Dubai: The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi will not charge any fees to illegal Filipino residents applying for UAE amnesty to exit the country.

The amnesty began on December 4 and will last till February 3 to cover all nationalities staying illegally in the country.

“We have waived all fees for the travel documents and passport extension, as what had been done in 2007, to encourage amnesty seekers to take advantage of the amnesty being offered by the host government,” Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Grace Princesa told Gulf News.

Princesa said as many as 252 Filipinos, with cases of absconding and overstaying, have sought help from the embassy as of Sunday. Fees for passport extension and travel documents were likewise waived in 2007 as a form of help to Filipinos from the Assistance To Nationals Section of the embassy.