No UAE visa stamping on passports: How to prove your residency with new process

UAE residents’ Emirates ID now officially serves as their residency document, having replaced the visa stickers stamped on to passports. From April 11, residency applications — new or renewal — are unified, and residents do not need to go through separate processes for visa and Emirates ID.

Previously, the pink-coloured visa sticker on passports served as the primary residency document. Photocopies of the same had to be submitted for different services requiring residence proof. Immigration officials in ports of departure outside the UAE also checked the sticker to ensure a resident had the necessary travel clearance.

With the stamping process scrapped, how do residents prove their residency? Well, according to a report on Emarat Al Youm, there are three ways to verify residency. These are based on procedures announced by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP).

Emirates ID: The card received a major upgrade recently and contains all relevant residency-related information that’s available on the visa sticker. The new generation of Emirates ID contains personal and professional data, the issuing entity, and other readable data via an e-link system.

Virtual visa stamp: The pink-coloured residency sticker continues to be available virtually via the ICP app.

Printed residency document: Residents can get their residency details in a printed format with the authority’s stamp via the app or website (www.icp.gov.ae).

The ICP had earlier announced that it has coordinated with all the relevant stakeholders in the aviation sector to ensure they are briefed about the latest residency-related updates. For residents outside the UAE, officials can verify their entry status via a passport reader.