Checked on 13 October 2026 against ICP and GDRFA Dubai service pages.
The overstay fine in the UAE is AED 50 for every day you stay after your visa or permit runs out. The rate is the same in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, and it applies to visit, tourist and residence visas alike. What differs is when the counting starts. Visitors are fined from the first day after their permitted stay ends. Residents only start paying once their grace period after expiry or cancellation is used up.
If you were hoping the 2026 waiver would cover you, it has ended. ICP cancelled it in June and gave affected people until 9 July 2026 to leave or fix their status. Since then, the normal AED 50 a day applies to everyone.
How much is the overstay fine in the UAE?
ICP lists the fine as AED 50 per day for overstaying on an entry visa, a residence permit, an exit permit or a newborn’s registration, whether the document expired or was cancelled. ICP’s fee list shows no cap and no separate first-day charge. Every calendar day counts, weekends and public holidays included.
| Days overstayed | Fine |
|---|---|
| 1 day | AED 50 |
| 1 week | AED 350 |
| 10 days | AED 500 |
| 30 days | AED 1,500 |
| 90 days | AED 4,500 |
| 6 months (180 days) | AED 9,000 |
That is the fine on its own. Paying through ICP’s smart services adds an AED 100 service fee, and typing centres or Amer centres add their own charges on top. If a quote from an agent is much higher than the table above, ask for an itemised breakdown before you pay.
You may still see older figures online, such as AED 100 a day for tourists or AED 25 for residents, sometimes with a fee for an “out pass”. Those rates were replaced when the UAE unified overstay fines at AED 50.
When the fine starts: visit visa or residence visa
Visit and tourist visas
There is no grace period on a visit visa. Fines start the day after the permitted stay shown on your visa ends. Getting a job offer or an interview call doesn’t pause the count either. Only an approved extension, a change of status or leaving the country stops it. If your employer is changing you from a visit visa to a work visa, check your record after each step instead of trusting a promise that it’s “in process”. Our guide to moving from a visit visa to a work visa explains the stages.
Residence visas after expiry or cancellation
Residents get a grace period first, and its length depends on the type of residence. These are the periods ICP lists on its residence cancellation service:
| Residence type | Grace period |
|---|---|
| Golden, Green and Blue residence holders and their families, widows and divorced women of residents, students who have finished their studies, foreign relatives of UAE citizens | 180 days |
| Skilled workers in MOHRE levels 1 to 3, property owners | 90 days |
| Residence issued with a guarantor or host | 60 days |
| All other categories, including most employment visas | 30 days |
The AED 50 a day begins the day after the grace period ends. If you lost your job, count from the date your residence was cancelled in the immigration system, not your last working day. The two can be weeks apart. Our guides to the UAE visa grace period and work visa cancellation explain how to see the exact date on your file.
UAE overstay fine check: Dubai or the other emirates?
Which website you use depends on the emirate that issued your visa, not where you live now. A Dubai-issued visa sits with GDRFA Dubai. Visas from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah sit with ICP. If you’re not sure, look at the place of issue on your visa or e-visa. On a residence visa, the file number usually starts with the emirate’s code, for example 201 for Dubai, 101 for Abu Dhabi and 301 for Sharjah.
Dubai overstay fine check through GDRFA
- Open the GDRFA Fines Inquiry Service.
- Search by file number, UDB number, Emirates ID or passport number, and choose “Resident” or “Permit” (a visit visa is a permit).
- Select the place of issue, then enter your nationality, date of birth and gender.
- Take a screenshot of the result. You’ll want it if you pay through an agent or apply for a reduction.
The same service shows fines on files under your sponsorship, so a father can check his family’s visas one by one. Each person has their own record, so check each one separately.
Overstay fine check for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates
On ICP Smart Services, the File Validity service under Public Services shows whether your visa or residence is still valid and when it expired. To see and pay the amount owed, sign in with UAE Pass and open the visa or residence violation fine service. The UAEICP app works the same way.
If a search returns nothing, don’t assume you owe nothing. A renewed passport, a typo in your name or the wrong place of issue can all hide a record. Call GDRFA on 800 5111 for Dubai files or ICP on 600 522222 for the rest.
How to pay an overstay fine
Online. ICP’s fine payment service runs 24/7 on its website and app, and you need UAE Pass to sign in. You review the details it pulls from your file, correct anything that’s wrong, and pay the fine plus the AED 100 smart services fee. Dubai files can also be paid through GDRFA’s website and app.
In person. Amer centres in Dubai, ICP customer happiness centres and licensed typing centres can process the payment for you. Expect a service charge on top of the fine.
At the airport. GDRFA’s FAQ says that if you’ve overstayed for less than 30 days, you can pay at Dubai airports as you leave. If it’s more than 30 days, you have to pay at GDRFA headquarters before travelling. Some of the amounts on that FAQ page are out of date, so if your overstay is close to 30 days, call 800 5111 before you go to the airport. Missing a flight over this costs far more than the phone call.
Paying doesn’t make your visa valid again. ICP’s own service page says your status must be adjusted, or you must leave the UAE, after the fine is paid. Keep the receipt with your passport until you’ve left or your new visa is issued.
UAE visa fine waiver: what happened in 2026
Many people are searching for a waiver because of the regional disruption earlier this year. Here’s how it played out:
- 4 March 2026: ICP waived overstay fines incurred from 28 February 2026 for people who couldn’t leave because of airspace closures and flight suspensions. It covered visit and tourist visa holders, exit permit holders, and residents who had cancelled their residence before departing.
- June 2026: ICP said the circumstances behind the waiver “no longer exist” and replaced it with a 30-day grace period from 10 June to 9 July 2026. People who had been covered by the waiver got it automatically and could leave, or apply for residence or a job, without fines.
- From 10 July 2026: the normal AED 50 a day applies again. No general amnesty has been announced since, as of 13 October 2026.
The last general visa amnesty ran from 1 September to 31 December 2024. Messages claiming a new amnesty appear on WhatsApp and Facebook regularly. Until you see it on ICP’s or GDRFA’s own website, treat it as a rumour.
How to request an overstay fine reduction in Dubai
If the fine is too big to pay, GDRFA Dubai has a formal service, Exemption from fines for violators of Residence Law, which lets you ask for the penalty to be reduced or cancelled. A fines committee decides each case, and there’s no guarantee.
You’ll need:
- A copy of the passport of the person who overstayed.
- A letter explaining why the overstay happened and why the fine can’t be paid.
- Anything else the committee asks for.
You can apply at an Amer centre, a GDRFA customer happiness centre or the Al Aweer centre, or online through GDRFA smart services. GDRFA charges AED 15.75 when the sponsor is an individual. Khaleej Times reports that Amer centres charge about AED 390 for the service and that requests are generally considered for fines of AED 4,000 or more. GDRFA’s service page itself doesn’t state a minimum.
The letter is what the committee actually reads, so make it specific. Give the dates, say what went wrong and attach proof. Proof could be hospital reports, a termination letter, a labour complaint over unpaid salary, or cancelled flight bookings. A short, factual letter with documents does better than a long appeal for sympathy.
For visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the northern emirates, we couldn’t find a published online reduction service on ICP’s site. Ask at an ICP customer happiness centre or call 600 522222 before paying anyone to “apply” for you.
Mistakes that make an overstay worse
- Paying a fixer to “remove” the fine. Only GDRFA or ICP can cancel a fine, through the process above. Anyone promising to erase it for cash is running a scam. Our guide to job and visa scams in the UAE covers the common tricks.
- Sharing your UAE Pass. Never approve a login request you didn’t start, even if an agent asks. UAE Pass can sign documents in your name.
- Waiting for the employer. If your company cancelled your visa, the grace period is running whether or not they’ve paid your final dues. Chase the money separately and keep your own status legal.
- Checking one family member and assuming the rest. Each dependant has their own file and their own expiry date.
- Confusing an overstay with an absconding report. An absconding report is filed by an employer and is handled differently. If your employer is also holding your passport, deal with that through MOHRE first.
Overstay fine questions people ask
Is there a grace period on a UAE visit visa?
No. Fines start the day after your permitted stay ends. If you need more time, apply for an extension before the visa expires.
Do weekends and public holidays count?
Yes. The fine is charged for every calendar day.
Can I pay my overstay fine at Dubai airport?
For Dubai, GDRFA says yes if the overstay is under 30 days. For longer overstays, pay at GDRFA headquarters before your flight. Call 800 5111 to confirm before you travel.
Can someone else pay my fine?
A sponsor, relative or employer can pay it, but get the receipt in your name. A screenshot of a payment you can’t verify won’t help you at the airport.
Is there an overstay fine waiver right now?
No. The 2026 waiver for people affected by airspace closures ended with the grace period on 9 July 2026. Individual reduction requests through GDRFA are still possible.
Will an unpaid fine stop me getting a new UAE visa?
Unpaid overstay fines have to be cleared before you leave or before a new visa can be issued, so settle them first. Other unpaid fines, such as for ILOE unemployment insurance, are handled separately by MOHRE and can delay a new work permit until they’re paid.
Sources and helplines
This guide is based on ICP’s fine payment service and residence cancellation service, the GDRFA Dubai fines inquiry and FAQ pages, ICP’s March 2026 announcement, and reporting by Gulf News and Khaleej Times. Rules change, so confirm your own case with GDRFA Dubai (800 5111) or ICP (600 522222). This is general information, not legal advice.
