UAE Visa amnesty 2024
Details have been announced on who will be eligible for the two-month overdraft visa amnesty starting Sunday in the UAE.
The amnesty allows people whose documents have expired to change their status or leave the country without paying a fine.
Those eligible to apply for the amnesty include residents who are in the country illegally after their residency visa expired, visitors to the UAE who have remained in the country after their visitor visa expired, and children who were born in the UAE but whose parents have not applied for a residence permit for them.
The amnesty also applies to people who have fled their sponsors. People who entered the country illegally are not eligible to apply for the amnesty. People who violated visa rules after September 1 or who fled the sponsors did not justify the amnesty. Also those who have been expelled from the VAE of other CCG countries.
The grace for two months, which will come into force from September 1, is supervised by the federal authority for identity, citizenship, customs and safety of hatred, which announced details on the program on Wednesday morning .
“He is on the occasion for all violations to change their status in the country,” said major-general Suhail Saed Al Khaili, head of the ICP.
“The initiative will improve the position of the country in the human rights sector. “We want to support those who remain in the country by changing their status so that they can obtain their rights and leave the country safely or work and live in dignity in the UAE.”
Where to apply for amnesty
There are locations in the Emirates where an amnesty application can be processed.
In Abu Dhabi, people can apply at ICP centres in Al Dhafra, Sweihan, Al Maqam and Al Shahamah and at private typing centres recognised by the ICP.
Typing centres typically perform administrative services, including filing applications.
In Dubai, amnesty services are provided at Amer Service Centres and the Immigration Offenders Centre in Al Awir.
Amnesty applications can be made at ICP centres in the rest of the Emirates. Service centers are open daily during the amnesty from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
How much does it cost?
There are no costs associated with changing your visa status or obtaining an exit permit.
Any fines you may have previously received for staying illegally in the country will also be waived.
The exit permit is valid for 14 days. After that, all previous fines will be reinstated if you have not left the country. “People should take advantage of this unique opportunity,” said Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs.
“All fines will be waived, even if it involves a huge number of people.”
Is the procedure different for applying for an exit permit?
If you are applying for an exit permit after already holding a residency visa, you can go to any of the centers mentioned above.
However, if you have arrived in the country on a visitor visa, you must go to either the ICP centers in Al Dhafra, Suwaihan, Al Maqam and Al Shahama in Abu Dhabi, or the Al Awir center in Dubai.
This is because the fingerprints of those arriving on a visitor visa are not scanned. People who obtain the exit pass and leave the country will not be placed on a banned list and will be allowed to return to the UAE.
The ICP has been in contact with UAE airlines to provide discounted tickets to people who wish to waive their fines and leave the country.
What about children who are resident in the UAE but are not registered?
In order for a child to leave the country, parents must obtain a passport or travel document for the child and go to an amnesty centre or apply online to obtain an exit pass for the child.
Parents who have stayed illegally but change their status and remain in the country can also change the status of their children without paying fines.
When does the amnesty end?
The amnesty is set to end on October 31. However, a previous nationwide initiative, which was supposed to last three months, was extended by several weeks.
The ICP said that during the amnesty, “violators can regularize their status or leave the country without paying a fine.”
The 2018 initiative led to long lines at immigration centers as people tried to clarify their immigration status. At the time, more than 105,000 people were benefiting from the UAE’s five-month visa amnesty program.
After the fines were waived, 30,387 people were granted exit permits, 6,288 people were given new residence permits, and 18,530 people extended their visas.
Another 35,549 permits were also issued to job seekers.
Why is a visa amnesty needed?
Such amnesties provide a reprieve to people without valid documents who may be afraid to come forward for fear of fines or jail time. This allows the government to ensure that people are living legally in the Emirates, an important consideration in a context of population explosion.
It is also an opportunity for many to seize the opportunity for a fresh start, either in the UAE or in their home country.
Most residents living or working in the UAE usually have a two- or three-year visa in their passport. This has now been replaced by the Emirates ID.
In April 2022, the UAE government made changes to visas and several categories were added. These included an expansion of Golden Visas and the introduction of Green Visas, with several of the new categories aimed at self-employed workers and business owners.
The new rules came into effect in September of the same year.
What rules apply if you overstay your visa?
Following updates to the ICP in October 2022, the fine for tourists or residents who overstay their visa has been standardised at Dh50 ($13.6) per day.
Holders of a residence visa have six months to leave the country or change their status by finding employment once their visa expires or is cancelled. The amnesty will support those who remain in the country illegally beyond the existing six-month grace period.
What kind of amnesty applications are there?
Ambassadors from countries with some of the largest expatriate populations in the UAE said their offices were filled with hundreds of people wanting to know more after the amnesty was announced on August 1.
Some missions are open on Saturdays. Others have sent officials to cities across the country to inform people that they can return home or seek employment legally without being penalized for expired visas.