People with expired UAE visit visas have grace period extended by a month

Anyone who entered the country in March with a tourist or visit visa can now stay until September 11

Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi reopened in August last year after a five-month closure. Victor Besa / The National

People fish using social distancing precautions by Business Bay Bridge in Dubai. Reem Mohammed / The National

Volunteers for the Covid-19 vaccine trial wait to be screened at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in August 2020. Victor Besa / The National

A man buys balloons at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi. All shops and malls have safety measures in place to protect shoppers and staff. Victor Besa / The National

Shoppers maintain physical distancing and wear face masks at Al Wahda Mall. Victor Besa / The National

A shopper looks at face masks at Lulu Hypermarket, Khalidiyah Mall, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Volunteers for the Covid-19 vaccine trial wait to be screened at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in August 2020. Victor Besa / The National

A sign reminds people visiting The Pointe shopping centre on The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, to wear face masks. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai residents wear face masks during their evening walk in The Gardens. Pawan Singh / The National

Socially distanced maghrib prayers in Al Khair Masjid in Dubai in July 2020. Reem Mohammed / The National

Visitors to Al Wahda Mall wear face masks. Victor Besa / The National

Jobseekers who came into the country on a visit or tourist visa after March 1 have been told they have an additional month in the country before they face overstay fines.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) had set August 11 as the deadline for people, unable to travel due to the grounding of flights in March, to leave the country. On Monday, the ICA announced the grace period of 30 days. Anyone who remains in the country after September 11 will be fined.

Those who leave the country within the next month will be permitted to return.

The ICA called on anyone with an expired tourist or visit visa to take advantage of the grace period and settle their status by leaving the country and re-entering.

Once they amend their status, "they are welcome to visit the country anytime," the authority said.

Thousands have approached their embassies to register to be repatriated after running out of money to fly home.

Last month, the authority said people with residency visas that expired or were cancelled after July 12 would have one month to leave the country or renew their documents. This grace period expires on Wednesday.

Anyone whose visa expired or was cancelled between March and July 11, was granted a three-month period to rectify their status or leave the UAE without being fined or banned from entry in future.

For those in the country, breaking the residency visa rules incurs a fine of Dh25 a day. When leaving the country, the fine is Dh250 plus Dh25 a day.

In July, a senior official announced that regular visa rules pre-coronavirus would apply as services reopened across the country.

“The purpose of the amendments was for things to gradually return to normal,” said Brig Gen Khamis Al Kaabi, ICA spokesman, in a radio interview.