsor: an airline, a hotel, a tourism establishment, a company, or an individual who is an Emirati or a resident with a valid residence visa (Abu Dhabi Residents Office). The sponsor files the application with ICP, or with GDRFA for Dubai.
• The sponsor can see the status of the application. Ask them to check whether the file is refused, incomplete or still in progress: in 2023, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that some applications described as refused were in fact still being processed, or had not been filed by the office handling them.
• Reasons for refusal are not published. First check what depends on you: a passport valid for at least six months, legible documents, no previous entry ban.
• Be wary of offers that “guarantee” a visa for an extra fee. In 2023, the Lebanese embassy warned against intermediaries asking for money for a file that was already being processed.
• Your passport: an old Lebanese passport with an “RL” number no longer allows you to leave Lebanon since 1 October 2026, see non-biometric Lebanese passport (“RL” number). In the UAE, renewal is handled by the consulate: Lebanese passport renewal in Dubai.
• Before forwarding a list of “suspended countries”, run through our five checks before you forward a claim.

Sources

• UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Visa information to enter the country” (Lebanon: “Visa Required”), accessed 23 October 2026.
• UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announces Opening of Electronic Visa Center in Lebanon Next Month”, 28 September 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
• ICP, “Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security Opens the Electronic Visa Center in Lebanon”, 3 February 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
• Official UAE government portal u.ae, “Check if you need a visa to enter the UAE”, updated 13 July 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
• Abu Dhabi Residents Office, “Visas” (possible sponsors), accessed 23 October 2026.
• GDRFA Dubai, “Issuance of a visit visa”, accessed 23 October 2026.
• L’Orient Today, “Has the UAE tightened visa restrictions for Lebanese citizens?”, 26 September 2025.
• Business Today, “UAE suspends tourist and work visas for these nine countries amid 2026 visa strategy”, 23 September 2025 (example of the rumour).
• Al Jazeera (Reuters), “UAE visa ban for Lebanese nationals to be lifted soon: Official”, 15 June 2023.
• L’Orient-Le Jour, « Levée de l’interdiction de visa imposée par les Émirats aux Libanais » (in French), 16 June 2023.
• L’Orient-Le Jour, « Après la levée des restrictions sur les visas par les Émirats » (in French), 24 June 2023.
• L’Orient-Le Jour, « Les Emirats suspendent les nouveaux visas pour 13 pays dont le Liban » (in French, based on Reuters), 25 November 2020.
• Khaleej Times, “UAE to open electronic visa centre in Lebanon next month”, 28 September 2026.

Checked on 23.10.2026.