UAE eliminates visa and passport stamps for residency

A notice to business owners in the UAE stated that the country would discontinue its visa stamp residence as of Monday, December 12, 2022.
“We wish to inform you that as part of the latest directives, the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) will revoke stamping the residence visa in the passport. Effective Monday, December 12, 2022, the Emirates ID will replace residence visa stickers,” the directive read.
The news follows an announcement earlier this year that the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICA) would be cancelling residency stickers affixed to residents’ passports.
The UAE has instead been issuing a new generation of Emirates ID cards to foreigners residing in the UAE that includes all the details previously mentioned on the residency stickers affixed to passports.
After the residency has been approved, the applicant can download a copy of their e-Residence and travel with their Emirates ID instead of having to collect their passports for stamping.