UAE visa does not get cancelled on its expiration date

My residency visa expires tomorrow, but I would like to know if it is also automatically cancelled at the same time. I expect to be here on a tourist visa before setting up a company that will provide me with a visa. Do I also have to surrender my Emirates ID card? FF, Dubai

While a residency visa can expire and become invalid, it is not automatically cancelled. All visas should be properly cancelled even if someone is leaving the UAE or able to stay on a tourist visa, as they can have problems when attempting to re-enter the country on a visit visa. It is also not possible to obtain a new residency visa if the old one has not been properly cancelled. If an employer or sponsor has not dealt with this, an individual can go to any main office of the Immigration Department in the relevant emirate, or the one where the visa was issued, with a passport to request cancellation. The charges should amount to no more than Dh250 including typing fees. The Emirates ID card must be handed over when the visa is cancelled as part of the process, as the identity card is linked to the visa.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 years’ experience. Contact her at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE.

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only.

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