UAE residents outside the country for more than six months can reactivate visas online

Move aims to speed up process for people planning to return to the Emirates

The UAE has updated visa rules for residents planning to return after spending six months or more abroad. Bloomberg

UAE residents who spend six months or more outside the country can now reactivate their visa status online.

New rules introduced on Friday by the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality, Customs and Port Security, also known as the ICA, will ease the process of re-entering the Emirates for those who spent an extended period overseas due to work, studies or medical treatment.

The authority said the updated protocols do not apply to golden visa holders, who are able to freely live outside of the country for this period.

Residents will now be allowed to reactivate their current residency status — and return to the Emirates under the same permit — following official approval.

Applications can be made on the ICA's website.

Previously, people with lapsed visas would have to reapply for residency to regularise their status.

UAE visa rules — in pictures

Permit requests must include a copy of the applicant's Emirates ID, their passport and a statement explaining why they were delayed in returning to the country, state news agency Wam said.

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, people with visas that had expired were permitted to enter the UAE after global travel restrictions and lockdowns to slow the spread of Covid-19 prevented residents from reaching the country in time.

But pre-existing procedures were gradually brought back into effect in 2021.

The six-month rule

Last year, The National spoke to Haider Hussain, a partner at immigration services company Fragomen, to explain the purpose of the six-month residency rule, which is in place in many countries around the world.

“It is important for people to be aware of the six-month rule and plan accordingly,” he said.

“They also need to understand the basis of the rule and why authorities have put it in place.

“For individuals on an employment residence permit with accompanying dependants, the expectation is that they will stay in the UAE.

“If they are outside for six months, this is quite a significant period and then that brings into question of whether they are real residents.”