UAE bars entry of travelers with a single name on their passports

If you go by just one name, you may want to re-think your travel plans to the UAE.

A joint circular from Air India and AI Express said that the UAE Immigration have started to ban single name passport holders beginning November 21, 2022.

“Any passport holder with a single name (word) either in surname or given name will not be accepted by UAE immigration and the passenger will be considered as INAD,” the circular said.

INAD means Inadmissible Passenger, an aviation term for people who are not permitted to enter the country they intend to travel to. According to civil aviation laws, an INAD passenger should be taken back to their country by the airline.

The rules apply to passengers with UAE visit visas/those eligible for visa on arrival/employment and temporary visas. They are not applicable to existing UAE residents.

In India, plenty of people go by a Mononym, the term for those who carry only one name.

The Caste System still exists in India’s society, and based on this cultural commentary, it is customary to be asked for one’s surname in order to determine which class one belongs to.

Sometime in the early 20th century, people began eliminating their surnames to avoid prejudice.