UAE visit visas: Tourists warned not to overstay 'even a day' to avoid blacklisting, absconding charges

Tourists in the country on visit visas have been warned not to overstay — even for a day, as travel agents say overstayers could get blacklisted and charged with absconding.

Some travel agents said those black list are banned from entering the UAE and other GCC countries. They have urged visitors with expired visas to make necessary arrangements and exit the country as soon as possible

Why do agents charge overstaying visitors as absconding?

Visitors that enter the UAE on a visit visa of 30 or 60 days, receive the visa under agent's sponsorship. The agent then has to bear the brunt and lose money if visitors overstay. "We report them absconding for our safety," said Libin Varghese, sales director at Rooh Tourism and Travel LLC.

“It is not about losing money. We are given a specified number of visa applications on the portal and cannot apply for new visas if a visitor overstays. At times our portal can also be blocked,” added Varghese.

Agents have also reiterated that overstay fines are applied and to save their business. They have to retrieve it from the visitors. “The minimum absconding penalty that must be paid is Dh2,000, which increases daily. Visitors will be liable to pay more depending on the number of overstaying days,” said an agent who wished to remain anonymous.

How can a person exit if charged absconding?

To exit the country, the person should first get in touch with the agent who processed their visa. The next step is to pay the relevant fine to the agent so the absconding case can be withdrawn on the portal and the visitor can receive an outpass to exit the country.

Agents say that absconding is a criminal offense and charged tourists can be arrested by the police. “If visitors cannot establish visa status at the airport, they can be deported,” said Taha Siddique, owner of Siddique Travels, adding that every visitor should constantly communicate with their sponsor.

To keep their visa status valid, aggregators have urged visitors to keep a reminder a few days before the visa expiry. “Most of them forget the visa expiry date, so it is advisable to keep a reminder on your phone five days before visa expiry. Many people reach the airport and learn about their expiry, which might result in deportation,” added Siddique.

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