Dubai: If your UAE residence visa has expired, or has been cancelled, and if you wish to stay on in the UAE, what is the best way to regularise your status? This was a question raised by a Gulf News reader.
He asked: “I am on a cancelled UAE visa. Is there any way to stay here for more than 30 days because my online courses are ongoing?”
Grace period and overstay fines for UAE visa
UAE visa holders have a certain grace period – depending on the type of visa – to exit the country after their visa expires or is cancelled.
Tourists and visit visa holders have a grace period of 10 days, according to the UAE government’s official website – government.ae.
If a tourist or a visitor overstays beyond the grace period, he or she will be fined with:
• Dh200 for the first day of overstay
• Dh100 each consecutive day
• Dh100, as service fees.
If you have a UAE residence visa, which has been cancelled or has expired, they have a 30-day grace period after visa expiry to either amend their status and get another residence visa or leave the country. Fines do not apply during the grace period.
If they overstay after the grace period, they will be fined with:
• Dh125 for the first day
• Dh25 for each subsequent day
• Dh50 per day after six months of overstaying
• Dh100 per day after one year of overstaying
Can I apply for a new UAE visa?
Under the Ministerial Resolution No. 377 of 2014, holders of all types of visas can modify the status of their entry while staying in the country if they wish to.
However, you will need to pay a Dh550 fee for the ‘change of status’. This is essentially a service which allows individuals to shift to another visa without the need to exit and enter the country.
Depending on the individual’s requirements, they can apply for a short-term or long-term visit visa. According to Sirajudeen Ummer, Public Relations Officer at Dubai-based First Gate Business Services, you can expect minor differences in the visa costs depending on each company.
“There may be variations in the rates of travel agencies as part of a marketing strategy,” he said.
There may be variations in the rates (of the visit visa) of travel agencies as part of a marketing strategy.
So, it would be advisable to check a few travel agencies However, regardless of the minor price differences, the cost will include the ‘change of status’ process fee, which means that the applicant can shift to a new visa, and continue staying in the UAE legally, without the need to exit the UAE’s borders and re-enter.
However, if you are travelling to the UAE from outside the country, the visa costs would be lower. To read more about the visa application process, read our guide here.
Applying for a short-term or long-term visit visa
You can apply for a visit visa, which can be either short-term (30 days) or long-term (90-days).
To apply, you can approach a travel and tourism company in the UAE, by providing the following documents:
• Passport copy (the passport should be valid for at least six months)
• Passport sized photograph
The visa is issued within one or two days and the cost can vary depending on the emirate in which you are applying as well as the company.
Cost
The following amount includes visa cost, mandatory health insurance and change of status cost:
Short-term 30-day visit visa - Dh1,050
Long-term 90-day visit visa – Dh1,350
If you happen to find a new job, or your spouse or parent can apply for a residence visa for you, that is an option available to those living in the UAE here. To find out how you can apply for a new residence visa on a family sponsorship, read our detailed guide here.
