[UAE] 6 categories of expats who may leave for more than six months

The Emirates Digital Government has clarified on its website six exceptions to allow residence visa holders to stay outside the UAE for more than 6 months while maintaining the validity of the visa, Gulf Today reports.

The digital government has declared that any resident expatriate holding a valid residence visa from the UAE and wishing to travel abroad for any reason must not stay outside the UAE for more than six months or their visa will be invalidated and they will not be able to enter the UAE until they apply for a new entry visa. Unless they meet one of the stated exception criteria.

These exceptions include:

1. A foreign wife who is sponsored by her Emirati husband

2. Workers for a government body who are sent abroad for treatment by their employer (a medical report approved by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, or other approved health authorities must be submitted)

3. Domestic workers accompanying a student studying abroad or a person treated abroad

4. Domestic workers accompanying members of diplomatic and consular missions who represent the UAE abroad, employees of these missions who have a residence visa in the UAE,

5. Public sector employees sent by their employer to attend training or specialised courses, employees at employers’ offices abroad and their families

6. A resident student who travels abroad to study at a university.

The Emirates Digital Government has clarified on its website six exceptions to allow residence visa holders to stay outside the UAE for more than 6 months while maintaining the validity of the visa, Gulf Today reports.

The digital government has declared that any resident expatriate holding a valid residence visa from the UAE and wishing to travel abroad for any reason must not stay outside the UAE for more than six months or their visa will be invalidated and they will not be able to enter the UAE until they apply for a new entry visa. Unless they meet one of the stated exception criteria.

These exceptions include:

1. A foreign wife who is sponsored by her Emirati husband

2. Workers for a government body who are sent abroad for treatment by their employer (a medical report approved by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, or other approved health authorities must be submitted)

3. Domestic workers accompanying a student studying abroad or a person treated abroad

4. Domestic workers accompanying members of diplomatic and consular missions who represent the UAE abroad, employees of these missions who have a residence visa in the UAE,

5. Public sector employees sent by their employer to attend training or specialised courses, employees at employers’ offices abroad and their families

6. A resident student who travels abroad to study at a university.