Dubai launches website for renewing residence visas online

The Gulf Indians — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:09:14 +0000

OUR CORRESPONDENT

The Dubai government has announced a website for renewal of residence visa for those who are unable to return to Dubai so that they can renew their visa on their smartphone.

The services will allow users to obtain residency visas easily and without having to visit service centres.

Residents now stuck in India owing to the travel restrictions can visit the site using the following link: https://amer.gdrfad.gov.ae/visa-inquiry

The service allows one to inquire about file status, issuance, expiry and validity.

Smart Dubai has already collaborated with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) to launch residency services without visiting visa centres.

Through the DubaiNow application, a host of residency services can be availed: Applying for, renewing, or cancelling residency sponsorship for a spouse and children; viewing dependents’ residency visas and entry permits; tracking the status of visa applications and entry permits for residents and visitors; and requesting official travel and dependent reports from the GDRFA.

DubaiNow gives users access to more than 130 government and private sector services from 28 government departments and 8 non-government institutions. These services can be classified into 12 categories: bills, mobile, driving, housing, residency, health, education, police, travel, Islam, donations and general.

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One month grace period granted for visit visa holders in UAE

The Gulf Indians — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 03:31:11 +0000

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.

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Dubai launches website for renewing residence visas online

One month grace period granted for visit visa holders in UAE