Travel Ban Lifted After a Loan Debt

Situation

The client worked in the UAE for four years, then lost his job and left, leaving an unpaid personal loan of around AED 90,000. A year later he returned on a tourist visa and was stopped at passport control on his way out.

What we did

1. One-day check. We established that the ban had been imposed on the bank's complaint as part of enforcement proceedings, and obtained the exact amount claimed together with accrued penalties.
2. Debt audit. We reviewed the bank's calculation and disputed part of the accrued fees as not provided for in the agreement. The claim was reduced by around 18%.
3. Negotiations. We contacted the bank's problem-debt department and agreed a one-off payment of the reduced amount in exchange for withdrawing the complaint.
4. Lifting the ban. After the payment, we obtained a no-objection letter, filed the application, and confirmed the restriction had been lifted across all databases.

Result

Key takeaway from this case

The amount a collection agency quotes and the amount a bank is actually willing to accept to close the matter often differ. Checking the calculation is not a formality — it is a way to reduce the payment.

Second: the check could have been done in advance, before buying the ticket. That would have cost AED 750 instead of a missed flight and a week of waiting.