UAE Residence Visa validity check in 2024

One way to check the expiry date of your UAE visa is through the official website of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security:

1. Go to the official ICA website.

The home page automatically opens in Arabic, but you can switch to English by clicking on the corresponding button.

2. Click on the Passport Information button.

Alternatively, one can proceed with a file number that can be found on a UAE residence visa in the upper right corner. Still, using passport details is quicker and easier and we would recommend going in this direction, as it described below.

3. Choose the type of search.

You should click on the Visa button in case you are in the country on:

• Tourist, business, student or transit visa;
• Electronic visa;
• Entry Permit.

If you have a retirement visa, residence permit or work visa in the Emirates, click on the Residency button.

4. Fill in the number and expiry date of your passport.

Note that the expiry date is filled in the dd/mm/yyyy format.

5. Enter your nationality.

In the case of multiple citizenship, state the nationality that your UAE visa is attached to. You just go down the list provided in the field in order to find your country. Then, you can either fill in the number that you will see next to it or simply click on the name of your country and the interface will complete the entry for you.

6. Confirm that you are not a robot and click on the Enter button.

Once you complete the procedure, you will be shown:

• Your visa number and its current status, namely valid or closed
• Dates of issue, expiry and, if applicable, cancellation of your visa

Check a UAE Residence Visa Status Using the GDRFA Portal

If you have a visitor’s visa or residence permit in Dubai, you can also check its validity status on the official portal of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA). Keep in mind, though, that if you have a visa to any other Emirate, you will need to use the procedure described in the previous section.

The reason for this is, the GDRFA portal is not only available for other Emirates in the UAE. In fact, they do not even have access to each other’s databases. The actual procedure is virtually identical to the previous one, and it is just as quick and easy too, but we will go through it in detail here for your convenience.

1. Go to the GDRFA official website.

2. Choose the type of inquiry.

You will be given a choice of entry permit and residence, and you need to click on the latter.

3. Pick the type of service.

Again, you will be shown a list of available services, and you need to click on the Residence Validity button.

4. Fill in your personal data, such as:

• Name (here type in your first name);
• Date of birth (type in the dd/mm/yyyy format);
• Nationality (see our comments on how to enter it in the previous section);
• Gender.

5. Fill in your immigration data, such as:

• Visa number;
• Residence file number (you will find it on your visa);
• Year of issue of your current visa.

6. Confirm that you are not a robot and click on the Submit button.

Once you complete the procedure, the following data will be displayed on your screen:

• Your personal information, including your surname;
• Type of your visa;
• Its number and expiry date.

The GDRFA also provides mobile applications for this purpose. This may be a convenient way to check your UAE visa status on the go, but then you will need to install the app in advance. Luckily, it is available for both Android and iOS devices. For accessing the application, users of Android devices need to download the APK extension file.

Once the GDRFA app is running, you need to make the following steps:

1. Register your profile in the application by typing in the required personal data.

2. Tap on the Services button.

3. Proceed to the Entry Permit / Residence Status Inquiry.

4. Tap on the Residence Inquiry button.

5. Fill in your personal and immigration data in the same manner as you would on the GDRFA website (see the instruction above).

6. Tap on the Inquiry button.

The app will show you the same information that you would see on the GDRFA portal (see the instruction above).

If you do not see a green tick at the bottom of the page after you submit the inquiry, it means that you have entered some data incorrectly and need to go through the fields once more to correct the mistake.

Grace Period and Fines

If you have checked the visa expiry date in one of the suggested ways and realised that the remaining period puts you on a tight schedule for visa renewal or departure, the problem might be fixed easier than it seems. There is a grace period in the UAE regulations allowing foreigners to stay in the country for another 30 calendar days with no penalties.

Keep in mind that the extra days are given for helping foreigners tackle unforeseen issues, pay the bills and prepare for the departure. If you have, in fact, an opportunity to depart before the expiry date, it is inadvisable to misuse the grace period just for leisure purposes.

It might happen that a foreigner has overstayed the grace period too. In such a case, the foreigner will be fined for visa regime violation. More specifically, the migration law determines a penalty for the visa violations that is depending on the length of an overstay period:

• 25 dirhams per day are fined in the first 180 days following the grace period;
• 50 dirhams per day are fined for the next 180 days;
• and, finally, 100 dirhams per day are fined afterwards.

Needless to say, this is a considerable amount, which could explain why the Emirates immigration authorities do not enforce the visa regime by departations. The decision to overstay visa period or not, based on your personal circumstances, will rest with you.

Author: Tranio Editorial