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To cancel a UAE residence visa, the sponsor files at GDRFA for a Dubai visa or at ICP for other emirates. GDRFA charges AED 100 plus AED 10 and AED 10 and lists 48 hours. Family members under you are cancelled first. Once it is done, a grace period starts: 60 days on most GDRFA pages, up to 180 days for golden and green holders.
This page covers every residence type. For staff leaving a job, the MOHRE side is on employment visa cancellation. For a spouse or child, see family visa cancellation.
Who files the cancellation
| Your residence | Who cancels it |
|---|---|
| Employment, private or free zone | The employer |
| Wife, husband, child or parent | The resident sponsor |
| Student at a university | The university, as host and guarantor |
| Property owner, retiree, green, golden | You, as your own sponsor |
You cannot cancel an employer's visa yourself, because the company is the sponsor on the file.
Cancellation fees
| Line | GDRFA Dubai | ICP |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation | AED 100 | AED 50 application |
| Knowledge and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 + AED 10 | Not listed |
| Smart services | Not listed | AED 100 |
| Exceptional cancellation | Not listed | AED 100 |
| Deposit fee | Not listed | AED 20 |
| Cancel sponsor, keep family | Not listed | AED 5,000 guarantee |
Source: GDRFA cancellation of all types of residence and ICP residency cancellation, checked .
ICP lists an exceptional cancellation line but does not explain which cases it covers. The GDRFA page uses one fee for every residence type.
What Dubai agencies charge
We found only one Dubai agency that publishes a cancellation price, which is not enough for a range. So we do not show one.
The order of cancellation
Order matters more than the fee. Get it wrong and the system blocks the next step.
- Dependants under you. ICP and u.ae say family permits go before the sponsor's own.
- The MOHRE work permit, if you are a private sector employee. GDRFA asks for the cancellation extract.
- Your own residence.
Your Emirates ID is cancelled with the residence. You do not file a separate request.
Grace periods by category
After cancellation you have time to leave, get a new visa or change status. The length depends on your category and the source.
| Category | Grace period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector, family, retiree, student, property owner (Dubai) | 60 days | GDRFA service pages |
| Green residence | 180 days | GDRFA |
| Golden residence | 180 days | GDRFA and ICP |
| Skilled workers levels 1 to 3, property owners | 90 days | ICP |
| Permits with a guarantor or host | 60 days | ICP |
| All other categories | 30 days | ICP |
Source: GDRFA and ICP pages above, checked .
These do not line up. A Dubai property owner reads 60 days on GDRFA and 90 days on ICP. Plan on the shorter one. The grace period guide sets the full ICP list next to u.ae's wording.
From the day after the grace period, ICP charges AED 50 a day.
Documents checklist
- Sponsor's passport (for a self-sponsored visa, your own)
- Passport of the person whose visa is cancelled
- MOHRE work permit cancellation extract, for private sector staff
- Proof that dependants under you are already cancelled
Processing time
GDRFA lists 48 hours once the file is complete. Check the result on the visa status check page: a Dubai file should show cancelled once the request is approved.
Why a cancellation gets stuck
- A dependant is still active on your file.
- The MOHRE extract is missing, so GDRFA cannot match the closed work permit.
- Fines on the file. An expired visa past its grace period carries a daily fine.
- An open absconding report. See absconding case UAE.
- Wrong authority. A Sharjah visa sent to GDRFA, or a Dubai visa sent to ICP.
Staying in the UAE after cancelling
You can stay during the grace period without a fine. Many people use it to move to a new visa without leaving. A status change inside the UAE works from a cancelled residence to a new one. If you are leaving for good, close bank and utility accounts before the date, because the Emirates ID stops working when the residence is cancelled.
How it works with us
Send us the passport and visa copies for you and anyone on your file, on WhatsApp or the form on this page. A visa adviser maps the order: who goes first, whether a MOHRE step is open, and which grace period applies to you. Before you pay, you get one total price for the whole cancellation. The team files each step with GDRFA or ICP, follows it until the status shows cancelled, and sends you the confirmation. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP approves the cancellation.
Government fees do not come back if a request is rejected. Your adviser says in writing, before you pay, which part of our total, if any, is refundable.
Official sources
- GDRFA cancellation of all residence types: fees, documents, 48 hours, 60-day grace.
- ICP residency cancellation: ICP fee lines, grace periods by category, start of the overstay fine.
- u.ae general provisions: family first, automatic cancellation after 180 days abroad.
- GDRFA green residence: 180-day grace.
All checked .
