As per streamlined visa regulations, standardized penalties in 2023 charged a fine of Dh50 per day on overstayers.
None of the residents and visitors were charged a fine for overstaying whose exit flights were canceled because of the record rains last week. Kurt Cervales, a Dubai resident, was supposed to fly out last Tuesday, April 16, the last day of his 30-day grace period after his canceled visa.
He had left his job and could not find a new one before the grace period ended. On the day of his flight, he woke up to a thunderous rainstorm that stopped air travel. His Flydubai flight was moved to the next day, April 17, but with Dubai International Airport severely affected by the record rains, it was canceled again.
"I was already counting the days, worried about the overstay fines that got bigger by the day," said Cervales, who used to work at a significant UAE retailer. Overstayers were prepared to pay the fine on Monday for his six days in the country beyond his grace period. When he reached the immigration counter, however, he was told he didn't have to pay any fine.
Dubai-based travel agency MRG Pinas Travel said that passengers had the same experience. Some visit visa holders were supposed to travel on April 17 but could fly out only today.
A call center executive for the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai confirmed that the overstay fines were waived for travelers whose flights got canceled from April 16 to 18. "Beyond those dates, however, we are yet to get a new advisory on fine waivers," she said.
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