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GDRFA Dubai is the government body that decides who may enter and live in Dubai. It issues entry permits (tourist visas, business visas, GCC resident visas), residence visas, cancellations and status checks. It covers Dubai only. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service and not part of GDRFA. We prepare files, and GDRFA makes every decision.
What the name means
You will see three names for the same office. The GDRFA site calls it the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai. The u.ae portal writes General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai, and adds DNRD in brackets. People in Dubai say GDRFA, DNRD or just Dubai immigration. They all mean this one authority.
Source: GDRFA home page and u.ae page on tracking visas, checked .
What GDRFA Dubai handles
The GDRFA home page lists these areas:
- Entry permits: tourist visas, business visas and GCC resident visas.
- Residency: issuing and cancelling residence visas.
- Visa status: verifying entry and residence permits and establishment cards.
- Long-stay programmes: the Green visa and the Golden visa.
For fees and rules on each, our own pages go further. See Dubai visa for visit visas, Dubai visa extension for staying longer and residence visa cancellation for ending a residence.
Which emirate, which authority
| Where the visa was issued | Authority | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | GDRFA Dubai | smart.gdrfad.gov.ae |
| Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | ICP | smartservices.icp.gov.ae |
Source: u.ae, tracking a visa application and validity, checked .
A Sharjah visa will not open in the Dubai tool. If yours came from another emirate, read our ICP visa status check guide instead.
The channels GDRFA lists
- The website, gdrfad.gov.ae, where each service has a page with its steps and fees.
- The Dubai Now app, for iOS and Android.
- The smart portal, smart.gdrfad.gov.ae, which hosts the services and the status inquiry.
- Amer centres, franchised service points where staff submit visa and residency transactions.
- Customer Happiness Centers, the authority's own service halls.
The home page does not name its call centre, so use the contact page on the GDRFA website for that.
The status inquiry
The smart portal has a visa status inquiry. When we loaded it on it showed these tabs and fields:
| Tab | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| Application | Application number, transaction number, payment date |
| File | First name in English, file number, nationality, date of birth |
| Reconsideration request | Passport number, nationality, year of birth |
| Establishment inquiry | Establishment number, expiry date |
The page opens in Arabic first. Switch the language at the top for English. For a walk-through of what to type and what to do when nothing is found, see Dubai visa status check.
Which channel for which job
The service pages name the channels themselves. Two examples we read:
- Cancelling a residence. GDRFA lists a digital channel open round the clock and Amer centres, with a stated time of 48 hours once the file is complete. The fee is AED 100 plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham. The sponsor files it, and an employee's work permit is cancelled with MOHRE first.
- The job exploration visit visa. GDRFA lists online filing through UAE Pass, the Customer Happiness Centers and Amer, again with 48 hours as the processing time.
So the rule of thumb is simple: if the service page offers a digital channel, use it, and if the case is unusual or the system rejects the file, an Amer centre or a Customer Happiness Center can take it by hand. Read the page of the exact service before you go, because the channels differ from one service to the next.
Source: GDRFA service pages for residence cancellation and the job exploration visit visa, checked .
What GDRFA does not do
- It does not handle visas issued by ICP for the other six emirates.
- It does not issue work permits. MOHRE does, and our work permit status check page explains that side.
- It does not publish a list of private agents on its home page. Any firm that claims to be GDRFA is wrong.
Working with a private service
You can apply on your own through the GDRFA channels. A private service helps when you want the documents checked first, when a sponsor or hotel is involved, or when you are abroad and want the entry permit ready before you fly. We pass your file to our processing partners, GDRFA reviews it, and the result comes back to you. We cannot promise approval, and government fees are not returned by the authority after a refusal.
Official sources
- GDRFA Dubai home page: services, channels and the Dubai Now app.
- GDRFA Visa Status service page: the service description.
- GDRFA status inquiry: tabs and fields.
- u.ae: track visa application and validity: which authority covers which emirate.
