The UAE government’s decision to remove residence visa stamping has come into effect as of December 12, 2022, following a directive sent earlier to the owners of businesses in the nation.

The directive sent to business owners noted that the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) will revoke the stamping of residency visas in their passports, and this will come into effect on December 12, 2022. This means that residence visa stickers will be replaced by the Emirates ID card.

The cancellation of residency stickers that are affixed to the passports of UAE residents follows the announcement made earlier this year by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICA) in the UAE.

In view of this, the UAE government has been issuing new-generation Emirates ID cards to foreigners who reside in the country. The ID card contains all the information that was previously included on the residency stickers that were affixed to passports.

As the new directive comes into effect, passports of foreigners will not be collected any longer for stamping purposes. Once their residency is approved, applicants have to just download their e-Residence certificate and present their Emirates ID when traveling.