The government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a new rule regarding the passport validity of foreigners in their country. As UAE is one country in the Middle East that employs many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued an advisory to inform OFWs about the new rule.

The secretary of DOLE, Marianito Roque addressed the advisory to all OFWs bound to UAE (new and returning) to check the validity period of their Philippine passport to avoid delays and hassles in the processing of their employment visa.

The new UAE rule requires that for foreign workers with no UAE Residence permit, his/her passport must be valid for at least six months. On the other hand, for the holders of a UAE special entry permit/employment visa, the passports must have a validity of at least three months.

Roque said that the UAE entry permit/visa is needed to be allowed entry to the Middle Eastern country and to be able to return to the country where the passport was issued. One cannot avail of a UAE entry permit/visa without a valid passport.

One can apply for a UAE entry visa at the office of the UAE embassy or consulate in his/her native country. The Naturalization and Residency Department in the UAE also issues the said entry visa.

The DOLE secretary said that OFWs in UAE must abide by the new rules imposed by the UAE government concerning visas and entry permit to avoid hassles that may cause delay or keep them from getting a job in UAE.

To ensure that their passports are valid, Roque advised OFWs whose passports are about to expire to renew their passports at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) main office or at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.