Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Emad Eddin Khalil, Staff Reporter

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP) announced the launch of a campaign to waive fines for violators of entry and residence systems and visa, as of September 1st for a period of two months.

Major General Suhail Al Khaili, Director-General of the ICP, during a media briefing held on Wednesday morning in Abu Dhabi, stated that the four categories included in the decision to waive fines for violators of entry and residence systems are: residence violators, visa violators, those listed in the administrative lists of work absenteeism, and foreigner children born in the country but guardians have not register their residence within four months from the date of birth.

The ICP called on the included categories to benefit from the grace period to settle their situations or leave the country, noting that the departure permit duration is valid for 14 working days, and that violators who decided to amend their status by leaving the country within the granted period will not have a ban stamp placed on their passports.

The campaign can be availed through smart channels of the ICP and the fingerprinting centres across the UAE, ICP pointed out.

Violators, according to the ICP can benefit from exempting from 5 fines, including exemption from administrative fines resulting from overstaying in the country illegally, establishment card fines, ID card fines, failure to provide the Ministry with an employment contract, and failure to provide the Ministry with a contract renewal.

Violators will be allowed to leave the country after settling their status without any administrative restrictions preventing their return to the UAE. Consequently, their passports will not be stamped with a ban, ICP added. Violators can also benefit from the exemption of the residence and visa cancellation fee, the fee for lifting the work absenteeism report, residence and visa details fees, and departure permit fees, ICP indicated.

Three categories will not benefit from the campaign including residence and visa violators after September 1, 2024, those listed in the work absenteeism report after September 1, 2024, and cases of restricted deportation for violators deported from the UAE or GCC countries.