Your Guide To Overstaying Your Visa In The UAE

Numerous people visit the UAE on a tourist visa to join a company or search for work in the region then stay a couple of extra days while they wait for their employment or residency visa to be issued.

On some of the visas this isn’t too much of a problem, for a while at least, while on others it can cost you a pretty penny or even get you sent to jail.

Tourist Visa

Tourist visas are usually valid for a 30 day stay period and can be valid for either a single entry or multiple entries. If you stay longer than the 30 days, you will be fined Dh 200 on the first day and an additional Dh 100 per extra day that you remain in the country. The fine is payable to the immigration offices or at the airport when exiting the country.

Residence / Employment Visa

UAE immigration rules state that you need to leave the country or get a new visa within 30 days after cancellation of the visa. If you do not leave the country within this specified period, you will have to pay Dh 25 per day for the first six months, Dh 50 per day for the second six months and Dh 100 per day after one year. Payments are calculated from the first day after the grace period has ended.

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For children you will need to pay Dh 120 for the first day and an additional Dh 25 for each subsequent day. Children overstaying their visa will not become a criminal case.

Adults overstaying after the grace period has finished can however face a number of consequences.

These consequences, in addition to the fines, can include the following:

• Being blacklisted
• Receive an immigration ban
• Sentenced to jail for 3 months
• Be deported

If you received another job after cancelling your visa but haven’t been issued a new visa before the grace period expires, we recommend doing a visa run to Oman. You will however have to wait until your new visa is issued before you can enter Dubai again but at least it will be easier and faster than flying to your home country.