​In the UAE, they threatened sanctions to those who have expired travel visas

February 7, 2023 500

Travel companies in the UAE have begun to file applications to the police for tourists who have expired visas.

In the United Arab Emirates, travel companies have begun to file applications with the police for tourists who have overstayed their visitor visas. According to UAE law, visa overstaying is a criminal offense.

Agents specify that violators who have overstayed their visa for 5 days or more will be blacklisted with a ban on entry to the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf countries. The amount of fines for violation of the law starts from 2000 dirhams per day.

As explained in the travel companies, tourists staying in the UAE on 30 and 60-day visas are actually sponsored by agencies, so they can also be fined. In addition, the authorities may block their online portals for applying for a visa.

Travel agents also stated that they would not accept applications for new visas from violators of immigration laws. After the opening of the case, violators may be arrested by the police in order to establish their visa status.

They can also be deported from the UAE. A prerequisite for the lifting of all sanctions is the payment of a fine for late visas in full. Earlier, the UAE suspended all possibilities of extending guest visas within the country. Thus, now in order to change the visa status, travelers need to temporarily leave the territory of the country.

The possibility of extending a guest visa without having to leave the UAE was provided to tourists during the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when international transport links were limited. Now this relaxation has been canceled. Thus, the immigration authorities returned to the procedures in force before the pandemic.

Travel agencies specify that guests of the UAE must leave the country if they have found a job and are going to receive a residence permit (resident visas). After completing the documents, they can re-enter to activate the new visa status.

The return to the old rules has led to a significant increase in demand for flights and bus trips to neighboring countries. To change the visa status, people go to Bahrain, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman.