Same-day departure for amnesty seekers in Sharjah, Fujairah

Sharjah/Fujairah - Amnesty-seekers have a period of 21 days to depart from the country.

Amnesty seekers in Fujairah and Sharjah will be able to leave the country on the same day,  authorities from both emirates clarified.
"Services have been completely digitalised and all updates are now transferred to the systems immediately," Col Ali Amin Mohammed, director of amnesty centres and establishments department at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) Sharjah, told Khaleej Times. "Earlier, the amnesty-seekers had to wait for 10 days for the activation of their permits as it was done manually."
However, the amnesty-seekers have a period of 21 days to depart from the country, he added. "If an emergency occurs and they exceed that period, they may come to us with the necessary documents to deal with the situation."
Brig Ahmed Ali Al Sagiri, acting executive director of GDRFA-Fujairah explained that previously the seeker had to wait for 10 days to exit the country as there were paperwork to be completed from the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
According to the immigration officials in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah,  a 10-day wait is necessary before travel, adding that "even regular or normal visa applications take time".
They added that the waiting time may vary depending on the case. "Some people can have everything done before the time frame, while others may need more time," said Col Khalid Yousef bin Hudibah, executive director of GDRFA-Umm Al Quwain.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, officials had stipulated on Thursday that a 10-day wait before travel is necessary.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Sharjah
• Fujairah