UAE residency visa stickers, which are placed on passport pages, could be replaced by a new electronic system, the Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday.
The Ministry revealed that the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs had discussed the idea during a meeting held in Ajman last week.
The proposal comes in line with Vision 2021, and is indicative of a general migration to smart digital services that reduce paperwork, time and effort.
During the meeting, officials reviewed a similar initiative currently taking place in Ajman, with the pilot phase proving to be a major success so far. Its results show a 50 per cent drop in time taken to apply for and receive a resident visa.
Meanwhile, the ministry has authorised typing centres in Abu Dhabi to print entry permits for the first time since the launch of the new smart visa system.
The smart visa system, launched on August 1, allows individuals, establishments and typing centres to obtain entry and residency permits digitally, without having to visit customer service centres.
