Immigration
Middle East | Security and travel update: Evacuation and repatriation planning, preparedness, and air/transit options
Summary
Following our recent alerts on regional security developments, travel disruption, and land border considerations, we are issuing this update to support evacuation and repatriation preparedness planning, including air and transit options.
The situation remains highly dynamic, with ongoing military action, evolving airspace restrictions, airport disruption, changing government travel advisories, and active contingency planning by multiple governments in relation to citizens in the region. We continue to monitor developments closely.
This note is intended to support contingency planning and preparedness. It is not intended to recommend or encourage movement where local authorities or embassies are advising individuals to remain in place. Any movement should only be considered where necessary, lawful, and safe, and only after checking current official guidance, route status, and documentation requirements.
The detail
Current operational picture (air and transit)
Major aviation hubs in the region have experienced intermittent disruption, including airspace restrictions, cancellations, and short-notice operational changes. Commercial capacity may remain constrained, and available flights may be cancelled or amended at short notice.
As a result, clients should plan on the basis that:
- Commercial flight availability may be limited and unstable.
- Rebooking may require multiple attempts and flexible routing.
- Transit through third countries may be required before onward repatriation.
- Overland movement may be considered in some cases to access a functioning airport, but only following a documented review of security, route viability, border status, and immigration implications.
At present, Saudi Arabia and Oman may be considered by some governments/employers as potential transit gateways in certain scenarios (subject to route safety, border status, and entry permissions).
Evacuation and repatriation planning (employer preparedness)
Given the pace of change, we recommend employers move from general monitoring to active preparedness planning for impacted populations (including employees, dependents, and stranded business travelers).
Evacuation and repatriation development
Please note that the information provided below is the position at the time of publishing, and subject to change:
- Germany is coordinating evacuation corridors via Saudi Arabia and Oman, exploring overland transfers into Saudi Arabia for onward repatriation, and assessing charter and commercial flight options from safer regional airports.
- Kyrgyzstan has begun negotiations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman to organize evacuation flights, and has initiated formal evacuation planning procedures.
- Thailand has placed Royal Thai Air Force aircraft on standby, prioritizing citizens in Iran, and is considering charter flights and third-country transit routes.
- The United Kingdom is undertaking contingency planning for potential mass evacuation scenarios should airspace restrictions persist, with large numbers of UK nationals registered in affected areas.
- The Netherlands is asking Dutch nationals currently in Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Israel, or Qatar to complete a registration form to assess who wishes to depart, indicating preparatory evacuation measures.
- The United States has urged Americans across multiple countries in the region to depart using commercial options where possible due to heightened safety risks.
- Several Balkan governments are working to account for and assist citizens in affected areas and are assessing evacuation options depending on airspace access.
Government travel advisories and registration channels
Several governments are issuing or updating travel advisories as the situation develops. Travelers should monitor and sign up for updates issued by:
- The country of which they are a national; and
- The country where they are currently located (where relevant local alerts are available).
Where available, individuals should also consider registering their presence with their embassy/foreign ministry.
Examples of channels that clients/travelers may wish to monitor include:
Recommended actions for employers
- Identify impacted populations, including employees/dependents in affected countries, and travelers stranded in transit.
- Confirm critical status information, including:
- current location, nationality(ies), passport validity and physical possession of passport, visa/permit/immigration status (including expiry dates), whether any passport is currently held by an embassy/consulate, medical needs/medications/vulnerabilities, travel insurance/evacuation/medical coverage.
- Establish an internal escalation and decision process for movement decisions (including who approves, what security/travel inputs are required, and check-in cadence).
- Prepare for multiple scenarios, including:
- Shelter in place
- Commercial departure from current location
- Transfer to alternate airport (same country)
- Overland movement to third country (only if necessary and viable)
- Assisted/charter or government-led repatriation (if offered)
- Avoid decisions based on informal/social media reporting alone.
- Escalate case-by-case complexities early (e.g., passport held by an embassy, expiring immigration status, urgent travel needs, medical dependencies).
Air travel and airport movement (practical considerations)
Where air travel is being assessed:
For employers/travel teams
- Require same-day airline confirmation before instructing travelers to proceed to the airport.
- Confirm whether the carrier is operating a scheduled, retimed, or special/relief departure.
- Consider alternative routings (including indirect connections) where lawful and operationally viable.
- Keep records of cancellations, rebookings, and communications (for immigration and insurance purposes).
For travelers
- Do not travel to the airport without a confirmed booking/flight status.
- Keep passport, permits/visas, and copies readily accessible.
- Carry essential medication, chargers/power banks, cash, and basic supplies.
- Prepare for long waits, sudden cancellations, and possible overnight disruption.
- Retain evidence of cancellations and rebooking attempts.
Transit and third-country routing considerations
Evacuation/repatriation may require movement to a third country before onward travel home. In these cases, clients should verify in advance (where possible):
- Entry permission (visa/visa-on-arrival/e-visa eligibility)
- Whether entry is permitted by land (where relevant) and not only by air
- Transit visa requirements for onward routing
- Passport validity thresholds
- Restrictions based on nationality or residence status
- Local security and transport conditions on arrival
Even where routes appear open, processing practices and admission decisions may change at short notice, and outcomes may differ by nationality, passport type, visa status, and crossing/airport used.
Land borders (situational awareness only; subject to official confirmation)
Consistent with our previous alert, the information below is provided for situational awareness only and should not be treated as a recommendation to travel by land.
Indicative position (subject to change and official confirmation):
- Qatar → Saudi Arabia: Reported open
- Bahrain → Saudi Arabia: Route availability should be verified prior to movement
- UAE → Saudi Arabia: Reported open
- Kuwait → Saudi Arabia: Reported open
- UAE → Oman: Reported open
- Iran → Turkey: Operational status/restrictions may vary by crossing and nationality and should be confirmed immediately before movement is considered
Where land movement is being assessed, clients should require a documented review of:
- Current local security conditions
- Route safety and viability
- Border operational status and expected delays
- Entry requirements and visa eligibility
- Passport/document validity and physical possession of documents
- Likelihood of admission at the specific crossing
Travelers should expect significant delays, congestion, and rapidly changing conditions.
Immediate next steps for employers
We recommend employers take the following actions now for impacted populations:
- Confirm who is in-region/in-transit and their current status.
- Prioritize individuals with documentation, medical, or dependency-related vulnerabilities.
- Establish a central case tracker (location, documents, status, next step, owner).
- Prepare country-by-country communication templates.
- Confirm insurance/evacuation/medical coverage and escalation routes.
- Require case-by-case review before any movement decision.
Ongoing support and real-time updates
We continue to monitor developments closely and will share further updates as official guidance evolves.
For the latest updates and practical guidance, please refer to our:
- Earlier FAQs and support resources
- Prior land border risk note
- Real-time crisis support dashboard (available on request)
If you require access to the dashboard, please email crisis_support@vialto.com and include:
- Name
- Organization
- Work email address
- Relevant Vialto contact (if applicable)
Contact us
For immediate assistance or case-specific support, please contact our Crisis Support team at crisis_support@vialto.com, or your usual Vialto contact.
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