For 70-year-old Tess Torre and her husband Avel, the UAE visa amnesty 2024 arrived like — in Tess's own words — "an early Christmas present." The senior Filipino couple, who had been visiting their children in Dubai since 2019, walked away from nearly Dh200,000 in overstay penalty fees after the two-month amnesty program wiped their slate clean.
How a Stroke and COVID Left Them Stranded
Tess had planned to return to New Zealand in 2021, but a stroke followed by COVID-19 disrupted those plans completely. The couple remained in Dubai to be close to their daughter Marie, who has called the emirate home for roughly 18 years. As the months turned into years, unpaid overstay fines accumulated — climbing toward the Dh200,000 mark.
"Through the UAE's visa amnesty scheme, they have been given a pass to leave the country and have not been made to pay nearly Dh200,000 in overstay penalty fees," the family shared, relief evident in every word.
Tess, who turns 71 on November 24, called the reprieve a birthday gift as much as a holiday blessing.
UAE Amnesty Program: Relief for Hundreds at GDRFA Dubai
The UAE visa amnesty 2024 ran for two months, allowing individuals in irregular residency status to either regularize their situation or exit the country without bans, fines, or exit fees. Hundreds of overstayers processed their paperwork at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) centre in Dubai's Al Awir district.
The Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Migrant Workers Office stepped in with additional support, providing 581 Filipino overstayers with complimentary airfares and financial assistance to help them return home with dignity.
Philippine Ambassador Alfonso Ver urged compatriots to act before the deadline, warning that "once it expires, penalties under UAE labor law for firms hiring overstayers are steep." The amnesty window closed on October 31, 2024.
A New Chapter: Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone Business
Far from ending their UAE story, the amnesty has given the Torres a chance to start fresh. The family plans to establish a trading venture in a Ras Al Khaimah free zone to support Marie's existing internet business — a pivot that could keep the family together in the Gulf region on legitimate terms.
Avel expressed deep gratitude for the UAE's healthcare infrastructure and the safety it offered the family during a period of significant health challenges. For a couple that spent years in limbo, the program delivered far more than waived fines — it delivered a future.
Overstay Fines Waived: What the UAE Amnesty Covered
Under the 2024 UAE visa amnesty, eligible overstayers could leave without paying accumulated fines and without receiving an entry ban. For long-term overstayers like the Torres, whose penalties had reached nearly Dh200,000, the relief was life-changing.
The program underscored the UAE government's commitment to providing structured pathways for irregular residents — particularly vulnerable groups such as senior citizens and those with medical circumstances — to resolve their status humanely and move forward.
