Last updated
To check your UAE visa status, first find out which emirate issued it. For Dubai visas, use the GDRFA status inquiry: it covers applications, issued files, entry permits and residence permits. For the other emirates, ICP has two services: application tracking for a request still in progress, and file validity for a visa already issued. You need your application or file number, or your passport number with nationality and date of birth.
Which tool for which visa
| Your situation | Tool | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Visa applied for or issued in Dubai | Status inquiry: smart.gdrfad.gov.ae | GDRFA |
| Application in progress, other emirates | Application tracking: smartservices.icp.gov.ae | ICP |
| Issued visa or residence, other emirates | File validity: smartservices.icp.gov.ae | ICP |
| Overstay fines on a Dubai file | Fines inquiry service: gdrfad.gov.ae | GDRFA |
Source: u.ae page on tracking a visa application and validity, and the GDRFA service pages, checked .
Not sure where your visa came from? Look at the place of issue on the e-visa. A visa filed by a Dubai tourism company or a sponsor living in Dubai is usually a GDRFA visa. If you still cannot tell, try GDRFA first, then ICP.
The GDRFA status inquiry, tab by tab
The GDRFA page has five tabs: Application, File, Establishment inquiry, Reconsideration request and Counter application. The page does not explain each one, but the names point the way:
- Application fits a visa request that has been submitted and not yet issued.
- File fits a visa or residence that has been issued.
- Establishment inquiry concerns company cards, not visitors.
The fields across these tabs include application number, transaction number, first name in English, file number, nationality, date of birth, passport number and year of birth. GDRFA does not publish which tab asks for which fields, so have them all ready.
The ICP services
- Application tracking follows a request through ICP before the visa is issued. Use the application number you received.
- File validity checks a visa or residence that already exists. Guides report that it accepts a file number or passport details with nationality and date of birth, and shows the file number, UID, status, issue and expiry dates. Check the form itself, as ICP may change the fields.
Details to have in hand
- Application or transaction number from the confirmation.
- File number, once the visa is issued.
- Passport number used on the application.
- First name in English, as typed on the application.
- Nationality and date of birth.
How to run the check
- Open the tool for your emirate.
- Pick the tab or search type that matches what you have: application number for a request, file number for an issued visa.
- Type your name exactly as on the application, with the same spacing.
- Enter the date of birth in the format the form shows.
- Read the result and note the dates.
What the result tells you
The tools do not publish a glossary of status labels, and the wording differs between GDRFA and ICP. The results fall into a few groups:
- Still in process. The request is with the authority. GDRFA lists 48 hours and ICP 2 days for most visit visas once the file is complete. See Dubai visa processing time.
- Waiting for documents. Something is missing. GDRFA gives 30 days to add it, then cancels the request.
- Approved or issued. The entry permit exists. Download the e-visa and check the entry deadline.
- Rejected. The file was refused. Our Dubai visa rejection reasons guide covers next steps.
- Valid, expired or cancelled on a file check, with the dates.
If you want to know whether a visa someone sent you is genuine, rather than where your application stands, read Dubai visa verification.
Fees linked to what you find
| What the check shows | Official fee |
|---|---|
| Stay past the permitted date | AED 50 per day overstay fine |
| Paying fines through ICP | AED 100 smart services fee |
| Paying fines through GDRFA | No service fee, only the fines |
| Entry window about to lapse (ICP, before arrival) | AED 50 to extend it once |
| Need more time after arrival (GDRFA) | AED 600 plus 5% VAT per extension |
Source: ICP and GDRFA service pages, checked . Neither status page states a fee for the lookup itself.
For a longer stay, see Dubai visa extension. For fines, see UAE overstay fine.
Visa not found: what to try
- Wrong authority. A Dubai visa will not show on ICP's file validity, and the reverse.
- Name typed differently. Middle names, spaces and spelling must match the application.
- Wrong passport. If you renewed your passport after applying, search with the old number.
- Too soon. A brand new submission may not appear at once. Try again later in the day.
- Agency or airline filed it. Ask them for the application or transaction number. Emirates, for example, handles its own visa requests.
- Still nothing. Contact the authority through its official channels with your passport copy and the confirmation you received.
Tips
- Save a screenshot of each result with the date. It helps if you need to show a sponsor or airline.
- Check again two days before you fly, so the entry deadline holds no surprises.
- Residents can use the same tools for a residence file, but this page is about visit visas.
Official sources
- u.ae: track a visa application and validity: GDRFA for Dubai, ICP for the other emirates.
- GDRFA status inquiry: tabs and search fields.
- ICP application tracking: requests in progress.
- ICP file validity: issued visas and residence files.
- GDRFA fines inquiry service: fines search fields.
- ICP payment of violation fines: AED 50 a day and the AED 100 smart services fee.
