How Dubai busted 21 individuals in major visa fraud case
Residency and labour laws misused through non-existent firms and fake addresses
DUBAI’s Citizenship and Residency Prosecution has secured convictions against 21 individuals of various nationalities involved in one of the largest visa fraud schemes uncovered in the emirate.
The Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court issued a verdict fining the group a total of Dh25.210 million for their role in exploiting residency permits and misusing the legal system.
The defendants were found guilty of operating phantom companies solely to obtain residence visas through illegal means. These firms were later shut down without regularising the status of the workers they had supposedly hired.
Suspicious activity flagged
Counsellor Dr Ali Humaid bin Khatem, Senior Advocate General and Head of the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, stated that the case began when the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai flagged suspicious entities. This triggered extensive monitoring, follow-ups, and inspections that revealed the companies were non-existent and existed only on paper to facilitate illicit visa issuance.
The Dubai Citizenship and Residency Prosecution has secured from the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court a conviction and a fine totalling AED25.210 million against 21 defendants of various nationalities involved in visa fraud. The individuals were found guilty in one of the… pic.twitter.com/9eR35o3Wx7
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 24, 2025
After the suspects were arrested, they were referred to the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, which launched an extensive investigation to collect necessary evidence and bring the case to court.
Fake licences and phantom offices
The probe revealed that 33 commercial establishments were used as fronts to obtain and misuse 385 residency visas. Investigators also found that most of the business licences were acquired using fictitious addresses, clearly indicating an intent to manipulate residency and labour laws for financial gain.
Dr Bin Khatem affirmed that the Public Prosecution would continue working with partners to tackle such violations, reinforcing the stability of the labour market and preserving legal integrity in matters related to the entry and stay of foreigners.