UAE waives all visa-overstay fines for travellers stranded by airspace closure
Emirates restarts limited schedule: 100 flights to depart Dubai on 5-6 March
Fragomen hosts emergency webcast on Middle-East immigration contingencies
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Green Visa costs and application steps clarified in new UAE guide
A new BLZ.ae explainer sets out the latest fees, paperwork and timelines for securing the UAE’s five-year Green Visa. Total costs range from AED 3,375-4,700 for a main applicant, with family sponsorship permissible. The guide offers step-by-step application advice valuable to companies onboarding freelancers or project consultants.
UAE processes exit clearances for 30,000 stranded passengers and grants 15,000 emergency entry visas
• On 4 March the UAE finalised exit documents for 30,913 stranded passengers and issued 15,327 emergency entry visas for those choosing to remain. • ‘Exceptional’ flight corridors are now moving around 48 flights an hour—about one-fifth of normal volume. • Corporates should update duty-of-care files and verify that staff hold confirmed bookings before dispatching them to any UAE airport.
UAE waives all visa-overstay fines for travellers grounded by airspace closure
• Effective 28 February, all daily visa-overstay fines are waived for visitors and cancelled residents unable to leave because flights were grounded. • The move prevents unexpected cost exposure for businesses running short-term assignments. • Travellers must keep proof of cancelled flights; normal penalties will return when air operations fully normalise.
Etihad Rail runs first emergency passenger services, moving 350 people from Saudi border to Abu Dhabi
• On 4 March, three Etihad Rail trains repatriated 350 people from the Saudi border to Abu Dhabi while flights remained suspended. • The ad-hoc service highlights rail’s value as an emergency mobility option and allowed authorities to test immigration procedures before the network’s official debut. • Companies are urged to incorporate rail and land-border scenarios into their Gulf evacuation and duty-of-care plans.
Flight-status Day 5: Emirates suspended until 7 March, Etihad until 6 March as GCAA limits UAE airspace to emergency corridors
• Khaleej Times live updates on 4 March show Emirates suspended until 7 March, Etihad until 6 March, and Air Arabia until at least the afternoon of 4 March. • GCAA emergency corridors handle about 48 flights per hour, with priority given to repatriation and cargo. • Corporates must track daily schedule changes and leverage ticket-change waivers; only passengers with confirmed seats may enter UAE terminals.