The UAE has declared a waiver of visa overstay fines for visitors and some residents who could not exit the country as a result of recent airspace closures and flight suspensions.
Authorities said that the exemption would be made for people who could not leave due to flights being suspended for what officials called “exceptional regional circumstances”.
According to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, the decision applies to all cases in which travellers have been prevented from leaving the country because of the disruption.
This includes tourists on a visit or tourist visas, and persons holding exit permits, as well as residents who had already cancelled their residency permits in preparation for their departure.
The waiver is also extended to the period of fines incurred from February 28, 2026. The exemption includes visitors with tourist visas and visit visas and people who had exit permits but who could not travel due to the flight suspensions.
Residents who had cancelled their residency status when preparing to move out of UAE are also covered under the decision.
Authorities said specialised teams at airports and Customer Happiness Centres are still assisting travellers whose flights were delayed or rescheduled.
These teams are operating under emergency and business continuity plans in conjunction with relevant authorities to assist affected passengers to deal with the situation.
The officials have encouraged travellers affected by the disruptions to stay informed through official channels for updates and advisories.
They added that support measures will be in place to help passengers navigate on the travel difficulties.
The disruption followed the airspace closure by a number of countries in the region, following attacks by Iran targeting multiple states including the UAE.
Due to this, the scheduled flights, operated by UAE-carriers, have been suspended until at least Saturday March 7.
However, special flights which are coordinated with the General Civil Aviation Authority are continuing to operate to repatriate stranded passengers.
Authorities have also opened safe air corridors with GCC countries with a capacity to launch as many as 48 flights per hour as air traffic resumes gradually.
Also read: UAE resumes special flight operation: Details for Pakistanis here
