UAE begins two-month visa amnesty on September 1

UAE Launches Two-Month Visa Amnesty Program Starting September 1

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to launch a two-month visa amnesty program from Sunday, September 1, 2024. The initiative provides an important opportunity for individuals living in the country illegally to regularize or reconcile their residency status. Punishments.

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has announced that there will be no additional penalties or exit costs for anybody who choose to depart the UAE during this time. Furthermore, those who decide to leave won’t encounter an entrance barrier, meaning they may enter the UAE again at any moment as long as they have a current visa.

The amnesty applies to all types of visas, including tourist visas and expired resident visas. This applies to those born without official documents and those who have run away from their sponsors. However, the scheme does not apply to those who entered the country illegally.

The UAE government insists that the amnesty program promotes “respect for the law, tolerance, compassion and social cohesion”. It is designed to provide an efficient and flexible process for visa and residency violators to adjust their status, either by safely exiting the country or adjusting their status to legally live and work in the UAE.

The amnesty program is available through a number of service centres located around the United Arab Emirates and runs from September 1, 2024, to October 30, 2024. If citizens of Abu Dhabi like to visit ICP centres in Al Dhafra, Suwaihan, Al Makham, and Al Shahama, they may do so through Amar Centres and the General Directorate of Citizenship and Expatriates Affairs (GDRFA) at the Dubai Centre in Al Aweer. The service hours have been expanded to include online applications available around-the-clock, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The plan will waive all penalties related to overstaying, including fines for expired visas and national identity cards, Khaleej Times reported. Applicants who have lost their passports can apply for travel documents through the ICP Smart System or submit an affidavit of loss to local police authorities, depending on the emirate.

Applicants aged 15 years and above who wish to leave the UAE will require fingerprints and biometric data will be processed at designated centres. Exit permits issued under the scheme are valid for 14 days, after which the previous fines and restrictions are automatically reinstated if the individual does not leave the country.

In order to ensure that lawbreakers would be permitted to return to the UAE within a correct legal framework, the government of the United Arab Emirates provides a special option for them to regularise their status without being subject to administrative consequences.

Those who would need further information and direction on how to apply for amnesty should contact the closest service centre or go online to the ICP websites.