UAE grace period for expired residency holders to return ends tomorrow

Dubai: The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has confirmed that a special grace period allowing residents with expired visas to return to the country will end on Tuesday, March 31.

The initiative was introduced to facilitate the return of residents who were stranded abroad after their residency permits expired, due to regional disruptions and airspace closures that prevented them from travelling back to the UAE.

Under the scheme, eligible residents have been permitted to re-enter the country without the need to obtain a new entry visa. The measure applied to those whose residency expired while they were outside the UAE, particularly from February 28 onwards, when travel disruptions intensified.

Authorities said the temporary arrangement aimed to ease the challenges faced by affected residents and ensure their smooth return, as part of the UAE’s flexible and humanitarian approach in exceptional circumstances.

Residents eligible under the scheme are urged to return before the deadline, after which normal entry procedures will resume, including the requirement to obtain a new entry visa.