People whose visas have expired before March 1 can leave the country without penalties until August, a senior immigration official has said. In a remote meeting held on Monday, Major-General Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, director-general of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (Faic), said that the amnesty scheme has been extended.
What’s The Amnesty Scheme?
The scheme began on 18 May and will now run until 18 August. This means, all overstay fines will be waived off, provided the violators leave the country. “Residents and visitors who have been staying illegally in the country before March 1 are exempted from all fines if they leave the UAE,” said Al Rashidi.
Offenders who wish to leave the country must have a valid passport and a flight ticket to their home country.
The amnesty scheme applies to all individuals residing in the UAE after their visa- Visit, residence or tourist – expired before March 1. Further, no ban will be put on the offenders that prevent them from returning to the UAE.
-If visa expired before 1 March: You must leave the country during the amnesty period from May 18 till August 18. No overstay penalties.
-If visa expired after 1 March: Visa will remain valid until 31 December. This applies to tourist visas as well.
And the good news is, unlike the previous amnesty scheme where people had to register in advance, this time the person seeking amnesty can directly go to the airport. Those with expired visit or tourist visas must arrive early at the airport. Furthermore, amnesty seekers flying out of Dubai International airport must visit the immigration department 48 hours before the flight time.
Those departing from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah airports must arrive six hours prior to their flight timing. Immigration officials at the airport will help amnesty seekers with further processes.
Amnesty seekers with dependents must ensure all family members travel together. People of determination and children under 15 years of age are exempted from going through the amnesty process at the airports.
For further queries on amnesty scheme, you can call the toll-free number (800 453).
What Else?
UAE Residents whose visas or Emirates IDs expired during the Covid outbreak will have their documents valid until 31 December, without facing any fines. People whose visit and tourist visas expired after March 1 can also continue staying in the UAE until December 31 without facing fines.