A group of countries has announced an urgent package of measures, including visa extensions and exemptions from overstay fines, to support travelers and expatriate workers whose journeys have been disrupted due to escalating tensions and airspace closures in the Middle East region for 2026. These steps come amidst the suspension of air traffic and changes in flight routes in various countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Iran, causing widespread disruption to international travel schedules and leaving thousands of travelers in limbo.
These decisions are of utmost importance for residents and visitors whose visas have expired or are nearing expiration. The new measures aim to provide legal protection, preventing financial or legal penalties for those stranded. This report reviews the details of the facilities offered by each country and the mechanisms adopted to regularize the legal status of travelers affected by border and airspace closures and partial or complete suspension of navigation.
The concerned governments have taken varying measures to deal with the crisis, with some focusing on automatic extensions while others requested contact with relevant authorities to coordinate departure. Below are the details of the measures taken in the nine countries:
- United Arab Emirates: Authorities decided to exempt stranded travelers from overstay fines, grant emergency visas in special cases, and allow residents abroad to return without the need for a new entry permit until March 31, 2026.
- Kuwait: Adopted an automatic one-month extension for expired visit visas, waiving overstay fines during this period, and granting residents stranded abroad absence permits for three months.
- Qatar: Provided an automatic one-month extension for online entry visas without additional fees, provided that any previous violations are settled before submitting the application.
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Established emergency entry arrangements via land borders for travelers heading to major airports, with special assistance provided to Indian nationals arriving from Qatar and Bahrain to enter through exceptional arrangements.
- Israel: Automatically extended work, visit, and student visas expiring between February and May 2026, to include re-entry permits for foreign workers.
- Thailand: Allowed stranded travelers to remain without overstay fines until flights resume, with the possibility of requesting a temporary stay extension of up to 30 days.
- India: Urged foreigners unable to depart to contact the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) to extend their visas, regularize their status, and avoid penalties.
- Canada: Provided temporary support measures for Iranian nationals present on its territory as temporary residents to offer greater flexibility amidst air travel disruptions.
- United Kingdom: Approved limited visa concessions and exemptions from entry conditions to support those affected, with available options varying based on nationality and itinerary.
Consular services in the region are currently experiencing significant delays due to minimal staffing, affecting the speed of passport issuance and document authentication. Travelers are advised to contact their countries' embassies early. Official warnings also included the necessity of continuously monitoring airline updates, registering data with diplomatic missions, keeping digital and paper copies of all travel documents, and avoiding unnecessary travel to affected areas until security and navigation conditions stabilize.
In conclusion, the travel situation in the Middle East remains unstable and subject to rapid changes based on developments in airspace closures. All affected individuals are advised to monitor the deadlines for extensions, which expire in some countries by the end of March or May 2026. Adhering to official instructions and communicating with airlines is the only way to avoid legal consequences arising from this exceptional circumstance, with the necessity of verifying official government sources for each country before making any decision to move across land or air borders.
For all official details and updates from the ministries of interior in the concerned countries, you can visit the direct source here: Middle East Immigration and Visa Updates 2026.