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Exit and re-entry means you leave the UAE and come back on a new visit visa, instead of extending or changing status inside. The two common routes are an A2A (airport to airport) flight and a bus trip to Oman. Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 1,049 to AED 1,700 for a 30-day A2A change and AED 950 to AED 1,250 for a bus change, checked .
What it costs
There is no government fee called "visa change". You pay for a new visit visa, the trip out and any fines left on the old visa.
| Part | Official fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New 30-day tourist visa, single entry | AED 200 plus 5% VAT | GDRFA, filed by a tourism office |
| New 60-day tourist visa, single entry | AED 300 plus 5% VAT | GDRFA |
| Inside-country fee | Only if issued while you are in the UAE | AED 500 + AED 10 + AED 10 |
| Overstay on the old visa | AED 50 a day | Collected at exit |
Source: GDRFA single-entry tourist visa page and ICP violation fine page, checked .
The point of leaving is that you avoid the inside-country lines (AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10) that GDRFA adds when a new visit visa is issued to someone already in the UAE. The flight or bus costs, and the time out, are the trade-off.
What Dubai agencies charge
- A2A visa change, 30 days: about AED 1,049 to AED 1,700 (published prices of 3 Dubai agencies, checked ). One agency includes a return ticket and limits its price to certain passports. Another does not say the visa length.
- Bus visa change via Oman: about AED 950 to AED 1,250 (published prices of 2 Dubai agencies, checked ). One includes bus tickets, the Dubai visa and the Oman visa.
Prices change with fares and passports, so the quote you get may sit outside these ranges.
A2A or bus: how each route works
A2A by air. You fly out to a nearby airport and wait while the new UAE visa is issued, then fly back. It is quick if the visa comes through in time. If it does not, you wait abroad, and a missed return flight costs extra.
Bus via Oman. You travel by road to Oman, cross the border, and return once the new visa is ready. It is slower and depends on Oman letting you in. Entry to Oman depends on your passport and Oman's own rules, which we do not set out here. Check them on the Royal Oman Police visa service before you book.
What official pages say, and what they do not
We read the ICP, GDRFA and u.ae pages on visit visas, extensions and violations. Here is the honest picture:
- No official page we read sets a waiting period between two visit visas.
- No official page we read bans exit and re-entry on visit visas.
- No official page describes "A2A" or "visa change" as a service. It is a new visa application like any other.
- Some visas cap your days in a period. The 5-year tourist visa allows 90 days per stay and 180 days a year. The 90-day visa on arrival gives 90 days in total within 6 months; the airline page notes Europeans who use it up can apply for a pre-arranged visit visa. Malaysians must finish their 30 days before a new 30-day cycle starts.
- Fines must be paid before or at exit. ICP says after paying you either adjust status or leave.
Silence is not approval. Every new visa is decided by GDRFA or ICP, and the immigration officer at entry decides whether you come in.
Documents for an exit change
- Passport valid at least 6 months.
- Copy of your current visa and entry stamp.
- Photo to the ICAO standard, white background.
- UAE-valid health insurance for the new visa.
- Return or onward ticket, and a hotel booking or host address.
- National ID copy for the nationalities GDRFA lists, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.
Timing
GDRFA states 48 hours for a tourist visa. Plan for the visa to be issued while you are out. Leave a margin and never let the old visa run out before you exit.
Risks and refusal reasons
- The new visa is refused while you are outside. You cannot come back on it. Your belongings and plans in Dubai do not change that.
- Entry is decided at the border. Carry the return ticket, hotel booking or host address and insurance for the new visa, even if the airline did not ask.
- Overstay or a report on your file. Fines block exit until paid. An escape report needs its own fix, see the absconding case guide.
- Weak documents. A missing return ticket, insurance that is not valid in the UAE or a photo off the ICAO standard means the file fails the official conditions. See Dubai visa rejection reasons.
Exit, extension or status change
If you are under 120 days on a tourist visa, a visa extension inside the UAE is simpler. If you have a sponsor for a new visit or residence visa, a status change avoids travel. Exit and re-entry makes most sense when you have hit the cap, have no inside sponsor, or the inside fees push the total above a short trip.
How it works with us
Send your passport copy, current visa and the date you need to be back, on WhatsApp or through the form here. A visa adviser compares an A2A trip, a bus trip, an extension and a status change for your passport and days used. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay, with what it includes spelled out. The team files the new visa, times it with your exit and follows it until the permit arrives. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP decides the visa, and border officers decide entry.
Government visa fees are not returned by the authorities if the new visa is refused, and tickets follow the airline or bus rules. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing which part of the total, if any, you get back after a refusal.
Official sources
- GDRFA single-entry tourist visa: fees, inside-country lines, documents, 48 hours.
- GDRFA 5-year tourist visa: 90 days per stay, 180 a year, fines at departure.
- ICP payment of violation fines: AED 50 a day, adjust status or leave.
- u.ae visa requirements: who needs a visa before entry.
All checked .
