UAE visa amnesty sees thousands turn out to legalise stay

The two-month initiative started on Sunday and is open for people with expired residency and visit visas

Thousands of people with expired documents remain queuing up at centres across the country as they seek to legalise their stay in the UAE.

The two-month amnesty has sparked interest after the government said people who have overstayed their residence and visit visas would not be charged fines.

Families that have not applied for visas for children born in the UAE will also get a reprieve and can apply for the legal document as part of the amnesty that will run until October.

Christopher Kyeyunemr, 29, from Uganda, was one of the first people to obtain an exit pass after living illegally for the last two years.

He arrived in Dubai in November 2020 and worked as a cleaner and then as a security guard.

“My former company cancelled my work permit but I tried to find a new job. I tried to apply for a new visa but couldn’t,” Mr Kyeyunemr told The National.

As soon as he heard about the amnesty he bought his flight home and made sure he was first in the queue on Sunday morning. For residents whose fingerprints are already on the system, the process of getting an exit pass is instantaneous. For applicants who overstayed a visit visa and therefore did not register their fingerprints when entering the country, the process can take up to 48 hours.

“I booked my ticket home and came here at 7.30am for when the doors opened. I got my exit pass and am now going to Dubai Airport to catch my 10.30am flight,” he said.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs centre in Al Awir has two tents, separating men and women. It can accommodate more than 2,000 people and has 26 counters for taking fingerprints.

One GDRFA official at the location told The National that they had waived fines for 100 people in the first 30 minutes of the day.

The penalty for remaining in the country on an expired visa is Dh50 ($13.6) per day for tourists or residents - meaning that many owe thousands, or tens of thousands, of dirhams.

Christopher Kyeyunemr, from Uganda, showing his exit pass. Pawan Singh / The National

Specified government offices throughout the Emirates opened on Sunday to handle queries and applications from people who want to change their status and remain in the country or seek an exit permit and leave.

The amnesty also covers those who have fled from their sponsors - but does not apply to people who entered the state illegally.

In Abu Dhabi, Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) centres in Al Dhafra, Sweihan, Al Maqam and Al Shahamah, as well as typing centres recognised by the authority will process documents.

In Dubai, people can approach 86 Amer service centres across the emirate.

People who arrived in the UAE on a visit visa have been asked to approach the ICP centres listed above in Abu Dhabi or the Al Awir centre in Dubai.

This is because people arriving in the country do not get their fingerprints scanned – something the recommended centres are equipped to do, allowing for the completion of procedures.

“It is a chance for all violators to change their status in the country,” ICP chief Maj Gen Suhail Al Khaili said.

Open on weekends

Several embassies have said they will stay open on weekends over the next two months to handle the rush of people submitting requests to renew their passports. Valid passports or travel documents that confirm the person’s identity are required by amnesty applicants.

The Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai will stay open every Saturday to cope with the increased numbers.

Officials took fingerprints from people requesting an exit pass from the country. Pawan Singh / The National

The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi said applicants can walk into BLS centres in Al Reem, Mussaffah and Al Ain to apply for travel documents.

Those who wanted to return to India could obtain an emergency certificate from its consular office in Abu Dhabi at Guardian Tower, in Al Saadah Zone, from 4pm to 6pm. People who want to regularise their residency can apply for passports at the BLS centres in Al Reem, Musaffah and Al Ain, the embassy said.

The centres would operate every Sunday during the amnesty period from 9am to 5pm.

The amnesty is scheduled to end on October 21 but a previous one in 2018 that was to run for three months was extended by several weeks due to high demand.

More than 105,000 people then benefitted from the reprieve.