Our Correspondent
The Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship in the UAE announced a one month extension of grace period on visit visas that expired after March 1. The extension came on August 10, the day that was the initially set as the deadline for visit visa holders to exit the country. The visitors can use the grace period to regularise their status or exit without incurring overstay fines. The grace period starts from August 11.
But the decision is not applicable for those whose visit visas expired before March 1.
The announcement comes as a major relief for visitors who were scrambling to renew their papers or exit the country before August 11 without incurring penalties. The penalty for overstaying is Dh200 for the first day and Dh100 per day for each day after that.
Several visitors “waited till the last minute” to rectify their status, causing a huge rush at typing centres and travel agencies. One agent said he had at least 3,000 applications in the final days of the deadline, mostly from Indian, Filipino and Pakistani nationals. There is a two-step procedure to rectify visa status — first, apply for a new visa and then change status.
An agent said while one group of people renewed their visas immediately, a second group waited till the last minute to change their visa status and the third could not afford to pay for the renewal or buy tickets to return to their home countries. The third category pinned their hopes on a last-minute grace period, and it has come true.
Those on visit visas were given preference by the Indian government to return on Vande Bharat Mission flights since May, said an agent. As a result, “at least 4,000 to 5,000 passengers” returned home in the past five days, said an official at the Consulate-General of India in Dubai.
In Dubai, the charges being levied for a three-month visa renewal is Dh1,834. The application charge is Dh1,276 and the cost to change status is Dh558.
