UAE residence visa cancelled? How to apply for entry permit

Most of the expats residing in the UAE travel frequently due to business and personal reasons, and do not stay in the country all throughout the year. Sometimes, these trips would last longer than six months, thereby affecting the validity of their residence visa.

If a UAE resident has stayed outside the Emirates for more than six months or 180 days, his/her residence visa will be automatically cancelled.

Here's how you can apply for a new entry permit to enter the UAE again:

UAE residents who have stayed outside the country for more than six months can apply for a new entry permit through the following:

UAE expats can also apply for a new entry permit by visiting the nearest typing centre accredited by the ICP and doing the following:

If you're a Dubai resident who has stayed outside the UAE for more than six months, you will not be able to apply for a new entry permit on your own. You will need to ask your sponsor to apply for your entry permit.

Your sponsor has to apply through the following:

Your sponsor can also apply for a new entry permit through the Customer happiness centre:

The fee for the new permit entry application is Dh200 and can go up to Dh420 if the permit was applied through customer happiness centres such as Amer. It is worth noting that the total amount of the fee may vary depending on your circumstances.

If you have already exceeded 180 days outside the UAE, but the status of your residency is still showing as 'Active' and it has at least 30 days of validity, you will be exempted from paying the fines.

While you're travelling, be it for business or pleasure, it is possible that checking the status of your residence visa may slip your mind. It's a good thing you can do it from the convenience of your phone or laptop.

You can check the status of your residency by visiting the ICP website and doing the following:

You can also check your residency status by doing the following:

Once you're done with the process, you can expect a result of your request for a new entry permit in 48 hours or less.