UAE confirms immediate AED 50/day penalties as 10-day visa overstay grace period is scrapped
Dubai updates multiple-entry visit visa: costs, 58-day activation window and no grace period clarified
UAE refreshes digital-nomad (Virtual Work) visa guidance; six-month bank-statement rule takes effect
Latest News
Five-day Eid Al Adha holiday will close UAE federal offices 25–29 May 2026
UAE federal offices—including immigration and visa-processing centres—will shut from 25 to 29 May 2026 for Eid Al Adha, FAHR announced. Organisations should adjust visa filings, Emirates ID appointments and government-service timelines, and warn travellers of heavier airport traffic around the holiday.
Property route to UAE Golden Visa clarified as AED 2 million threshold survives April rule changes
A new industry guide confirms that investors still need real-estate worth at least AED 2 million to obtain the UAE’s ten-year Golden Visa, even after April reforms lowered entry requirements for the shorter two-year investor visa. The clarification helps multinationals advise senior staff on residency planning and budget for qualifying property purchases.
Henley Index 2026 names UAE passport the world’s second most powerful
The 2026 Henley Passport Index ranks the UAE passport second worldwide with visa-free access to 187 destinations, underscoring the Emirates’ diplomatic success and easing international travel for Emirati employees and dual-national assignees.
Dubai Airport’s ‘Red Carpet’ biometric corridor now clears immigration in under 4 seconds
GDRFA-Dubai says its “Red Carpet” Smart Corridor at DXB Terminal 3 now clears travellers in as little as 3.4 seconds, processing up to ten passengers at once without passports or boarding passes. The biometric lane has served 800,000 users in its first year and will be expanded as Dubai targets 100 million passengers by 2030—good news for companies whose executives transit the hub frequently.
UAE completes switch to end-to-end digital visa processing
All UAE visa applications—from short-stay visit visas to residence renewals—must now be submitted through government e-channels following a portal update on 11 May 2026. The fully digital system issues travellers a Unified Number and removes the need for paper entry permits, streamlining pre-clearance but requiring employers to revise onboarding procedures.