DUBAI, 27 October 2026. Picture a family flying from London to Manila in late December with a two-hour connection in Dubai. On a normal day they never leave the transit area. If the first flight lands late and the airline books them into a hotel for the night, the whole group has to pass through UAE immigration. According to Dubai law firm BS Lawyers & Legal Consultants, that is the moment a debt one of them left behind years ago can come to light.

The firm is raising this now because December is the busiest stretch of the year at UAE airports. In 2025, Dubai Airports expected more than 10 million passengers at Dubai International between 27 November and 31 December, and planned for 303,000 on 20 December alone, according to the Dubai Media Office. On days like that, rebooking's and overnight stays are routine.

Many former residents assume an old credit card or loan has quietly faded away. Unless it was settled, it has not. A creditor that wants to stop a debtor from leaving can ask for a travel ban once the amount reaches AED 10,000, under Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022. The ban follows the person rather than the passport, so a renewed passport changes nothing. Neither does switching airports, since Abu Dhabi and Sharjah run on the same federal system as Dubai.

Some worries are out of date. A cheque that bounced for lack of funds after 2 January 2022 is, in most cases, a civil matter rather than a criminal one. Relatives travelling with the debtor are not caught by the debtor’s case unless they signed for the debt themselves, as a guarantor or joint borrower.

John Phillips, who reviews the firm’s travel ban guidance, puts it simply: “Nobody books a missed connection, so the time to find out is before you buy the ticket.”

The firm checks a traveller’s status by passport number with the relevant authorities, without the traveller coming to the UAE, and explains how any open matter can be closed before the trip. Its guide for transit passengers also covers other Gulf airports and routes that avoid the region entirely: https://bs-lawyers.com/travel-ban/transit-through-dubai-with-debt/

BS Lawyers & Legal Consultants is based at E11 - Trade Center First in Dubai and works with clients in the USA, the UK and Europe. Contact: [email protected], +971 55 104 0613.