Good news to all those who have expired visas as the UAE has announced that the validity for expired residence visas and tourist visas have been extended automatically until the end of the year (December 2020).
Previously, it was announced that the visas have been extended to 3 months, but this time, it has been moved until end of 2020. The visa validity extension/amnesty is due to the current pandemic which has affected the world globally.
As flights have been cancelled and people are advised to stay home and practice social distancing, it’s been challenging to go about renewing the visa or even just going out. Hence, this decision was made by the UAE leaders.
UAE Residence Visa, UAE Visit Visa, and Emirates ID Automatic Renewal Until End of 2020
Here are the following statements shared by UAE official regarding the automatic extension:
Expired Residence Visas from March 2020 to be Extended until End of December 2020
Brigadier General Al Kaabi explained that residents whose visas expired in early March 2020 will receive an extension of their visas until end of December 2020. This measure applies to both residents inside and outside the UAE. #UAEGov
Expired Visit Visas from March 2020 to be Extended until End of December 2020
Brigadier General Al Kaabi: UAE visitors who have remained in the country and their visas expired in early March 2020, will also have their visit visas extended till end of December 2020. #UAEGov
Expired Emirates IDs from March 2020 to be Extended until End of December 2020
Brigadier General Al Kaabi: UAE nationals and residents whose Identification Cards expired in early March 2020 will also have their validity extended until the end of the current year.
Below is a post from @UAEGov regarding the announcement by
Brigadier General Al Kaabi: UAE visitors who have remained in the country and their visas expired in early March 2020, will also have their visit visas extended till end of December 2020. #UAEGov
— UAEGov (@uaegov) April 13, 2020
How to Check UAE Visa Validity Online
In case you are wondering how to check if your UAE visa has been extended, you can do so by going through the links below:
Is your residence visa or tourist visa expired? The UAE has automatically extended the visas until December 2020. Please check in the following sites and share if it’s been extended!
You can check here:
For Dubai issued visa – http://www.gdrfa.ae/portal/pls/portal/INIMM_DB.DBPK_VISAVALIDITY.Query_VisaValidity
For Abu Dhabi issued Visa – https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/default.html#/fileValidity
Below are sample screenshots of checking the validity of visa online:
