Going home tomorrow on the noon flight. It’s been a short rotation this time, only 4 weeks. My business visa expires on July 13th, so I need to leave early. Or so I thought.

The business visa for this country allows me to be in the country for 21 days at a time, but it’s multi entry, so I can come and go as I please, but can stay no longer than 21 days. I was here for 3 weeks, left the country and came back in, but was denied entry due to the fact my visa was only good for 1 more week. Not 21 days.

So, here it is, 11:30 at night, I can’t get into the country unless I have a valid visa. Options? Well, I suppose I could go back out to the tarmac and see if I can jump on the next plane back home, but I don’t have a ticket for that, nor can I get to the departures desk. I could buy a new visit visa and enter the country, that would at least get me to the hotel where I can get some sleep. That sounds like an option I can get behind, so that’s it. I go to the visa desk, and explain that I need a visit visa because they can’t let me enter on my business visa. The lady behind the desk looks at my passport and says ‘You just came from Dubai? You can get an entry visa for 3 weeks. No cost.’ I explain that I was told that my visa had expired and I would have to get a new visa. To which she replied, ‘No, we will extend as a courtesy, as you just came from Dubai.’, and she indicated that I should go to passport control and it would be taken care of. The passport control person said the same thing as the first one, I couldn’t enter because there was not enough left on the existing visa. The lady at the visa desk, stated talking to him, loudly as they were about 20 feet apart, and also speaking in Arabic, so I had not clue as to what was being exchanged. After the conversation was over, he turns to his partner in the booth and says, ‘Hand me the the three week stamp’. While I’m standing at the counter to get my passport stamped, another gentleman, in military uniform, strolls up and begins to explain to me that I would need to have a new visa prior to my next visit to the country. Which I knew, and is in the works from the company I work for.

Anyway, I’m wondering if I’m in the country legally?