UAE’s new visa rules for visitors, students, widows, divorcees take effect on Oct 21

The UAE will begin implementing new visa rules for students, visitors, widows and divorcees from Sunday, October 21, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has confirmed.

Under the rules, announced earlier this year, the residency visa for widows and divorced women and their children will be extended for a year without a sponsor starting from the date of the death of the husband or the date of the divorce.

Residency visas of students sponsored by their parents will also be renewed for a year after they complete their university or high school or on reaching the age of 18. This will further be renewable for another 12 months.

Meanwhile, those on visit or tourist visas will be granted an extension of up to 60 days (30-day visa extension twice) without having to leave the country.

However, Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, acting director-general of the Foreigners Affairs and Ports Department at the ICS cautioned that the new visa rules will be subject to conditions and regulations, official news agency WAM reported.

“The widow or divorced woman and their children must have had their residency visas sponsored by the deceased or former husband at the time of death or divorce,” he said.

He also clarified that residency visas should be valid at the time of death or divorce and that the children’s residency period does not exceed that of the mother.

Brigadier Al Rashidi also emphasised that the woman must have the financial ability to support the family.

Read: UAE to grant divorced, widowed foreign women one-year visa

He clarified that the ICA will collect fees for the services.

Cancellation fees of Dhs100 for the previous residency visas and a year’s residency visa fees will be collected for the women and children.

However, the “departure allowance” fees will not be collected because it is related to the extension of a residency visa.

Meanwhile for the renewal of the residency visa of children, Al Rashidi clarified that Dhs100 will be collected for the visa and another Dhs100 for renewal, but no financial guarantees from the sponsor will be collected.

For extending the permits for visitors, Al Rashidi clarified that an extension will begin from the date of the previous entry permit’s expiry. Visitors can, before the end of the first extension, present a request to receive a second extension for 30 more days.

Fees for extending the entry permits are Dhs600 per extension.

However, the decision does not include entry permits for GCC residents, companions of the GCC citizens, special entry permits and the entry permits for 96 hours, he said.

Al Rashidi also stressed that visitors who delay in applying for an extension will be granted a grace period of 10 days from the expiry of their entry permit or the visa, after which they will be penalised Dhs100 per day.

All the applications can be submitted online and at Tas’heel offices and residency departments across the country.

Also read: UAE announces one-year visa for refugees