From 1 February 2016, expired residence permits can no longer be renewed by employers if they have been expired for more than 90 days. Accordingly, residence permits which have not been renewed within this time frame will be considered as cancelled. Currently, the renewal process for expired residence permits can take place even after 90 days from expiration, after clearing the respective fines and violation records.

As a compliance requirement for employers in general, and in order to avoid travel and other difficulties for employees, it is important to ensure residence permits are renewed before their expiry date. In fact, residence permits for employees can be renewed as early as six months before the expiration.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals