Q: I filed a civil case against a businesswoman in Dubai due to a bounced cheque. There is judgment already and I filed execution as well. Will she be able to renew her residence visa and business license if there are pending civil and criminal cases against her? It is a single proprietorship business owned by her.

Q: Can someone renew his residency visa if a civil case is filed against him? I had a criminal case last year (June 2018) due to bounced cheque (credit card issue). I have not paid the fine yet of AED 10,000. My visa renewal is due on May 2019. I don't know if the bank has filed a civil case already.

Q: I have a bounced cheque case for my room. My visa expires next month. Will it have an effect on renewal? If no, will my company come to know? Please advise!

Q: Good afternoon I’ve been trying to make a visa for my maid for several months as I have fallen victim to fraud on an online website claiming to be Amer. It’s been several months and I’m trying to remove absconding now as she has overstayed. The company that has put absconding on her visa is located in Abu Dhabi. They no longer exist and they shut down 2 weeks after her entrance. I’ve gone to Immigration several times and they don’t seem to help. Is there something I can do? Can I be guided on what I can do about the matter to lift the absconding? Please help

Q: Hi, My brother was accused of driving under the influence of drugs. He is now on government bail, and his case is already under investigation. This happened on December 28, 2024. His visa is about to expire, can he renew it? If yes, what should he do? Secondly, the case is taking too much time, and he insists that he was not driving under the influence of drugs.

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

As the civil and commercial transactions in the UAE have been growing rapidly, and due to replacing cash with other financial instruments such as cheques for big amounts of money, this had caused some hiccups at times leading to criminal and civil consequences on the person who defaults on fulfilling obligations.

The UAE attracts a large population of expatriates from around the world for business or leisure. It occurs sometimes that those expatriates violate the rules of their visas and incur overstay fines which accumulate the longer they stay beyond their visa's expiry date. This may result in travel restrictions, banning violators from entering the UAE for a certain period or lifetime. The UAE authorities have now announced a two-month scheme for violators to rectify their situations.

The provisions of this Law apply to the commercial companies established in the UAE and the foreign companies that have established in the UAE a base to conduct any activity therein or established a branch or representative office. The Law abrogates Federal Law No. (8) of 1984 Concerning Commercial Companies.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.