If you’re unable to return to the UAE due to flight restrictions, we have good news. Your visa will be extended by six months and you will be allowed back into the UAE on your extended residence visa until Tuesday November 10.
The extension applies as long as your original visa expired after April 10 and has not been cancelled at the request of your sponsor.
The extension applies to people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Uganda. At present, only residents are allowed to travel from those countries, not tourists or jobseekers.
The new residency visa for those who are eligible will expire on Wednesday November 11. When you re-enter the country, the system will give you 30 days to change your status and renew your visa.
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This news follows the recent update that stranded UAE expats can return from red-list destinations (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda) if they are fully vaccinated.
#NCEMA and Civil Aviation: Entry to the UAE will be allowed for some categories of passengers from countries, from where inbound flights to the Emirates have been banned. #TogetherWeRecover https://t.co/uvqhZXyKLy pic.twitter.com/I5cgoDbrrC
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) August 3, 2021
The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed that stranded residents will be granted special permission to return to the UAE if they have received both doses of the jab.
Medical personnel will be also exempted, including doctors, nurses, and technicians whether vaccinated or not vaccinated. Those working in the educational sector are exempted, irrespective of their vaccination status.
Students studying in the UAE, people who deserve humanitarian consideration with valid residency visas, workers in federal and local government authorities, and cases of those completing treatment in the country, whether they are vaccinated or not, will also be exempted.
Approval will need to be confirmed via the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship ahead of travel. Don’t forget to double check before travelling as travel advice changes from day to day.
For the latest travel industry developments stick close to timeoutdubai.com/travel.
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