International travel business can be stressful — especially when passport name formats do not match up with immigration rules. One issue air carriers may face is having passengers with only a single name on the passport, which can lead to denied boarding or entry — particularly in countries like the United Arab Emirates.
Recently, the UAE has updated its travel and immigration policy, bringing some much-needed clarity for all.
What is the issue with having a single name in a passport?
Passports containing only a single name (without both a given name and a surname) are no longer accepted for entry into the UAE. The rule was implemented because single-name passports made it harder to verify identities during the border vetting process.
The UAE travel policy update
The UAE authorities have recently adjusted their immigration policies concerning:
- Single name passports: Travellers holding a single name (one word only) on their passport will not be accepted for travel into the UAE.
- Tourists and visit visa holders: The policy applies to tourists and visit visa holders, including those eligible for visa on arrival, but does NOT apply to residents (residence visa or Emirates ID), employment visa holders, or diplomatic passport holders.
Impact on air carriers (and travellers)
For carriers, the single name restriction creates an operational and compliance challenge as airlines must solve passport issues before boarding to avoid fines and cases of denied entry.
Single name passports: Quick guide for air operators flying to the UAE
Single name passengers constitute a special case. As a general rule of thumb, a single name passport will result in denied entry at the UAE border. Please note that this rule does not apply to transit passengers. There are also some cases which can be handled in the passenger’s favour if air carriers follow the guidelines below:
| SCENARIO | PASSPORT | HOW TO SUBMIT * | EXPLANATION | |||
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | OTHER PAGES | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | ||
| Double first name | Mohammed Ali | - | - | Mohammed | Ali | Multi-part names should be split in order to populate both name fields upon data submission. |
| Double last name | - | Mohammed Ali | - | Mohammed | Ali | |
| First name + other name(s) on other pages | Mohammed | - | Ali Khan | Mohammed | Ali Khan | Family or father’s name should be used to populate the missing name field during data submission. |
| Last name + other name(s) on other pages | - | Mohammed | Ali Khan | Ali Khan | Mohammed | |
| Double first name + other name(s) on other pages | Mohammed Ali | - | Hassan Khan | Mohammed Ali | Hassan Khan | It is recommended (not mandatory) to submit the family name, but multi-part names are enough to populate both the first and last name fields in the UAE’s data submission systems. |
| Mohammed | Ali | |||||
| Double last name + other name(s) on other pages | - | Mohammed Ali | Hassan Khan | Hassan Khan | Mohammed Ali | |
| Mohammed | Ali | |||||
| Single one-word name | Mohammed | - | - | DO NOT SUBMIT. Call the National Advance Information Center (NAIC). |
If you need to carry such a passenger, you must first consult with NAIC to confirm the appropriate course of action. | |
* Please note that the UAE does not accept LNU / FNU / Unknown entries in the data submission process.
| USEFUL TIP: Please note that in case of long names that exceed 35 characters, the best practice is to follow the MRZ data in the passport when submitting passenger data to the authorities. |
The UAE authorities have also indicated the appropriate course of action for air operators that carry travellers holding a UAE residence permit:
In case of any doubts, each case should be confirmed individually with NAIC by phone or email:
- Phone: (within UAE) 800APIUAE // (outside UAE) 971 800 274 823
- E-mail: API@icp.gov.ae
Different national requirements
Another challenge may arise when the passport data requirements of the departure and arrival countries differ. An example of this could be a flight from the United Kingdom to the UAE.
This is complex, since if a document contains only one given name, the British authorities require 'Unknown' or ‘FNU’/‘LNU’ to be entered in the first name or surname field, depending on which piece of information is missing from the document.
Each case should be analysed individually but, in response to the needs of our clients and the specific requirements of individual countries, PnrGo allows you to set the same passport differently for departure and arrival, or, if you wish to use two passports, to assign them separately for departure and arrival to avoid legal requirement conflicts.
In case of any doubts regarding specific situations, please reach out directly to the UAE representatives at api@icp.gov.ae.
If you have any questions regarding assigning multiple documents to one passenger, please contact PnrGo at support@pnrgo.com.
