How many days...

lethal_kamikaze · November 28, 2010, 5:50pm

Re: How many days…

Here u go

Expiry and cancellation of UAE residence visa

Expiry is when your residence visa becomes invalid. This happens after the expiry date (usually 3 years after it was issued, sometimes 1 year), or if you are outside the UAE for 180 days or 6 months (assume 180 days to be safe). Expiry does not mean your residence visa is cancelled, as some expats have found out when attempting to re-enter the UAE on a visit visa and failing because a previous residence visa wasn’t cancelled.

Cancellation of your residence visa is an active process which needs to be done even if the visa has expired. Otherwise a new visa, whether residence or visit, cannot be issued. Usually your company or sponsor will take care of this for you. If not, then go to the UAE Immigration Department where the visa was issued, with your passport, and present it for cancellation. Allow 500 dhs for fees and typing and you should get a couple of hundred dirhams in change. If you are overseas, then cancellation can still be done but your sponsor needs to go to the residency department on your behalf with at least a copy of your passport, and possibly the original.

**Residence visa cancellation again **

According to a 01 November 2009 report in the Gulf News, “Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, told Gulf News that according to the UAE residency federal law people with valid residents’ visas in the UAE who leave the country for more than six months will have their residency visa cancelled and must apply for new visas to enter the country again.”

Except Major General Al Merri did not say the residency visa would be cancelled. The same report quoted him as saying “This is not a new rule and everyone should be aware of it. No one can stay outside the country more than six months then try to enter the country without a valid residency visa,” which indicates to us that the residence visa becomes invalid, not cancelled.

**Exceptions to the expiry-if-outside-the-UAE-for-6-months rule **

There are some exceptions to the 6 month outside-the-uae rule according to the same report.
[LIST]

Foreign wife of an Emirati citizen if she is on his sponsorship (unknown if that also applies to foreign wives of GCC citizens, or foreign husband of Emirati nationals).

Domestic helpers accompanying an Emirati national who is studying abroad, or having medical treatment abroad. Expatriates going abroad for medical treatment as long as they are sent by a UAE government department, or work for a UAE government department. A medical report approved by the UAE Ministry of Health, or the Medical Services of the UAE Armed Forces or UAE Police must be provided.

Employees of, and domestic helpers accompanying employees of diplomatic and consular missions in the UAE.

Expats employed in the UAE Public Sector who are based outside the UAE as part of their job, or sent overseas on training courses.

[/LIST]

Fore more information try THIS