# HELP! New Passport - Old Visa Transfer and lots of complications!



## VolatileVortex (May 29, 2012)

I have a complex situation at hand and would appreciate some help:

1) Current passport which has UAE residence visa is due for renewal
2) I am currently serving notice period and have 29 days left to find another job
3) I can apply for a new passport right now and get it within 7 days but it will have no visa on it. To go to TECOM and transfer old visa to new passport will cost me AED 750. 
4) If I do step 3), then assuming I find a new job soon, I will have a new employment visa and residence stamping done again anyways on the new passport, which means the AED 750 would go waste. 

My question are:

1) Can I save the AED 750 TECOM visa transfer fee and wait till I get a new job?

2) If I get a new passport doing 1) , will my current employer find it difficult to cancel my valid, existing residence visa in the canceled passport?

3) Will my new employer face any issues when I present my new passport for visa formalities?

Other point is that I have no travel plans for the next 2-3 months so that shouldn't be an issue. However, I have a baby on the way in 1.5 months and my wife's UAE visa is also due for renewal in 1 month (she is under my sponsorship) so I reckon I have to get my stuff in order before all of that!


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

you don't need the visa in the new passport. You just need to renew and get the new passport.
That's it. 

Even if the visa is in a cancelled passport it is still valid. Just keep the two passports together.


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## VolatileVortex (May 29, 2012)

Thanks rsinner - in a situation where my job change isn't looming ahead, I know I could go by what you said without issues. However, if I get my new passport and the visa in the old passport remains valid, will my current employer face any issues in cancelling the visa (in the cancelled passport) when I get my new job? In other words, will TECOM say that to cancel the visa, it has to be in the NEW passport and therefore they insist I transfer the visa from canceled to new passport and THEN proceed for visa cancellation?

I say this because some time back, when I had to renew my TECOM visa, they asked for my TECOM ID. I had misplaced it but they insisted I apply for a lost card paying AED 600 or so, issued it and the next day when I went for visa renewal, they cancelled the JUST ISSUED card and issued another one!

Hope it all makes sense


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

I am not sure of the TECOM specific issue, but normally a visa can be cancelled even in an old passport (did that for my wife).


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

VolatileVortex said:


> Thanks rsinner - in a situation where my job change isn't looming ahead, I know I could go by what you said without issues. However, if I get my new passport and the visa in the old passport remains valid, will my current employer face any issues in cancelling the visa (in the cancelled passport) when I get my new job? In other words, will TECOM say that to cancel the visa, it has to be in the NEW passport and therefore they insist I transfer the visa from canceled to new passport and THEN proceed for visa cancellation?
> 
> I say this because some time back, when I had to renew my TECOM visa, they asked for my TECOM ID. I had misplaced it but they insisted I apply for a lost card paying AED 600 or so, issued it and the next day when I went for visa renewal, they cancelled the JUST ISSUED card and issued another one!
> 
> Hope it all makes sense


Your best bet will be to call TECOM's call center. They are surprisingly helpful and sometimes if you call them early enough, they'll put you on hold and get the answer from one of the official reps. Worst case scenario, they might ask you to visit the offices in Knowledge Village to get an exact answer.

Personally - I think you'll be fine without transferring the visa to the new passport - that's usually optional. I don't think immigration cares if the passport is valid when they are cancelling the visa but you might want to get the answer directly from TECOM.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

To be honest, I think your only problem here is finding a new job quickly and being able to get a birth certificate.


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