UAE residents can now fly back without ICA permit, Dubai requires GDRFA

Dubai residence visa holders flying back to Dubai from India should possess a return permit from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA), India’s budget airline Air India Express has clarified.

However, residents returning to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are permitted entry without approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), it said. It informed that ICA wants resident permit holders returning to the UAE to upload their data on uaeentry.ica.gov.ae so that the authenticity of travel documents is verified; travellers should also download the Al Hosn app on their smartphones.

The clarification seeks to clear any confusion travellers may have following earlier tweets by the airline.

Air India Express on August 14 had said that residence visa holders returning to the UAE are permitted entry without ICA or GDRFA approval.

“We understand the changes may have created confusion and inconvenience for many,” it said in a tweet. “We will keep you updated.”

In an earlier tweet on August 13, the airline told Dubai-bound passengers, “Authorities in Dubai have revoked the decision to allow returning residents without an approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA). Dubai residence visa holders who are flying back to Dubai must have return approval from the GDRFA.”