The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) announced the start of a visa amnesty from September 1, which will last for two months. During this grace period, visa violators - guests and residents in the Emirates with an expired or cancelled visa - can update their status or leave the country, avoiding fines, document processing fees, and entry bans.
The amnesty applies to the following categories of foreigners:
- Residence visa holders who remained in the UAE after their visa expired or was cancelled;
- Family members of sponsors with expired visas;
- Tourists and guests who stayed in the UAE longer than permitted by their visa;
- Former employees of UAE companies who no longer interact with the sponsor who issued their visa but have not cancelled it;
- Children of foreigners born in the UAE whose parents did not obtain a visa for them within four months of birth.
Those who entered the UAE illegally, as well as those previously deported from the country, are not eligible for amnesty.
For foreigners who apply for amnesty, five types of fines are waived - for illegal stay in the Emirates and violations related to the establishment card, identity card, employment contract, and its extension. Participants in the program are also exempt from five types of fees: for obtaining and cancelling a residence visa, work interruption, obtaining an exit permit, and leaving the country.
Under the amnesty, visa violators have 14 days to leave the country - after this period, they will have to pay a fine. Foreigners who receive permission to leave will be able to return to the UAE.
Applications for participation in the amnesty program can be submitted in all emirates. For example, in Dubai, this can be done at 86 Amer Centres and the Al Awir Immigration office.
The last time such a large-scale program was conducted in the UAE was in 2018. At that time, 105,000 people took advantage of the visa amnesty.