Dubai residents will no longer be able to renew their visas in the UAE unless they pay traffic challans, what expats need to know
Now Dubai residents will have to pay all their traffic challans before renewing their residency visa or getting a new one. This new rule has been implemented jointly by Dubai Immigration and Road Transport Authority. This initiative has been started jointly by GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs) and RTA (Roads and Transport Authority).
This rule has not been fully implemented at every government center yet. At present, it is being implemented as a trial (pilot phase) at some visa service centers. The GDRFA center at Dubai Airport is not included in this rule.
What is the purpose of this rule?
Its purpose is not to restrict people, but to make them responsible and law-abiding citizens. The government wants people to pay the challan on time and follow traffic rules. Officials say that this new system is fair and easy. People who have large challan dues can pay them in installments. This rule has been prepared after a lot of thought and review of thousands of cases.
What has been done to simplify the process?
RTA has upgraded its website and apps, making the system more streamlined. The payment platform called Tabby has now been integrated into all RTA digital channels, such as:
- RTA website
- RTA Mobile App
- Nol Pay App
- Smart Kiosks (already installed)
On which services is it possible to pay in installments?
Now people can pay for about 170 services with the help of Tabby, such as:
- Traffic Challan
- Renew vehicle registration or license
- Transactions related to driving license
- Buying vehicle number plates is also included
How does Tabby help?
- This allows people to split their payment into up to four instalments.
- This reduces the burden of a huge amount of money at once.
- The entire system has been designed keeping in mind the convenience and comfort of the people.
Officials have clearly stated that this step is not to punish anyone, but has been taken to make people understand their responsibilities and to follow local laws. People living or working in Dubai are required to follow the rules and laws of the country.
What happens if the invoice is not paid?
If you don’t pay your fines, you could face problems in the future, such as:
- Problems while going out of the country
- Being stopped at an immigration checkpoint
- Those with pending fines for years may face obstruction while leaving
Help will be given-
- Those who visit GDRFA Centre for visa related services will be guided through the process of paying the traffic fine
- The new system is designed to help people, not to deprive them of direct service
- This system is to give information, help and find solutions to people
- This attempt was made earlier also
- This is not the first time UAE authorities have talked about linking traffic fines to residency services (such as visa renewal).
- A similar system was tried out in 2014, where traffic fines were linked to visa renewal.
What’s new now?
- The current system is more digitally convenient
- Many systems are interconnected
- Structure for payment is in place
- All of this has been made easier with the help of RTA’s technology platform,
which means that it is now easier than ever to comply with the rules
What is going to happen next?
- Right now this system is in the trial (pilot phase), but it will be fully implemented in the next few months
- People have been advised to check from time to time to see if there is any outstanding fine.
- If there is any fine, settle it quickly so that there is no delay in the visa.
