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The UAE overstay fine is AED 50 for every day you stay after your visa ends. It is the same for visit visas, tourist visas and residence permits. Residents get a grace period after expiry or cancellation before it starts. Official pages state no grace period for visitors, so the fine runs from the day after your permitted stay. You pay it before you leave or fix your status.
The fine and related fees
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overstay fine, any permit type | AED 50 a day | ICP |
| Paying through GDRFA Dubai | Fine only, no service fee | GDRFA |
| Paying through ICP Smart Services | Fine + AED 100 smart services | ICP |
| Departure permit, GDRFA Dubai | AED 241 | GDRFA |
| Departure permit, ICP | AED 200 + AED 100 smart services | ICP |
| Departure permit not used in time | AED 50 a day from the eighth day after it expires | ICP |
Source: ICP payment of violation fines and departure permit pages, GDRFA fine collection and departure permit pages, checked .
The calculator above uses the rule set by ICP: days past expiry, minus any grace days, times AED 50. For a visit visa, leave grace at zero.
When the fine starts
Visit and tourist visas. The fine applies once you go past your permitted stay or your entry visa expires. We found no official grace period for these visas. Some blogs say otherwise, but none quote an ICP or GDRFA page.
5-year tourist visa. ICP says the fine starts the day after the grace period ends, but does not say how long that grace is.
Residence permits. ICP gives a grace period after expiry or cancellation that depends on who you are:
- 180 days: Golden, Green and Blue residence holders and their families, widows and divorced women of residents, students after their studies, foreign-passport relatives of UAE citizens.
- 90 days: skilled workers at levels 1 to 3, property owners.
- 60 days: permits issued with a guarantor or host.
- 30 days: all other categories.
GDRFA Dubai service pages state 60 days, and u.ae speaks of grace periods "of up to 6 months". These do not line up neatly. If your category is unclear, check with the authority that issued your visa.
How to check your fine
For a Dubai visa, open the GDRFA Fines Inquiry Service. Search by file number, UDB number, Emirates ID or passport number. The form also asks for nationality, file type (resident or permit), emirate of issue, date of birth and gender.
For visas from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, sign in to ICP Smart Services with UAE Pass and use the violation fine service. The ICP file validity check also tells you whether your visa is still valid. Our visa status check guide shows both tools step by step.
What you need to hand:
- Passport number and nationality.
- File number or UID from the visa or entry stamp.
- Date of birth as printed in the passport.
- UAE Pass, for ICP services.
How to pay and what comes next
GDRFA collects residency law fines online at any hour or at an Amer centre, with no service fee on top. ICP takes payment on its Smart Services website or at its customer happiness centres, with the AED 100 smart services fee.
Paying does not make you legal again by itself. ICP says that after paying, you must either adjust your status or leave the UAE. Your choices:
- Get a new visa inside the country through a status change, if a sponsor will file it.
- Leave on a flight. Fines are collected at the departure port if not paid earlier.
- Get a departure permit first if you are a violator who needs one. ICP asks for a passport, a photo and a ticket leaving within 7 days. You must leave within 7 days of issue, or cancel it and apply again.
GDRFA states 48 hours for its departure permit, so book the flight with that in mind.
What happens to the guarantee deposit
Relative and friend visit visas carry a guarantee: AED 1,000 single entry or AED 2,000 multiple entry at ICP. ICP refunds it after the visa is cancelled or the visitor leaves, but only if there are no residency violations. The GDRFA page for the 5-year tourist visa goes further: on a violation, fines are collected at departure and the guarantee is forfeited. An overstay can cost your sponsor the deposit as well as the daily fine. More on refunds in our visa cancellation guide.
Common mistakes that make it worse
- Counting from the issue date. Your stay counts from the entry stamp. Check it.
- Waiting for a grace period that does not exist. Visitors should treat day one after expiry as a fine day.
- Leaving a departure permit unused. After the window, ICP adds AED 50 a day again.
- Ignoring an escape report. If your sponsor filed one, a fine is not your only problem. See our absconding case guide.
Tips to avoid the fine
- Set a reminder a week before your visa ends.
- If you need more days, a visa extension filed before expiry costs far less than weeks of fines.
- Near the 120-day limit on a tourist visa, look at exit and re-entry before the last day.
Official sources
- ICP payment of visa or residence violation fine: AED 50 a day, what it covers, AED 100 smart services, adjust or leave.
- GDRFA Fines Inquiry Service: search fields.
- GDRFA fine collection for violators: no service fee.
- ICP departure permit: AED 200 + AED 100, 7-day rule.
- GDRFA departure permit: AED 241.
- ICP residence cancellation: grace periods by category.
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