Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Mohammed Alaa, Staff Reporter

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has confirmed that the grace period granted to the UAE residents to rectify their residency statuses would end next week, corresponding to Sunday (Oct.11), adding that fines would begin to take effect from Monday, Oct.12.

Earlier in last July, the ICA granted the residents whose residency expired after the first of March and were unable to renew it due to the Coronavirus pandemic, a period of 3 months to rectify their residency visas without any fines until the deadline expires.

The ICA has also indicated that the medical test is a prerequisite for the renewal of the residency, confirming the continuity of its centers to receive customers to complete this condition.

Last April, the UAE Cabinet issued decisions to alleviate residents from the effects of international measures taken in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent closure of airspace between countries.

According to those decisions, the UAE residents whether existed inside or outside the country, and their residency visas’ expiry date was after first of March 2020, would continue valid until end of December 2020, and so would their ID cards.

On July 10, 2020, the procedures were amendedby resuming the services of customer happiness centers of the ICA, visa services and entry permits.

Accordingly, the decision to extend visas and residency was canceled, and the fees due started to be collected from July 10.