CANBERRA March 2, 2026 – Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong has announced the immediate opening of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) crisis registration portal for Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, as escalating conflict in the Middle East causes widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The move comes just one day after similar registrations were activated for Australians in Israel and Iran, following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) today, Senator Wong said: “Today DFAT opened registrations for its crisis portal for Australians, permanent residents and immediate family members in the UAE and Qatar to provide timely information to those impacted by travel disruptions, in addition to registrations for Israel and Iran opened yesterday.”
She added that DFAT will contact registered individuals directly with updates. “This will be a challenging time for many people, particularly those with family in the region or travel plans. Our priority is the safety and security of Australians.”
Australians needing emergency consular assistance have been advised to call +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (within Australia).
The announcement aligns with heightened Smartraveller warnings urging Australians to “do not travel” to Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, while reconsidering travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. An estimated 115,000 Australians are currently in the Middle East.
Major airports including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have been closed or severely restricted, with thousands of flights cancelled globally as airlines reroute or suspend services. Airspace over much of the region remains shut following the escalation.
DFAT has activated its 24/7 Crisis Centre to support those affected. Registration is available at: https://crisis.dfat.gov.au/crisisportal/s/
The Australian government continues to monitor the situation closely, with the safety of citizens and diplomatic staff as the top priority.
This story is based on the official announcement by Senator Penny Wong via X: https://x.com/i/status/2028283106567102785
For the latest updates, Australians in the region are strongly encouraged to register and check official Smartraveller and DFAT channels.
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