# UAE residence expired - I hold 2 UK passports, can I enter on the other



## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

Morning all - first post and urgently need advice.

My UAE residence visa has become invalid, as I'm on extended contract in Thailand and completely mis-judged my days away from UAE. (Old age mental block and bad calcs)

I unexpectedly and urgently need to return for 2 days, this coming Tuesday for a meeting but the likelyhood is, I might not get in. 

However because of work, I legally hold 2 UK passports; does anyone know if I would I be able to enter UAE for 2 days on a tourist visa on my other passport - or would my passports be linked in UAE as they would be in UK. Can anyone advise me on this?

In the meantime, my husband is trying to cancel my residence visa in passport 1 but the idea of using 2 came to me as a backup plan.

Many thanks


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

If you stayed out of the country for six months, your visa is automatically cancelled, you can just come back in on a visa on arrival. There's no penalties, nothing to cancel. I'd be inclined to use the passport my residency was in rather than the other one. They may ask you something, they may not. If they do, just say you had to stay away for longer due to family matters. You've not broken any laws. There's nothing to be concerned about,


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## mariot (Nov 4, 2013)

How far over the 6 months are you? Biometrics unfortunately would catch you out.
I returned on a second passport in June and was asked to produce the old passpprt with the cancelled visa fortunately I still had it.


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## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

Thank you Mariot - I feared that would be the case. 

Thank you Beadou Girl for your thoughts but I know with an expired visa, its very unlikely I would be able to enter - although there are mixed views. I know the visa has to be properly cancelled now and a new one obtained because until that happens its classed as 'in process'.

I hadnt planned to return until January, so knew I would have to cancel and reapply at some time. However, I am 27 days over today. When I took the call late last night, I thought - great visas still valid but of course its not.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

paynemaine said:


> Thank you Mariot - I feared that would be the case. Thank you Beadou Girl for your thoughts but I know with an expired visa, its very unlikely I would be able to enter - although there are mixed views. I know the visa has to be properly cancelled now and a new one obtained because until that happens its classed as 'in process'. I hadnt planned to return until January, so knew I would have to cancel and reapply at some time. However, I am 27 days over today. When I took the call late last night, I thought - great visas still valid but of course its not.


Really? I'd not heard of that. MAsk your husband to ask his PRO - he can check with Immigration.


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## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> Really? I'd not heard of that. MAsk your husband to ask his PRO - he can check with Immigration.


Thank you once more - we have made that call and now have to wait for his feedback.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

paynemaine said:


> Thank you once more - we have made that call and now have to wait for his feedback.


Hope you sort it. Can you please let us know.


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## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

BedouGirl said:


> Hope you sort it. Can you please let us know.


I will do.


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## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

Mariot - Thinking about this more yesterday; I hold 2 current UK passports one has 9 years the other 7 years to run; they are both active because of where I have to travel. So, if I'm given a stamp or visa for country A, then have to vist country B but A&B dont get along, then it would render having two passports worthless, if information from both passports is linked and available to all.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

paynemaine said:


> Mariot - Thinking about this more yesterday; I hold 2 current UK passports one has 9 years the other 7 years to run; they are both active because of where I have to travel. So, if I'm given a stamp or visa for country A, then have to vist country B but A&B dont get along, then it would render having two passports worthless, if information from both passports is linked and available to all.


The passports in themselves aren't linked, using the UAE as an example Immigration go on the passport number first, that's usually it, however the officer can also do a search under the name for other passports that have been used with that same name and date of birth. That is probably what happened above.


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## paynemaine (Oct 31, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> The passports in themselves aren't linked, using the UAE as an example Immigration go on the passport number first, that's usually it, however the officer can also do a search under the name for other passports that have been used with that same name and date of birth. That is probably what happened above.


The Rascal, thank you for taking the time to reply and clarify this. 

So it would seem, that a least have that as a possible entry option, if my RV cant be officially cancelled in time. I now know that they can cancel them in a day if I take the VIP service at AED200 instead of AED100. 

As promised above, I will update the outcome.


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

The Rascal said:


> The passports in themselves aren't linked, using the UAE as an example Immigration go on the passport number first, that's usually it, however the officer can also do a search under the name for other passports that have been used with that same name and date of birth. That is probably what happened above.


UAE Immigration's system is set up to cue on the "UID" number. Your UID is theoretically supposed to link to all passports and other documents you have ever used, but in practice there are invariably multiple UIDs created due to mismatches such as typos and bad transliteration of names. There is very little quality control. So you can have multiple UIDs linked to a single passport, and multiple passports linked to a single UID as it stands right now.


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