Authored By Anfal Tariq
Updated on April 7, 2022
Highlights
- Your Emirates ID will soon serve as your UAE residency document. From 2022 April 11th, residence visas won’t be stamped on to your passports.
- For Emiratis and GCC nationals, who do not require residence visas, the documents refer to the validity of their Emirates identity cards.
- All residence permit holders whose residence permit expires from July 12th 2022, will face overstay fines if they do not renew their documents within the 30-day grace period.
FAQ’s
1. Who is affected by this new update?
Answer: With existing UAE residence permits whose visas have expired after 1st March 2022, and those with visas expected to expire in the coming months. For GCC nationals, it refers to non-sponsored GCC identity and Emirates identity card. For Emiratis, it applies to their Emirates identity cards.
2. What does the new three-month grace period mean?
Answer: For people inside the UAE whose residence permit expires from March 1 until 11th July 2022, they now have a three-month grace period starting from Saturday. They must renew their visas by 10th October, 2022. All residence permit holders whose residency permits expires from 12th July onwards will have a 30-day grace period to renew their documents. Earlier residence permits expiring post March 1 were automatically renewed until the end of December to mitigate for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As of July 11, 2022 the residency extensions until the end of the year are no longer applicable. This covers everybody who holds a UAE residence permit that expired after 1st March 2022. It covers dependents, employees and maids.
3.I’m leaving on holiday for a few weeks, what should I do?
Answer: Residents should renew their residency visa before they travel out of the UAE. Despite the grace period, there could be issues at the airport if updates are not reflected in the system. Before travelling, people leaving Dubai should also get General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs approval. This works as an entry permit for residents that they need to secure before they exit the UAE.
4. What is the advantage of the new rule applied?
Answer: it will take less of your time and the employers by taking your passport and keeping it with the company and you don’t need to be worried about it, the practice of keeping the employee’s passport will decrees and people will not have to give away their Emirates ID to anyone as well as their passports.
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