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29 March 2024

UAE visa entry period validity is 14 days from date of issue

(Supplied)

Published
By Parag Deulgaonkar

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai, has revised the validity period for 96 hour transit visa.

“The visa validity before entry for such visas is now 14 days from issuance date, while the validity for GCC residents’ visa is 30 days from issuance date,” an Amer Contact Center staff told Emirates 24|7.
Previously, the time given to both the categories was 60 days.

“The validity dates have been changed from March 28, 2016,” the call centre staff said.

However, transit passengers can avail of a 96-hour visa at UAE airports irrespective of the airlines they are flying in. Passengers arriving at airports through any international airline can apply for such visa if they meet certain conditions such as the duration between the two trips should not be less than 8 hours, the two trips should be to different destinations (one should transit from Dubai to another destination and not back to the same place where he/she came from) and a hotel booking is mandatory.

A 96-hour transit visa is for a four-day stay with the first day of arrival (until midnight) being considered as Day 1 with three more days left to stay. The exit has to be completed before midnight of the fourth day.

Last week, the GDRFA introduced the ‘UAE vision’ new system, which allows public to apply for all kind of visa and residency related transactions only via typing service centres approved by the residency department.

Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and foreigners’ Affairs in Dubai, said that public will not be required any more to visit the GDRFA headquarters or any of its external branches in order to apply for any visa or residency related transaction including applying for visa, renewing residency, applying for new residency or cancelation in addition to any other related services as all the services will be available at the typing services centres.

Applicants must provide accurate information to the typing centre such as valid phone numbers, address and email in order to allow communication with them. Those who apply for visit visa related transaction will have it sent to their email and those applying for residency visa service will have it send to them via Zajel service.