Starting April 11, the Emirates ID will be replacing residency visas in passports of UAE expats.

According to a circular issued by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, UAE residents’ Emirates ID will soon count as their residency in an aim to upgrade services offered to the public issued in a Cabinet resolution earlier this year. Airports will be able to verify residency status through residents’ Emirates ID and passport number.

The residency visa is a sticker stamped onto an expatriate’s passport after undergoing a medical test. It’s duration lies between two to ten years depending on the residents’ visa status.