UAE visa: Can I renew residency if my passport expires in 6 months?

Question: My UAE residency is up for renewal in a month. And my passport expires in less than six months. Do I need to renew my passport first to get my UAE residency? Is there a minimum passport validity requirement to renew residency?

Response: Pursuant to your queries, in the UAE a resident’s visa may be renewed only if his or her passport is valid for at least six months. Therefore, as the validity of your passport is less than six months and your UAE residency visa is up for renewal within a month, it is recommended to renew your passport at the earliest, and thereafter you may renew your UAE residence visa.

For further clarifications, you may contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (the ‘GDRFA’) – Dubai, if you are a resident of Dubai or the GDRFA – Ras Al Khaimah if you are resident of Ras Al Khaimah or Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security if you are resident of any one of the emirates among Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah.

Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.