One-year residence visa extension for divorced women, widows and their children

Dubai: Did you know that women living in the UAE on their husband's sponsorship receive an extension on their visa for one year from the UAE government? The extension on the visa also applies to children who were under their father's visa. However, there are certain conditions that need to be met in order to be eligible for this visa extension.

Here is all you need to know about the extension and how you can apply for it.

Conditions for visa extension?

As per the official UAE government website - u.ae - if a woman living in the UAE on her husband's visa gets divorced or widowed, the UAE Government grants her an extension of one-year on her residence visa. The extension starts from the date of the death of her husband or the divorce. This type of visa is renewable only once and does not require a substitute sponsor. The extension applies to the woman’s children as well, provided they were on their father’s visa at the time of their father’s death or their parents’ divorce. In addition, the visas of the woman and her children must have been valid at the time of the death or the divorce.

Documents required

The widow or divorcee will need to submit an application through Amer centres in Dubai or Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship and Ports Security (ICP) offices, with the following documents:

• a proof of divorce or death, as the case may be
• a proof of availability of house for the woman
• a proof of the woman’s ability to earn a living
• medical fitness certificates for the woman and her child/children over the age 18
• Emirates ID card
• health insurance cards, as applicable in some emirates.

Application process

Once the applicant visits an immigration office, they would need to request for a visa extension form. Once the filled in form and required documents are submitted, the case will be reviewed by the immigration department.

If the application meets the necessary requirements, it will be approved and the visa will be extended for one year.

Fees

The following fees need to be paid along with the application process:

• Cancellation fees of Dh100 for each previous residency visa.
• One-year residency extension fees of Dh100.