People with entry or residency permits before March 1 will not have to pay…

As a result of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, the travel industry has been thrown into uncertainty. In some relieving news, the Dubai government has confirmed that all UAE visa fines have been waived.

This means that people with entry permits that expired and those leaving the country will no longer need to pay. It’s valid for people with entry or residency permits that expired before March 1, 2020.

The new policy comes as per directives from President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It was announced via the official UAE Government Twitter page on Wednesday, May 13.

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The tweet read, “As per the directives of UAE President,His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,holders of both residency and visit visas that expired in early March are exempted from fines. They have a three-month grace period to depart UAE starting May 18th.”

Brigadier Khamis Al Kaabi, spokesperson of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said, “The order includes waiver of fines on expired Emirates ID and work permits”.

He added that, “the decision will not prevent the beneficiary from returning to the country when he or she meets the necessary conditions’. He also urged the public to use the smart platform of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to get the services they need.

Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad Airways and Dubai-based carrier Emirates have been operating a number of limited flights over the past few months. These are operating to allow foreigners stuck in the UAE to be repatriated back to their home countries, and to allow UAE citizens to come back.

Since the UAE travel ban was imposed, more than 29,000 UAE residents have been stuck outside the country. Recently, both Emirates and Etihad announced new flights to slowly allow these people to return to the UAE.

Image: Getty