# Help fine



## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi, 

My parents came to Dubai with me to help me when I first moved back in February, they since visited for 35 days for mine and my sons bday. Theyve just left today and been whacked with a £1000 fine for overstaying by 25 days. I cant understand what happened as my parents had an exit stamp for back in February and another entry stamp for when they came at the end of March. Who do I complain to? Im so upset and angry about this as I dont think they will see that money again


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

Sounds like their exit stamp in February wasn't logged on the immigration system - I guess you'd need to visit DNRD with evidence and find out how to complain and if there's any recourse, don't think it'll be easy though especially as they'll want your parents to be the ones attending and most likely need the original passports..


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

You would think it would be enough that it was in their passport as an actual stamp! But noone would hear of it. Would having them go to the UAE embassy at home help?


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Was the exit stamp a border run (Hatta)? If they flew in/out of the country they surely will have flight details and copies of flight purchases and boarding passes? If you have the latter, you can go to the UAE embassy and plead your case.

If it was a border run it's trickier. But I'd still go to the embassy with the passports and show that you left/entered the country on certain days.

It's up to you to decide if it's worth chasing. I think it is.


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Nope not a hatta stamp, they flew home to the U.k and then back again. It makes zero sense im just so worried about them, that's a lot of money for a pair of pensioners to just fork over. They rang my husband and said they weren't being listened to they were just told it's not my problem just pay it.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

The physical stamp doesn't mean anything really, your parent's passports are logged on the immigration system at every touch point.

I think there is morre to this than meets the eye.


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Like what??


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

evaunwill said:


> Like what??


It doesn't add up Eva. The immigration system is pretty much watertight, now either it was a one in a million screw up or there's something you ain't telling us.

I think the latter.


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

It's about as watertight as any other system here - one of my kids wasn't logged as exited the country in summer 2015, the last 3 visits here they've been stopped at Immigration as the system believes he's remained in the UAE the whole time..

Another of my kid's residency was apparently never cancelled on the system last year (his mum and the other kids were, I have the cancellation letter for all of them) so he gets a (resident) entry/exit stamp each time they visit instead of a 30 day visit visa stamp as his mum and the other kids..


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Well I don't believe that's the case for a second. Please then explain why they got a fine for 25 days overstay which would mean they would have had to have been here for 55 days. I think I would have noticed them hiding in my house for that amount of time. They left to go to the U.K they have boarding passes and tickets that show they went home and then came back


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Unless you think of course my elderly parents are up for forging their own passports to get themselves some fines. Jees if you can't be helpful just stay out of then conversation


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

evaunwill said:


> Well I don't believe that's the case for a second. Please then explain why they got a fine for 25 days overstay which would mean they would have had to have been here for 55 days. I think I would have noticed them hiding in my house for that amount of time. They left to go to the U.K they have boarding passes and tickets that show they went home and then came back


Actually no, overstay for UK passport holders clicks in after 40 days, 200 first day, 100 each following. So for overstaying 25 days the bill would have been AED2,600 each.

Which is pretty much what was paid.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

evaunwill said:


> Unless you think of course my elderly parents are up for forging their own passports to get themselves some fines. Jees if you can't be helpful just stay out of then conversation


If you don't like the answer, don't post the question.


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

All of which would be fine if they hadnt left the country in that time. They have not stayed for that many days consecutively


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Racing_goats how did u got about resolving the issue? Amer told me they shouldn't have been fined and have given me immigrations number


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Fight it. A thousand pounds is a lot of money. Take copies of their passports, receipt for the fine, copies of their flight details and boarding passes (do you have them via email, if so that's great). Go down to immigration. At immigration always be calm. 

Mistakes have been made before, contrary to what Rascal says.


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks it does seem as though their exit wasn't logged so they think they've been here the whole time


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Ironically my husband works for the airline they flew in and out with both times as they were on staff travel. Means I have copies of everything so fingers crossed I get them their money back


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

evaunwill said:


> Racing_goats how did u got about resolving the issue? Amer told me they shouldn't have been fined and have given me immigrations number


We haven't done anything about it, the visit to the wee office at passport control each time is inconvenient but they've eventually been allowed to enter the country and leave again each time so that's good enough for us.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

1000 pounds doesn't sound right for the duration of overstay at all. 

Mistakes can be made, I had that when I cancelled a DIFC residency visa years ago and when I went to get an Abu Dhabi one, immigration in Dubai has apparently not exited me properly. 

That however was a full on residency related to a free zone, and not just a visit visa.


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> 1000 pounds doesn't sound right for the duration of overstay at all.
> 
> Mistakes can be made, I had that when I cancelled a DIFC residency visa years ago and when I went to get an Abu Dhabi one, immigration in Dubai has apparently not exited me properly.
> 
> That however was a full on residency related to a free zone, and not just a visit visa.


It'd make sense if the first date of entry in Feb was c. 55 days before they left the 2nd time, if the exit wasn't logged in system they'd have used up 30 day visit visa and system would show 25 days' overstay with fines @ 100/day each.


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Going to head to the Immigration office at Jafiliya tomorrow and hope they can sort it out.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

The Rascal said:


> It doesn't add up Eva. The immigration system is pretty much watertight, now either it was a one in a million screw up or there's something you ain't telling us.
> 
> I think the latter.


Yea, not so watertight. 

Same thing happened to my family earlier this year. They visited us Dec of 2014 and left in Jan 2015. Then they visited us again Dec of 2015 and at this point they were simply told to 'go to the back office' at the immigration with a piece of paper (hand written in arabic). The back office, wrote something else on the piece of paper and sent them back to immigration desk. They were simply allowed to enter the country and nothing was explained.

A week later, we go camping to Mussandam, leave the country, but on the way back into UAE, the immigration officer started asking questions on when one of my relatives arrived in the country and if he usually traveled with the other relative (his wife). It didn't make sense to me but I answered the questions. He ended up spending a good 20 minutes on the passport (and his computer) and clearly didn't seem very happy. When it was all said and done, I asked him what the problem was and he explained that one of my relative wasn't logged on his exit in January 2015. He had fines accumulated for the entire year and he wasn't upset with us but with the guys at the airport who didn't fix the issue when they arrived into the country a week earlier. The exit stamp was in the passport from last year as well.

In the end, he fixed it for us and they had no problems leaving earlier this year. So it's fixable and we got lucky that it was caught at the Oman border and the officer was very nice to help us with it.

I'm sure this isn't a just a UAE thing - these type of mistakes must happen in other countries as well. I would imagine, it's best to stay calm, collect as much documentation as you possibly can and visit the immigration office.

Good luck!


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## evaunwill (Jul 1, 2014)

Yeah if I calculate it back they have been charged as if they've been here from their first entry. Going to head there tomorrow thank you


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Slightly OT but a friend of mine went out the Hatta Road and exited through the UAE Border post and then camped in the wilderness. They turned around and came back the next day but the UAE wouldnt let them in as they hadnt been to Oman. The Omanis wouldnt let them in as they had left the UAE the previous day .....

In the end it was resolved with Arabic tea, dates and an hours chat with a genial immigration officer in the UAE who kept laughing at how silly they had been - whiule tring to figure out how to make the computer say 'Yes' 

Personally I have arrived back in the UAE from Qatar to be told I am still here according to the computer, when the e-gate card wouldnt let me in. A quick smile and a look at myself and telling the guy that No, I have definitely been in Qatar and suggesting that e-gate had a problem perhaps and it was the traditional shrug of the shoulders and a stamp.

If the OP has the Boarding cards, bookings etc incoming and outgoing, I cant imagine immigration would have a problem.


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