Every month, thousands of travelers apply for UAE e-visas. While the majority are approved swiftly, a small percentage experience delays. Understanding the primary triggers for application holds will help you avoid unnecessary travel stress.
1. Passport Validity Under 6 Months
UAE immigration strictly enforces the rule that visitor passports must have a minimum of 6 full months remaining validity from the planned entry date. Submitting an expiring passport results in immediate system rejection.
2. Blurred or Cut-Off Bio-Page Scans
Automated optical character recognition (OCR) systems read the machine-readable zone at the bottom of your passport. If fingers cover the digits, flash reflections obscure the birthdate, or corners are cropped out, manual human intervention is required, causing 48-hour delays.
3. Existing Active Visa or Unclosed File
If you previously visited the UAE and your prior visa was not officially canceled or closed out by immigration upon departure, new visa issuance will be paused until the previous file status is cleared.
Our Expert Recommendation
Always review your passport documents against our pre-submission checklist or connect with our 24/7 client desk before filing to guarantee seamless travel authorization.