Fly Dubai says Dubai residents abroad will get six-month extensions on their visas

Dubai residents who are stranded abroad due to flight restrictions will have their residence visas extended by six months, Flydubai has said.

It said people from six countries were eligible for the move, referencing a decision by Dubai’s immigration authority.

The airline said the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs gave the extension to expats from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Uganda. At present, only residents – not tourists or jobseekers – from those countries are allowed to travel to the Emirates.

People from those countries will be allowed back into the UAE on their extended residence visa until November 10, as long as their original visa expired after April 10.

GDRFA was contacted by The National but did release any further information.

Restrictions were eased this month when UAE residents who were stranded in countries on the banned list were allowed to return. Despite a rush to return in recent weeks, many thousands remain abroad due to problems with coronavirus testing and flights.READ MOREIndia-Dubai flights: bookings and prices soar as vaccination rules are relaxed

“The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has extended the expiry date of Dubai-issued UAE resident visas for nationals of India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Uganda who are stranded outside of the UAE,” the airline’s statement said.

“The expiry date has been extended to November 10, 2021. This applies to Dubai-issued UAE resident visas which have expired or will expire between April 20, 2021 and November 9, 2021 inclusive.

“The expiry date will not be extended for UAE residents with Dubai-issued visas who have stayed outside of the UAE for more than 6 months if they left before October 20, 2020.”