Illegal residents in the UAE must leave the country before December 31, 2020 to avoid fines

People who have been illegally staying in the UAE after their visas expired before March 1, 2020 and have sponsored dependents must leave the country accompanied by their dependents before December 31, 2020 to avoid fines.

According to the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), the Cabinet order applies to people who have been illegally staying in the country after their visas - visit, tourist or residency - expired before March 1 this year. 

Residence visa violators need to have a passport or travel document and book a ticket with a departure date before expiry of the grace period on December 31, 2020.

Procedures of benefitting from the grace period granted to the visa violators by their exemption from all imposed fines and other administrative restrictions.#IdentityandCitizenship #ICAUAEeChannels pic.twitter.com/Mw3L9phM9M

— Identity and Citizenship- UAE (@ICAUAE) December 3, 2020

They need to reach a UAE airport four hours before departure time to be exempted from all accumulated visa fines after the authority cancels administrative restrictions and the residence visa. According to ICA, holders of expired visit or tourist visas before March 1, 2020 should book a ticket with a departure date before December 31, 2020 and go to the airport with a passport. If the violator is departing from Dubai Airports, then he or she should report to Dubai Civil Aviation Security Centre 48 hours prior to departure time to be exempted from overstay fines. If the violator is traveling from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah airports, then he or she needs to arrive at the airport six hours before departure time. Violators in business partner or investor categories should “liquidate the company or abolish his or her legal capacity in the company” to leave the country without fines. 

For further details, ICA can be contacted at 800453. 

Culled From GulfNews.