The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has issued a temporary concession waiving overstay fines for tourists and visit-visa holders unable to depart since wide-scale flight cancellations began on 28 February. The announcement, circulated late Friday via state news agency WAM and reposted in expatriate forums, grants affected visitors a 30-day grace period from the date flights fully resume. According to the circular, travellers whose visas expired after 1 March will have fines automatically suppressed in the immigration system; no in-person application is required. Those whose visas expired earlier may regularise status at authorised typing centres without penalty.
![ICP Waives Overstay Fines, Grants Grace Period for Visitors Stranded by Airspace Closure]()
VisaHQ can assist travellers affected by the current waiver—or anyone planning future trips to the Emirates—by providing up-to-date visa guidance, application processing support, and real-time status tracking. Their dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) consolidates the latest ICP notices and airline advisories, making it easier for companies and individuals to stay compliant while flight schedules stabilise.
The measure mirrors similar amnesties introduced during the COVID-19 border shutdowns and aims to prevent inadvertent ‘absconding’ reports that can trigger multi-year entry bans. Relocation managers welcome the move, noting that hundreds of short-term assignees and dependants have been unable to exit or renew status because biometric appointments were repeatedly postponed. Airline data show at least 12,000 passengers holding non-extendable tourist visas had return sectors booked between 28 February and 13 March. Immigration lawyers stress, however, that the waiver does not automatically extend Emirates ID validity for residents stuck overseas. Companies should therefore monitor staff approaching the six-month outside-UAE limit and, if necessary, apply for the separate ‘return permit’ that remains available only in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates. ICP also reminded travel agencies that filing ‘absconding’ reports during the grace period may constitute misuse of the system, after social media users complained of agents flagging stranded clients. Enterprises employing visitors on task-specific missions should keep flight-cancellation evidence on file to defend against future compliance audits.
VisaHQ can assist travellers affected by the current waiver—or anyone planning future trips to the Emirates—by providing up-to-date visa guidance, application processing support, and real-time status tracking. Their dedicated UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) consolidates the latest ICP notices and airline advisories, making it easier for companies and individuals to stay compliant while flight schedules stabilise.
The measure mirrors similar amnesties introduced during the COVID-19 border shutdowns and aims to prevent inadvertent ‘absconding’ reports that can trigger multi-year entry bans. Relocation managers welcome the move, noting that hundreds of short-term assignees and dependants have been unable to exit or renew status because biometric appointments were repeatedly postponed. Airline data show at least 12,000 passengers holding non-extendable tourist visas had return sectors booked between 28 February and 13 March. Immigration lawyers stress, however, that the waiver does not automatically extend Emirates ID validity for residents stuck overseas. Companies should therefore monitor staff approaching the six-month outside-UAE limit and, if necessary, apply for the separate ‘return permit’ that remains available only in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates. ICP also reminded travel agencies that filing ‘absconding’ reports during the grace period may constitute misuse of the system, after social media users complained of agents flagging stranded clients. Enterprises employing visitors on task-specific missions should keep flight-cancellation evidence on file to defend against future compliance audits.
