Thousands of Indian expats would be relieved to know that Dubai will permit them to return even if their residence visas have expired. Residence visa holders from Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Uganda were also allowed to return. Anyone with an expired Dubai resident visa has till November 10 to return. When the second wave of Covid-19 was prevalent earlier this year, a large number of Indian expats flew back to India but were unable to return to the UAE because flights were banned.
The GDRFA has extended the expiry date of Dubai-issued UAE resident visas for nationals of India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda who are stuck outside of the UAE, FlyDubai, the low-cost carrier based in the emirates, says on its website. This pertains to UAE resident visas issued by Dubai that have already expired or will expire between April 20, 2021 and November 9, 2021. Holders of Dubai-issued visas who have stayed outside the UAE for more than six months and left before October 20, 2020 will not have their visas renewed, according to the airline.
It was unclear whether the same offer applied to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or other emirates’ resident visas at the time. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) later confirmed it to Gulf News. The operation will be carried out according to various conditions and regulations, including that the recipients must have been outside the country since their residency expired between April 20, 2021 and November 8, 2021, according to a statement from the GDRFA. The resident visas will be extended until November 9 by GDRFA-Dubai. When expats return to the nation with expired visas, the system will provide them with a 30-day grace period from the date of entry to amend their status and renew their visas.
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