Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

All expatriates with valid UAE resident visas allowed to return, says top official

All expatriates with valid UAE resident visas allowed to return, says top official

Expired residency visa holders in UAE cannot leave and return with old visas

There is no ban on UAE residents stranded abroad as all are allowed to return to the country provided they follow the set procedure, said a senior government official.

Major General Mohammed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, also made it clear that UAE residents who are stranded abroad for more than six months can also return without any issue after following entry regulations. Earlier, it was mandatory for residents to come back to the UAE within six months.


Major General Mohammed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, answered series of questions asked by UAE residents.


Major General Al Merri responded to questions from UAE residents within the country and abroad on a social media channel #AskDXBOfficial launched by the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO). He was the first government official to come on this platform and answered a series of questions on current immigration and travel procedures and protocols for citizens and residents.

Community platform


The Dubai Media Office last week launched #AskDXBOfficial, an initiative that gives the public and the media a chance to ask questions to Dubai’s senior government officials. The initiative is part of GDMO’s objective of creating platforms that allow the community to clarify issues and concerns with government officials.


Alia Al Theeb, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications, Government of Dubai Media Office said: “#AskDXBOfficial is part of GDMO’s aim of introducing new interactive communication channels to ensure the Government of Dubai is constantly connected and engaged with citizens and residents.

“In a continuously evolving environment, we place high priority on communicating directly with the community with clarity and transparency. #AskDXBOfficial invites the public to ask questions to key government officials each week. Answers to their queries will be posted on GDMO’s official social media platforms,” she added.

Valid visas


Answering a question during the interaction, Major General Al Merri said all residents holding a valid resident visa are allowed to return to Dubai. Once they receive a return permit from GDRFA-Dubai and obtain a negative PCR test result, they can return to Dubai through any UAE airport.

He, however, clarified the residents with expired residency visas should renew their visas before exiting the country if they wish to return to the UAE.

 

Fines due to job losses


Responding to a question regarding people who have incurred fines after losing their jobs because of travel restrictions, he said: “To all those who have accumulated fines, please do not assume you cannot exit the country. We at Dubai Airports and GDRFA will handle each humanitarian case individually and facilitate their travel.”

The number of passengers at Dubai Airport is seeing a daily average rise of 5%, said Al Merri. He hoped that by the end of 2020, passenger traffic would return to levels seen at the start of the year.

He explained that those who have valid residence visas but have been outside the country for more than six months are allowed to return without any fines after meeting the set criteria including travel approval and PCR COVID-19 test.


Visit Visa holders


About the visit/tourists visas issued before the COVID-19 restrictions were imposed, Major General Al Merri said the GDRFA is coordinating with the tourism companies to find an optimal solution for those whose tourist/visit visas were cancelled due to the pandemic. He said the decision in this regard would be taken soon. “We hope to receive increasing number of visitors and tourist groups by the end of the year,” he added.

Travel approvals


Major General Al Merri said that companies can also approach the GDRFA to get approval for the return of their employees who are stranded abroad. “In case, any one facing issue in getting permission on the GDRFA online portal, employer or company can approach the GDRFA for travel permission,” he added.

To a question, he clarified that it was not mandatory for each member of family to get travel permission. “If head of the family including father or mother gets approval, children are not required to get travel approvals and the whole family can return to the UAE with one approval if they are travelling together,” he said.

Use any airline


Major General Al Merri also made it clear that it was not necessary to buy a UAE-based airline tickets as UAE residents are free to travel on the airline of their choice. Travel approvals have nothing to do with the choice of airline for travel.

He said that there is no restriction on travel of nationals of other Gulf countries provided the fulfil the mandatory requirements.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×