The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) confirmed on April 1 that the one-month grace period which allowed holders of expired UAE residence visas or Emirates IDs to re-enter the country without penalties has expired. From April 1 onward, standard penalties for overstays apply and re-entry is denied unless the traveller holds a valid residency or entry permit. The temporary waiver, in force since February 28, was a humanitarian response to mass flight cancellations linked to the Gulf conflict. Its conclusion restores the usual 30-day medical-test window for new permits and reinstates biometric enrolment deadlines. HR teams must therefore resynchronise mobilisation timelines: employees who remained abroad beyond March 31 must now secure new entry visas, which can add two to three weeks to start dates. Immigration advisers recommend immediate audits of assignees’ visa validity and travel plans. Companies that relied on the grace period to stagger workforce returns should prepare contingency staffing or remote-work arrangements while fresh entry permits are processed. The ICP emphasised that future concessions, if required, will be announced through official channels only.
