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To renew a UAE residence visa, your sponsor files before the expiry date. A Dubai visa renews at GDRFA, online with UAE Pass or at an Amer centre, in 48 hours. Visas from other emirates renew at ICP in 2 days. You need a photo, a passport copy, a medical result if you are 18 or over, and health insurance. The Emirates ID is renewed with it.
Who files depends on who sponsors you. An employer renews its staff. A resident renews a spouse, children and parents. Property owners, retirees and green visa holders renew themselves.
Which authority renews your visa
The emirate on your visa decides it, not where you live now.
| Visa issued in | Renew with | Channels | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | GDRFA | Website or app with UAE Pass (any hour), Customer Happiness Centres, Amer centres | 48 hours |
| Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, UAQ, Fujairah | ICP | ICP smart services with UAE Pass (any hour), ICP centres | 2 days |
Source: GDRFA private sector renewal page and ICP residence renewal page, checked .
You can see your issuing emirate and expiry date on the visa status check.
Renewal fees at a glance
| Line | GDRFA Dubai | ICP |
|---|---|---|
| Residence renewal | AED 200 | AED 100 per year |
| Application | Not listed | AED 100 |
| Knowledge and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 + AED 10 | Not listed |
| Fee inside the country | AED 500 | Not listed |
| Smart service | Not listed | AED 100 |
| Delivery | AED 20 | Not listed |
| Each year over two years | + AED 100 | Covered by the per year line |
Source: GDRFA renewal of private sector residence and ICP residence renewal, checked .
On top come the medical, the Emirates ID and insurance. Our visa renewal cost page sets out every line, with examples.
What Dubai agencies charge
Published renewal prices from 4 Dubai agencies and cost guides run from about AED 1,100 to AED 7,000 (checked ). The low end is a service starting price. The high end is an all-in employment renewal with insurance.
Documents checklist
- Recent colour photo with a white background
- Passport copy, valid for at least 6 months
- Approved medical fitness result, if you are 18 or over
- Valid health insurance
- For self-sponsored visas: the papers that qualified you the first time, such as the title deed, income proof or deposit letter
That last line matters. GDRFA's pages for retirees, students and property owners say the permit renews "under the same terms" as the first issue. If your income fell below the threshold or you sold the flat, the renewal can fail.
Steps to renew in Dubai
- Look at the date. Start a few weeks before expiry, so the medical and insurance are ready in time.
- Book the medical. In Dubai the 24-hour package is AED 270. Faster packages cost AED 700 or AED 1,020. See the medical test guide.
- Renew or confirm insurance. The policy has to be live on the filing date.
- File. Open the GDRFA app, pick the renewal service for your category, upload the photo and passport, and pay. At an Amer centre the typist does the same on your behalf.
- Watch for the approval. GDRFA lists 48 hours.
- Get the Emirates ID. ICP's renewal steps finish with the card sent by courier.
Employees normally do none of the filing. The company's PRO does it, and the labour rules put residency costs on the employer.
Renewing early because you need to travel
You may want to renew months ahead because you will be abroad on the expiry date. u.ae says a renewal 1 to 6 months before expiry for travel needs special approval from ICP. Without it, the system may not take the file that early.
If you are already abroad when the visa expires, a renewal is not always possible. Read re-entry permit UAE if you have been away close to 180 days.
Processing time
- GDRFA renewal: 48 hours after a complete file
- ICP renewal: 2 days
- Emirates ID renewal: 5 days at ICP
- Medical: from 24 hours, faster at a higher price
A medical that needs a retest holds the whole file, so do it first.
Why renewals get rejected or held
- The passport has under 6 months left. Renew the passport at your embassy first.
- No medical, or a medical that needs a retest. The renewal waits.
- Insurance lapsed. The file stops at the document check.
- The conditions changed. A retiree whose income dropped, or a property owner who sold.
- Fines on the file. An expired visa past its grace period has to be cleared. See the UAE overstay fine.
- More than 180 days abroad. The residence may already be cancelled automatically.
How it works with us
Send your passport copy, your current visa page and your expiry date on WhatsApp or through the form here. A visa adviser checks the issuing emirate, your category and whether early renewal approval is needed. You get one total price before you pay anything. The team books the medical, files the renewal with GDRFA or ICP, chases it to approval and tells you when the new visa is live. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP decides every renewal.
If a renewal is refused, the authorities do not return the government fees. Before you pay, the adviser puts in writing what share of the total, if any, you would get back in that case.
Tips
- Renew the passport first if it has less than a year left. It saves a second update later.
- Family visas follow yours. Do your own, then use the family visa renewal page for dependants.
- Leaving the UAE for good? Cancel instead of letting the visa run out. See residence visa cancellation.
Official sources
- GDRFA private sector renewal: fee lines, documents, channels, 48 hours.
- ICP residence renewal: fees, 6-month passport rule, steps, health insurance.
- u.ae general provisions for the residence visa: renew before expiry, early renewal approval, 180 days abroad.
- ICP Emirates ID renewal: card fee and 5 days.
All checked .
