Can Dubai Residents Granted Re-Entry Permit After 6-Month abroad Stay?

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a service that allows hundreds of UAE residents whose visas were canceled due to staying outside the country for more than six months to return to the Emirates.

This service, known as the re-entry permit, was introduced in January to facilitate the return of these residents.

Previously, residents who stayed outside the UAE for over six months had to apply for a visit visa to return. Now, residents from all emirates, except Dubai, can apply for the re-entry permit service on the ICP website. Dubai visa holders have a separate process.

“It is a very straightforward process,” said Abdul Gafoor, general manager of Al Mas Businessmen Service. “We can do the process on the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs website of Dubai (GDRFA) and select the necessary option. They must provide a letter stating why they stayed outside the country.”

Residents cannot directly apply for the re-entry permit on the ICP website. Instead, they must go through an agent, and the sponsor can apply for the permit at any Amer Centre, as stated by an agent at the GDRFA call centre.