UAE to cancel all pre-approved visas – reports

The UAE has cancelled all new visas issued prior to March 17 and suspended the entry of those visa holders, local media reported on Thursday.

The UAE has already announced that all UAE residents as well as tourists with visa-on-arrival will not be permitted into the country from March 19, in a bid to curb the coronavirus outbreak.

“Pre-issued UAE visas (all types) are cancelled and they [passengers with these visas] cannot apply for new visas until further notice”, Gulf News quoted a notification issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs as stating.

“This is effective from March 17, 2020. All passengers holding this visa type should not be allowed to board flights as they will not be allowed to enter the country,” it said.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) had earlier stated that it was not suspending visas issued before March 17.

However, it has now said that all holders of the newly-issued visit, tourist and residence visas will be barred from entering the country, Khaleej Times reported.

“All airlines should not carry any passenger who have issued visas and want to enter the UAE. All issued visas is cancelled for the passengers who are abroad,” FAIC said in a notification.

On Wednesday, the UAE said that it was suspending the issuing of visas on arrival for all nationalities, except for diplomatic passport holders.

Read: UAE to suspend visas on arrival from March 19

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also issued a statement notifying Emirati nationals not to travel abroad, effective on Wednesday, until further notice.

It added that every traveller coming into the UAE will have to remain in home quarantine for 14 days.

Any person found violating the procedures of the home quarantine, leaving the place of residence and interfering with others, will be punished under law by the public prosecution, the UAE attorney general Hamad Al Shamsi said.

Read: UAE orders all passengers to self-quarantine, bans citizens from travelling abroad

The UAE has so far reported 113 coronavirus cases, including 26 who have recovered. Globally, the number of cases has exceeded 207,000, according to the World Health Organisation, with the death tool at over 8, 650.

Read: UAE reports 15 new Covid-19 cases, total now at 113