Your Guide to UAE Visa Overstay Fines

Even with all preparations in place, many visitors unknowingly overstay their visit to the UAE. This situation can certainly land you into trouble if you don’t take the appropriate steps as per the country’s regulations.

The most obvious consequence is the visit visa overstay fine, which keeps increasing with time. However, this too comes with a grace period and various other terms that you must know.

To make it easy for you, we will learn more about the importance of not going over the stipulated time of visa. We will also understand what an overstay visa fine is and how you can pay it.

Overstay Visa Fine — An Overview

An overstay visa fine in UAE is not an exclusive fee. It is rather a charge imposed for each day you continue to stay in the country after the visa has expired.

The UAE has now one set penalty for overstaying — a fine of AED 50 per day. This fine applies whether you’re a tourist or a resident.

For instance, if you stay beyond the visa deadline for a week, your fine will be AED 50 x 7, i.e. AED 350. 

Important: No grace period is available for those visiting Dubai on a tourist visa.

Furthermore, if you overstay your visa, you must get a Dubai/UAE out pass. This document serves as an exit permit for leaving the UAE, available for a cost of AED 300.

Cancelled Visa Overstay Fine

Besides the exit pass, you must also be aware of the grace period in case of visa cancellation. 

In case your visa is cancelled, you will get a 6 months’ grace period. This will apply till you leave the country or initiate the application for another visa. 

Importance of Paying Overstay Visa Fines on Time

Ideally, one should be aware of when their visa is expiring. However, in case you miss the deadline, it’s still important to take the right steps and pay the overstay fines at the earliest — 

• Taking care of legal status: With a valid visa, you can legally reside or work in the UAE. In case you fail to pay fines, it may cause visa cancellation. This, in turn, can render your stay illegal.
• Avoiding any further fines and penalties: Overstaying or failing to renew your visa can bring big fines on a daily basis. These fines can collect in no time and present a major financial burden.
• Restrictions on visits: Fines, if not paid on time, can lead to travel bans. This can stop you from exiting the nation, which can disrupt further travel plans and may lead to major inconveniences.
• Challenges in visa applications later: If you have a record of unpaid penalties during your stay in the UAE, you may find it more difficult to get a UAE visa in future — be it for work or residence. In fact, in extreme circumstances, this can also cause blacklisting.

How to Easily Pay UAE Visa Overstay Fine?

Here’s how you can settle visa overstay fines in the UAE — 

Via ICP

• Head to the official website of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP). 
• On the home page, select ‘Fines and Leave Permits’.
• Choose the option to pay fines.
• If you are on a residence visa, the empty fields that appear on the page must be filled. 

If not, click on ‘Citizens of Certain Countries’ followed by filling out the empty fields.

• Follow the on-screen instructions and review the application.
• You will be taken to a page where you can pay the visa overstay fine. Once done, you will be notified that the transaction has been done.

Via GDRFA

You can also head to the official website of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA). 

Simply select the option for ‘Fines Inquiry’. You can then sort details as per your file number, passport number, and more. Once done, simply follow the prompted steps to pay your overstay fine.