However, returning expats must furnish a Covid-19 negative PCR test result to all airlines, taken not more than 96 hours before take-off. But their plight is not over yet as there are no planned flights to bring them back to the UAE. However, all such NRIs were relieved with the UAE announcing that approval from ICA was not required to enter the country but Covid-19 negative test result taken not more than 96 hours before was needed to board a flight. All UAE residents abroad, who have a valid visa, had to apply for approval to return to the country from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship – if they were planning to travel into any emirate except Dubai. Parag is in the UAE with his two year-old son Divam, while his wife awaits news on flights to bring her back to UAE. The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship ICA earlier required . Dubai: There has been a shower of approvals from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) for Indian expats planning to return to the UAE. on headlines mentioned ICA approval not needed to return UAE,then why we are waiting for green signal. Register to read and get full access to gulfnews.com, By clicking below to sign up, you're agreeing to our Emirates inbound flights for UAE Expats May 2020 No ICA approval to return to 6 emirates: travel rules explained DUBAI – Holders of UAE residence visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain will not need prior approval to return to the emirate. The answer from the Aviation Authority read: “No, your flight is not allowed, for transporting non-UAE nationals to the UAE.”. “Even after being stuck in India for months, we still have no clarity as to when we can safely return to the UAE. However, it stressed that entering these details on the portal was optional since they would be granted permission to enter irrespective of doing so. Am I allowed?" No flights to bring them back from India and approval has a validity of only 21 days. Agencies. This update comes after some residents reportedly were stranded at Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports on Monday, August 17, the Khaleej Times reported. It added that all precautionary and preventive measures will be applied to all residents upon their arrival to the country, including conducting a Covid-19 laboratory examination for the virus. Privacy Policy. Returning UAE residents flying to Dubai will need a pre-approval as the authorities have revoked the earlier decision to do away with return permits, Khaleej Times has learnt. In a recent statement sent out to the media, Dubai Airports stated that returning passengers holding residence visa issued in other Emirates need approval from the ICA to return to the country. 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Step 1: Click Return Permit Link: First step is to visit the official website of Amer GDRFA through below link. Memom said he was happy to receive ICA approvals for his wife and children stranded in Mumbai, India, to return to the UAE on June 14. The UAE government has issued clarification on the same. ; You can find UAE designated / authorized lab for taking PCR test here; Apply ICA approval to return to UAE 29,000+ Stranded UAE Residents Are Getting Restless Awaiting The ICA Approval To Return Home. All residence visa holders returning to Dubai must get a return approval from General Directorate of … Parag said: “I cannot imagine this. it's heartily request to His Highness UAE government from all those people's who suffering this problems. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on August 12 that residents returning to the UAE do not need a pre-travel approval from the ICA … ICA approval no longer needed for residents to return to UAE. Kamini Kannan, stranded in Bangalore since March, said: “The only option available for us to board is the Vande Bharat Mission (evacuation) flights being operated by Air India/Air India Express. As per Dubai reopening guidelines, residents planning to return to UAE must have an assured approval before booking the tickets. This service allows residents with valid resident visas to confirm entry / re-entry to the UAE. The expatriate residents with a UAE visa can apply for a Return Permit for Residents outside the UAE. “My father was critically ill and passed away on March 19. With the deadline to travel within 21 days of ICA approval, we hope that authorities will do the needful for our return.”. Here it is the 100 % Solution of how to Return to UAE ? Click Here for GDRFAD Return Permit Official Page Link To Get ICA Approval. ... no longer need ICA approval … All rights reserved. New development: ICA approval needed for non-Dubai residents. With the aim of reducing the cost to passengers from the UAE we tried to seek approvals for the return segment as well, but unfortunately we were unable to receive approvals to bring passengers back to the UAE. Read: UAE residents arriving in Abu Dhabi do not require ICA approval. Once approval is granted, return tickets can be booked with airlines operating flights to the UAE. Memom said he was happy to receive ICA approvals for his wife and children stranded in Mumbai, India, to return to the UAE on June 14. Adding to their woes, there is a looming deadline set on ICA approvals, which clearly stipulate that returning expats have to enter the UAE within 21 days of the date of approval. Stranded abroad for over three months now away from their families, loved ones, alone and far from home, more than 29,000 UAE residents are sharing their mounting frustration of not receiving approvals from the UAE ministry to return to the country. The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has shared detailed a Q&A on the permits required to enter the country. Travelers are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test at an accredited lab. Previously, ICA approval was mandatory for all residents whose visas were issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. and How to apply again to register to return to UAE ? The UAE had suspended, effective March 17, all visas to all foreigners, with the exception of diplomatic passport holders. I am now waiting for both the governments to start international flights and allow us stranded expats to return home to the UAE. ICA Approval Not Required To Come Back To UAE. Click Here for ICA Approval Official Page Link Take a COVID‑19 PCR test from Approved laboratory. The decision was reportedly taken in light of the end of the summer vacations and the return of families as commercial activities pick up within the country, reported news agency WAM. © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2021. https://bit.ly/2Vafh4E Recently I tried to submit the application in ICA to return back to UAE, but unable to submit the application and showing as below. 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Residents of Dubai meanwhile required approvals from the emirate’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Let’s learn how to apply for Entry Permit and get easy approval through General Directorate of Residency and Foreign affairs Dubai in 5 easy steps. The directive will be effective from Wednesday, August 12, and was jointly announced by the National Authority for Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) early on Wednesday as part of the second phase of the Resident Return Programme. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. and UAE residents now no longer required to apply ICA approval, instead they need to submit the details such as passport, Emirates ID in uaeentry.ica.gov.ae; Provide the negative COVID-19 PCR test report upon arrival. The current destinations of the return flights include Frankfurt and London Heathrow. Did your ICA Approval has been Rejected ??? Khatib and his wife Rukhsana are stranded in Mumbai while their three daughters have been living alone in the UAE. However, current GCCA guidelines don’t allow these evacuation flights to bring in anyone apart from UAE Nationals without a specific approval. Once it is granted, residents receive an ICA approval code and letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The destinations will frequently be updated. With no planned flights, will this approval lapse and do we have to go through the same process again?”, Another stranded Indian expat Rajendra K. Saple in Belgaum, Karnataka, said his wife and children in the UAE are worried sick as to when he can return to the UAE. A copy of one such ICA approval with the deadline is with Gulf News. Company is asking me to come back at the earliest after getting UAE ICA approval. ... residence visa issued in other Emirates need approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to return to the country. “The flights carried 377 passengers to these destinations. However, this latest decision means that residents arriving at any international airport in the UAE – irrespective of the emirate which has issued their visa – can now return without seeking any sort of UAE government approvals. #icapermit#uaeapproval#returntouaeICA Website link :- https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#/dashboardApply for … August 12, 2020. My son is only two years old. Passengers should wait for approval. ... Those eligible to leave the country within the set deadline are urged to do so, which will help facilitate their return to the UAE. UAE residents returning home no longer need to apply for ICA approval under new guidelines announced by the National Crisis Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA). This section is about Living in UAE and essential information you cannot live without. This website stores cookies on your computer. People returning must have a valid UAE residence visa and can apply for a Resident’s Entry Permit. Terms of Use Residents are crying foul, with no hope of reuniting with their families. All expats with UAE residency visas now no longer require government approvals and entry permits to return to the UAE. “, In the case of Parag Savani, he is eagerly waiting for the return of his wife Shikha who has been stranded in India for the past three months. دعم برنامج عودة المقيمين من خلال إطلاق المرحلة الثانية واعتماد الموافقة المسبقة بالتزامن مع مرحلة تخفيف القيود وعودة الحياة تدريجياً#وام Residents who are returning to Dubai or Sharjah from India, must get a valid pre-departure approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA). A Dubai-based travel agency -- City One Tourism & Travel -- in association with the Gulf Maharashtra Business Forum arranged the first two evacuation charters to Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra. On arrival in the UAE, travelers must quarantine for a 14-day period, either at a hotel – at their own expense – or at a private residence, provided they have access to a … Proof of residency is also required. Dubai has reopened for tourism, but unfortunately over thousands of UAE Residents are still stuck outside. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon. “I am concerned now as the approval comes with a limited validity. Like most others, my ICA approval also came on June 14. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Please made a easy way to come back our work place. I am working in UAE and went on vacation from Feb 22 and unable to come back on April 20th due to Covid19 lock down issues. Vinita Send an email October 7, 2020. ICA approval not needed: How UAE residents can now return ICA approval not needed: How UAE residents can now return. The airline said, “For Resident Permit Holders Returning to UAE – residents returning to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are permitted entry without ICA approval. We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. While some of them are waiting for approval from the Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship, (ICA), a … Residents who wish to return to the country are automatically approved to do so and no longer need to apply for ICA approval. Dislike 0. Residents of Abu Dhabi can now travel and return home freely, without having to wait for ICA approval to return. In the Q&A, a question under clause 6b asked: “I am planning to operate a flight for the purpose of transporting UAE and non-UAE nationals to the UAE. Special approval for residents who are trying to return to the UAE will no longer be needed, the government said on Wednesday. No ICA approval required for UAE residents. Aadil Rafik Memon has been separated from his wife and two children since March 15. Returning expats to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah must download the following mobile apps: For Dubai: Download the DXB Smart App; For Abu Dhabi and Sharjah: Download the ALHOSN Mobile App Get daily business news from the region delivered straight to your inbox, Residents who wish to return to the country are automatically approved to do so. “I am concerned now as the approval … According to the General Civil Aviation Authority's latest Q&A guidance for foreign operators Revision 06, issued on June 8 , 2020, regarding a safety decision 2020-01 (Issue 15), no repatriation flight is allowed to transport non-UAE nationals back into the emirates. للتفاصيل: https://t.co/xWdJCyp2Jq pic.twitter.com/mrl3EFUQEt, — وكالة أنباء الإمارات (@wamnews) August 11, 2020. Anyone travelling back to the UAE must have these documents. © 2020 MOTIVATE MEDIA GROUP. There has been a lot of confusion if residents traveling back to the UAE must secure approval from GDRFA or ICA. Effective immediately, the Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) have launched the second phase of the UAE Resident Return Programme; which now removes the need for residents of Abu Dhabi to wait for approval … “I got my ICA approval on June 14 and according to the deadline, I have to return by July 5.”, Javed Mohamed Saleh Khatib, a long-time resident of UAE since 1993, and his wife have been separated from their three daughters since March 15. Shikha, who got an ICA approval on June 18, is concerned that if she is not able to travel back to the UAE in time before the validity ends, she may have to start the process all over again. He cannot be separated from his mother for long.”. Be advised that passengers who are flying via these special flights must have a valid UAE residence visas and should have an ICA approval number . These are testing times and I hope both governments support the noble cause of allowing repatriation of passengers on both sectors,” said Punit Shah, general manager. In the meantime, ICA called on those holding valid residence visas and wishing to return to the UAE to register in the service entitled “Residents’ Entry Permit”, via its website: smartservices.ica.gov.ae. A Step-by-Step Guide for Residents who wish to Return to the UAE. In short, UAE valid residence visa holders who are flying back to Dubai still need to present a return approval from the GDRFA/ICA. A resident of UAE since 2013, Memom urged authorities to arrange chartered flights to bring returning Indian expats with ICA approvals. All expats with UAE residency visas now no longer require government approvals and entry permits to return to the UAE. Both on your website and other media. The latest decision came hours after several airlines said that they had received an email from the Abu Dhabi International Airport stating that those wishing to fly to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain airport no longer need ICA approval starting August 11. 43 1 minute read. Approval from ICA was mandatory for all foreign workers who were outside of UAE to return to their workplace during pandemic. It is going to be almost four months since Saple left the UAE on a family visit to see his ailing father. All visas that expired after March 1 were extended until the end of December 2020. Latest: What do the ICA immigration changes mean? Featured UAE UAE: ICA approval must for non-Dubai residents to return. Reply; Like 1. 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