What countries prohibit entry with DUI?
There are several countries that will not allow someone with a DUI on their record to enter their borders. These countries include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Canada, for example, has strict entry requirements for individuals with criminal records, including those with a DUI conviction.
As a tourist, you would be allowed to enter Dubai with a criminal record as long as you have served the entirety of the sentence. Provided the crime was not committed in Dubai, you would be free to enter for holiday purposes.
Qatar, Dubai & Other Persian Gulf Countries
A DWI may be enough to disqualify a person from obtaining this clearance. Past that, entry is often up to the discretion of the immigration officer, so travelers worried about a DWI on their record should call the consulate or embassy ahead of time for advice.
Under Article 37 of Mexico's General Law of Population, violations of domestic laws in a person's home country are grounds to deny that person entry into Mexico. Regardless of whether your DUI was a misdemeanor or a felony in the U.S., Mexican law treats it a level that is like a felony.
Arizona is the state with the harshest DUI laws and the only one to earn a perfect 5.0-star rating. Arizona's tough laws include mandatory ignition interlock devices for all DUI convictions. Having a child in the vehicle when arrested for a DUI is also considered a felony in Arizona.
There is a published list of criminal convictions that will prohibit you from entering the United States, known as crimes of moral turpitude. DUI convictions do not form part of this list and should have no affect on your ability to cross the border either by land air or sea.
In in addition to criminal records searches, there are numerous other background checks in the United Arab Emirates, including reviewing an individual's credit history and motor vehicle records but these searches are utilized only when they are directly relevant to the position being filled.
- Argentina.
- Australia.
- Canada.
- China.
- Cuba.
- India.
- Iran.
- Israel.
The UAE authorities require that every individual being hired, or rehired in a different employment category, for an educational institution within the UAE completes the BACKGROUND CHECK process.
Both China and Japan's extensive background checks on visitors and DUIs could prevent entry. It may require filing for a travel waiver. A felony conviction of DUI will prevent entry, while misdemeanor charges may prevent access.
Can I go to Thailand with a DUI?
In general, travel with a DUI conviction on your record to Thailand is not a problem, nor is Indonesia, South Korea, or Borneo.
You can generally still travel to Mexico even if you were convicted of DUI or DWI in the United States. Note, however, that Mexican immigration officials can deny foreigners entry into Mexico if they have been charged with or convicted of a “serious crime” in Mexico or elsewhere.

No problems whatsoever with entering Cuba (or anywhere else) with a DUI/DWI on your record. This post has been removed at the author's request.
That is a misdemeanor charge, and your friend shouldn't have any problem going to the DR., but would advise he/she, bring another form of picture ID with them, plus they would have the Passport, that has the picture in it, and have never been asked for a valid Driver's License.
A single Driving Under the Influence (DUI) conviction is not grounds to deny entry into the United States. However, a criminal offense may be a factor in whether your application is approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The Cayman Islands have the most lenient blood alcohol limit in the world — allowing driving with a blood alcohol limit up to 0.1%. Several counties have a zero-tolerance policy on drink driving (including many countries where the sale and distribution of alcohol is prohibited).
Most Strict | Most Lenient |
---|---|
1- Arizona | 1- South Dakota |
2- Alaska | 2- District of Columbia |
3- Connecticut | 3- Pennsylvania |
4- West Virginia | 4- North Dakota |
Utah is the only state where the per se BAC limit is not 0.08%; it is 0.05% in Utah. Increased penalties will result from BAC levels of 0.16% or more. Utah has a “not-a-drop” law for drivers under 21, where any detectable amount of alcohol is considered to be intoxicated.
As long as your passport is valid, and no outstanding warrants... your good to go.
This includes laws on drunk driving. You cannot legally travel to Mexico with DUI convictions on your record. Border agents will look ten years into your record if you try to cross the border. Any DUIs within this time period will count against you.
Can you go to Canada if you had a DUI 10 years ago?
In most cases, an individual who has a past DUI would be considered inadmissible to Canada for 10 years after the completion of the sentence. However, you may be able to apply for Permanent Residency in Canada once you have cleared your inadmissibility to Canada via the Criminal Rehabilitation application.
As a tourist, you would be allowed to enter Dubai with a criminal record as long as you have served the entirety of the sentence. Provided the crime was not committed in Dubai, you would be free to enter for holiday purposes.
Dubai is, in fact, one of the safest Middle Eastern cities for tourists. Its stricter laws mean that crime is kept to a minimum, and many tourists feel much safer in Dubai than they do in other parts of the globe. The crime rate in Dubai is much lower than comparable countries in other regions in the world.
Check if you have a travel ban
Dubai Police has an online free-of-charge service, that enables residents in the UAE to check if they have a travel ban due to financial cases in the emirate of Dubai only. To use the service you need to enter your Emirates ID card number.
There is no link to your criminal record from your passport. The chip on a biometric passport only stores a digitised image of your photograph and biographical details which are printed in your passport.
Most foreign officials do not check for criminal records, but they have every right to do so if they choose. Each country can handle criminal records however they want, depending on their laws. INTERPOL tracks international criminal records in their database for all participating countries.
We do not recommend that travelers who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, have a criminal record, certain serious communicable illness, have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States, or have previously overstayed under the terms of the Visa ...
Provisions regarding health conditions
In order to be able to obtain a work/residence permit, foreign nationals need to be free of all forms of communicable diseases such as HIV and TB. In addition, the following categories of workers should test negative for syphilis and Hepatitis B: Workers in nurseries.
The Blacklist
According to the Executive Regulation of Law No. 6 of 1973 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, the blacklist includes the names of individuals prohibited to enter or leave the UAE due to committing a crime, their liability for civil rights or for being dangerous to the public security.
For further enquiries, call Dubai Police on 901. The Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi has an online service called 'Estafser', which enables the residents of Abu Dhabi to check whether they are requested by the Public Prosecution for any claims against them.
Can I go to UAE with a DUI?
United Arab Emirates
No specific laws prevent travelers with a DUI from entering any Emirati country, but alcohol-related offenses are frowned upon and may make entry more difficult.
Europe. The European Union does not consider DWI a “prohibited offense”. As such, if you have a DWI on your record, you may enter any member country in the European Union and travel freely between member nations.
Australia and New Zealand
If you have served prison time of a year or more for your DUI conviction or any other offense, you will probably be refused entry to either country. Otherwise, a DUI is unlikely to prevent you from visiting.
The only country to impose the death penalty for drunk driving in Taiwan. This only happens when drunk driving results in an accident where a person dies.
Generally, if you have a DUI on your record, you cannot enter Canada for 10 years. However, there are applications you can make for Canada DUI entry before that time.
Re: Entrance into Costa Rica with DUI? "She said that you CANNOT travel to CR if you have a DUI charge if it has been put on the interpol website." I'd suggest instead of relying on a general statement from the RCMP you find a way to check the interpol database.
Can I travel to Cancun with a felony? Yes, you can travel to Cancun with a felony. However, you may be denied access to Mexico at the border control due to your past felonies. Each case is evaluated individually, and the NMI officer makes the final decision.
Dominican Republic: Similar to Cuba, people report being able to enter the Dominican Republic with minor records. A tourist visa requires a criminal record check. However, Canadian and US tourists do not require a visa to enter the country for visits up to 30 days.
Traveling to Canada with a DUI conviction can prevent you from entering the country. However, you might be wondering if this also applies to short-term stays, like layovers. Can you have a layover in Canada with a DUI? The answer is yes.
The European Union does not make a DUI a “prohibited offense”. That means if you have a DUI on your record, you are allowed to enter any member country in the European Union and can travel freely between member nations without being impeded.
Can you fly to Europe with a DUI?
The European Union, EU, does not block Americans with a DUI from entering countries in the Union. They do not consider DUIs as a prohibited offense.
You cannot legally travel to Mexico with DUI convictions on your record. Border agents will look ten years into your record if you try to cross the border. Any DUIs within this time period will count against you.
You can generally still travel to Mexico even if you were convicted of DUI or DWI in the United States. Note, however, that Mexican immigration officials can deny foreigners entry into Mexico if they have been charged with or convicted of a “serious crime” in Mexico or elsewhere.
The countries in the European Union do not make a DUI conviction a prohibited offense. This means you should not encounter any restrictions when traveling any current member of the EU. Although the United Kingdom will no longer be a part of the EU soon, you can still go to the country with a DUI on your record.
Can I enter Canada? If you've been convicted of driving while impaired, you may be inadmissible to Canada for serious criminality. This means that you generally can't enter Canada.
Although the United Kingdom may leave the Union, DUI was not considered a prohibited ground prior to their entry. It's likely that DUI travel to the UK will be allowed even if they leave the Union.
No problems whatsoever with entering Cuba (or anywhere else) with a DUI/DWI on your record. This post has been removed at the author's request.
Australia and New Zealand
If you have served prison time of a year or more for your DUI conviction or any other offense, you will probably be refused entry to either country. Otherwise, a DUI is unlikely to prevent you from visiting.
References
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/passports-and-traveling/preliminary-checks
- https://unlock.org.uk/guide/travelling-abroad/
- https://www.driving.org/drink-driving-limits-around-the-world-compared/
- https://roadguardinterlock.com/dui-laws/blog/states-with-most-duis-and-strictest-drunk-driving-laws/
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g291982-i813-k5084602-Entrance_into_Costa_Rica_with_DUI-Costa_Rica.html
- https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=152&top=8
- https://houston-dwi.lawyer/travel-abroad-after-dwi/
- https://www.halt.org/do-countries-share-criminal-records/
- https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/additional-requirements/
- https://homework.study.com/explanation/what-country-has-the-death-penalty-for-drunk-driving.html
- https://matadornetwork.com/read/travel-restrictions-dui-countries/
- https://infocubic.com/employment-screening/the-rundown-on-conducting-united-arab-emirates-uae-background-checks.html
- https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g147270-i91-k3702991-Travelling_to_Cuba_with_a_criminal_record-Cuba.html
- https://gocity.com/dubai/en-us/blog/is-dubai-safe-for-tourists
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/passports-and-traveling/preliminary-checks/check-if-you-have-a-travel-ban
- https://versustexas.com/what-countries-you-cant-go-to-with-a-dui/
- https://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/globalServices/documents/forms/facultyandscholars/faculty-visa/Security%20Clearance%20Handbook.pdf
- https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19935120/visit-dubai-criminal-record/
- https://calbizjournal.com/traveling-with-a-dui-and-the-restrictions-you-face/
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/deportation-from-the-uae
- https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-402?language=en_US
- https://www.jamescrawfordlaw.com/blog/2022/04/can-you-travel-with-a-dui-learn-how-a-dui-can-compromise-a-trip/
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/bac-limit-by-state
- https://visaguide.world/tips/countries-you-cant-travel-to-with-a-criminal-record/
- https://www.losangelesduiattorney.com/faq/can-you-cross-the-mexican-border-if-you-have-a-dui/
- https://www.duicanadaentry.com/news/most-strict-and-most-lenient-states-for-duis/
- https://www.the-sun.com/news/6318871/visit-dubai-criminal-record/
- https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g147293-i28-k8426231-Can_you_travel_to_the_DR_with_a_DUI-Punta_Cana_La_Altagracia_Province_Dominican_Republic.html
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147416-i169-k6722851-Entering_Bahamas_with_a_DUI-Nassau_New_Providence_Island_Bahamas.html
- https://www.expertlawfirm.com/international-travel-and-dui-convictions/
- https://allcleared.com/blog/canada-dui-entry-how-long/
- https://www.herringdefense.com/are-there-travel-restrictions-with-a-dui/
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/health-and-fitness/health-conditions-for-uae-residence-visa
- https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/blog/can-you-travel-to-mexico-with-a-dui/
- https://passport-photo.online/blog/felon-travel-mexico/
- https://www.canadavisa.com/entering-canada-with-a-dui-conviction.html
- https://houston-dwi.lawyer/dwi-travel-restrictions/
- https://allcleared.com/blog/dui-travel-where-can-you-go-with-a-record/
- https://www.simmrinlawgroup.com/faqs/can-you-cross-the-mexican-border-if-you-have-a-dui/
- https://www.klmimmigration.com/have-layover-canada-dui/
- https://wilsoncriminaldefence.com/faqs/can-i-travel-outside-of-canada-with-a-dui/