Tuesday 11 August 2020

UAE: One month grace period for Visit visa holders expired after March 1

Posted by Zaishan at 00:43 UAE Visa

Visitors or Tourists with visas that expired after March 1, 2020 have been granted an additional 30-day grace period to regularise their sta...

Visitors or Tourists with visas that expired after March 1, 2020 have been granted an additional 30-day grace period to regularise their status or exit the country without incurring overstay fines. The grace period starts from August 11, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) announced on Monday.

The decision is not applicable for those with visit visas that expired before March 1.

The ICA has urged visitors to exit the country within the stipulated deadline.

According to Amer Centres, the penalty for overstaying is Dh200 for the first day and Dh100 per day every day after.

The announcement comes as a major relief for visitors who were scrambling to renew their papers or exit the country before August 11 without incurring penalties.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA, issued a decision to extend the deadline for holders of expired entry permits and visas from 11th August, 2020, for one month, to enable them to leave the country and exempt them from all resulting fines.#ICA pic.twitter.com/NLrlZSHf91
— Identity and Citizenship- UAE (@ICAUAE) August 10, 2020

Several visitors "waited till the last minute" to rectify their status, causing a huge rush at typing centres and travel agencies. Amer centres received several last-minute applications.

Many applicants have decided to stay back by renewing their visas, he added. "Many had waited until the last minute to change their visa status.

A two-step procedure is being followed to rectify the visa status. First, they have to apply for a new visa and the next step is to change status."

Enough time to apply

People who has not yet done the renewal or didn't exit the country now have enough time to rectify their status.

"We are seeing three categories of people. The first group was wary of the deadlines and wanted to renew their visas immediately, while the second group waited till the last minute to change their visa status. The third category couldn't afford to pay for the renewal or buy tickets to their home countries. Such distressed cases were pinning hopes on a last-minute grace period, which has now come true.

"Many applications we received were from Indian nationals to change their status or return home. Those on visit visas were given preference by the Indian government to return on the Vande Bharat Mission flights since May."

Neeraj Agarwal, consul - press, information and culture at the Consulate-General of India in Dubai, said "at least 4,000 to 5,000 passengers" returned home in the past five days.

Documents needed to apply for a new visa

>Passport copy: Front and back page

>Photo

>Last visa copy

Cost

In Dubai, the charges being levied for a three-month visa renewal is Dh1,834. The application charge is Dh1,276 and the cost to change status is Dh558.