UAE Replace Residence Visa Stickers With Emirates ID

According to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICA) UAE has replaced the residency visa stickers in passports with the Emirates ID cards effective from April 11.

The ICA said the Emiratis ID will serve as proof for residents because it contains information about their residents’ visa status. This means the Emirates ID and passport number can be used by the airlines to validate residency-related information.

Expatriates’ passports are stamped with resident visas valid for two, three, five, or ten years.

It must be noted that an expired Emirates ID card must be renewed within 30 days of expiration. Otherwise, late fees will be assessed. A resident’s visa can only be renewed when it has been restored or granted in the UAE.

Emirates ID

Emirates ID is the UAE Government-issued identity card for the UAE’s citizens and residents. It is mandatory for all UAE citizens and residents to apply for an Emirates ID.

Update on cancellation of UAE Residence Visa Stickers

According to an update issued by the UAE carrier, “Instead of resident stickers and stamps, Emirates ID cards will be used as proof of valid UAE residency. All passengers must have valid Emirates ID cards. Passengers who do not have a valid Emirates ID card will not be accepted for travel.”

Major General Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Acting Director-General for Foreigners Affairs and Ports at ICA, said;

In order to provide transitional flexibility toward adopting the identity card as an alternative, the previous form of residency stickers will only be available online via the authority’s smart application.

“The authority has developed all necessary technical facilities to obtain the details of individuals’ residency through a printed form that can be applied for, through individuals’ accounts using the authority’s smart app or website,” he said.

Residents can go to the authority’s website and print the residency details form by following three simple steps.

New Process For Verifying Residency

The ICA stated that it has already cooperated with stakeholders in the aviation sector to allow holders of valid residency visas who are outside the nation, as well as visitors, to enter the country by validating their identification through a passport reader available on airliners’ platforms.

Airlines can now confirm residency status using the passport number and Emirates ID.

The decision to discontinue visa stickers was made by the UAE Cabinet in order to streamline the process of issuing and renewing resident visas, which would now be connected to the Emirates ID.

New Generation of Emirates IDs

The change came after the unveiling of a new generation of Emirates IDs last year. Authorities have already begun to distribute the new card.

Customers can acquire a soft copy of their ID after submitting a request for issuance or renewal. According to the authorities, the new generation of Emirates ID cards issued to residents includes all of the information previously indicated on the residence sticker, including personal and professional data, the issuer, and other readable and non-readable data on the card’s front.

This also implies that the granting or renewal of resident visas and Emirates IDs will be combined into a single application.