The UAE government announced on November 17 that people who have overstayed their UAE visas still have until the end of the year to leave the country without having to pay any fines.
Also Read: What to Do if your UAE Visa Has Been Cancelled
The short-term amnesty introduced earlier this year due to the ongoing pandemic was set to end on November 17 (Tuesday).
UAE Visa Fine Waiver Extended Until End of the Year
As per the previous Cabinet Order, the deadline was supposedly on November 17, but the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has announced that the grace period has been extended up until December 31 of the current year.
Below is a post from ICA UAE on Twitter:
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA, has issued a decision to extend the grace period of exemption for “all violators” of the entry and residence of foreigners law until 31st December, 2020>> pic.twitter.com/7Wt8EDNQ6X
— Identity and Citizenship- UAE (@ICAUAE) November 17, 2020
According to Major General Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Director General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), “The period of extension for overstay violators has been extended until the end of December 31, 2020. The extension is for people who violated the entry and foreigners’ residence law before March 1, 2020. They will be exempted from all fines provided they leave the country before the deadline.”
That said, all people who have been illegally staying in the country after their visas – visit, tourist or residency – had expired before March 1 this year will not be penalized and can leave the UAE during the said window period.
According to Major Al Rashidi, the extension of the grace period came after directives from the country’s leaders to give a second chance for the violators to change their status.
In line with this, Major Al Rashidi expressed his gratitude to the UAE leaders for the new order, noting that this is another opportunity for violators to change their status before the end of the year.