Dubai: The overnight announcements on visa and travel restrictions in the UAE to check the spread of coronavirus has raised several questions, as residents and visitors, both within and outside the country, are seeking more details on the directives, claiming they have huge repercussions for them.
Late Wednesday night, the UAE suspended the entry of all valid visa holders, who are currently out of the country for a renewable period of two weeks effective from noon on Thursday (March 19). Earlier in the day, the Federal Authority for Citizenship and Identity temporarily suspended issue of all visas on arrival from 1 am Thursday. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also announced a temporary ban on citizens travelling abroad, starting from Wednesday, until further notice.
Ever since the news came out, hundreds of readers have been reaching out to Gulf News for details.
Their concerns are varied: An expat father, currently overseas, wanting to know if his residence visa would be cancelled as he would complete 180 days outside the country on March 26; a mother on tourist visa that is due to expire on April 9 wondering if she can extend the visa as she does not wish to fly back to Pakistan under the current circumstances; a group of students with pre-approved visas at Dubai International seeking a resolution to their entry ban; a US passenger with an eight-hour layover in Dubai Airport en route Afghanistan asking if he will be quarantined for two weeks; an elderly couple back from New York asking if they should self-quarantine; and so on.