The UAE Launches Entry Permit Service for Residents Who Overstayed Abroad

Today, January 31st, 2023, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) announced that it launched an entry permit application service for UAE residents who have been staying abroad for more than 6 months.

The service is available since last Friday, January 27th, 2023, and it is meant to help UAE residents with valid residence permits who spent more than 6 months abroad due to work, study, or medical treatment. 

Being outside the UAE for that long would normally imply that they would get their residence permits legally voided, but now, through the new entry permit application service, they can reactivate their residence permit and return to the UAE, provided that they get the ICP’s approval to do so.

In a statement, the ICP explained that the new entry permit application service is not intended for holders of the UAE Golden Visa, but for holders of all residence permits obtained through the system of services managed by the ICP.

To apply for a new entry permit, UAE residents who were outside the country for more than 6 months must provide a copy of their Emirates ID, a copy of their passport, and an explanation for the postponement of their return to the UAE. Residents must do this from abroad as they won’t be able to enter the UAE until they have obtained their entry permit.

The ICP highlighted that UAE residents who are staying abroad do not need to do this to go back to the UAE if they haven’t spent more than half a year in another country.

Finally, the ICP emphasized its commitment to enhancing their services by streamlining processes and incorporating digital technology to provide all services —and/or offer new ones— that meet customer needs and address exceptional circumstances.