Expats with expired visa can’t leave UAE and return with old visas: GDRFA official

  DUBAI – UAE residents with expired residency visas can’t leave the country and return with their old visa, according to a top immigration official in Dubai. On Saturday (August 23), Mohammed Al Marri, director general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) said expats currently in the UAE with expired residency visas cannot leave the country and return with old visas. It is understood they must renew their visa first while they are in the UAE before they leave, if they intend to return to the country at a later date. Meanwhile, expats with valid UAE residence visas but are currently outside the country may return to the emirates, said Al Marri. “For those who have valid residency visas but are currently outside the UAE, their return is dependent on which country they are currently in," the GDRFA official said. “If there are no flight restrictions between the UAE and the country they are in, there is nothing obstructing them from returning providing they take a pre-travel Covid-19 test and obtain a return permit through the GDRFA website,” he added. ICA/Expat Media ALSO READ UAE extends amnesty to visa violators ALSO READ Can Dubai visa holders land in any UAE airport? Rules clarified Red vs green ICA message: What to check before returning to UAE ICA approval not needed to return to parts of UAE
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