United Arab Emirates: Grace Period for Overstays for Most Categories of Visitors Now Discontinued
June 8, 2023
Effective immediately, the immigration authorities in all emirates have discontinued the grace period for foreign visitors who failed to exit the United Arab Emirates within their visa validity period or to extend the duration of stay permissible under the visa they used to enter the country. However, individuals who entered the United Arab Emirates on a visa-on-arrival will still have the 10-day grace period applied. Those individuals who do not comply with the conditions of their visa are subject to a fine of AED 50 for each day of overstay and, upon departure from the United Arab Emirates, must obtain an exit permit (subject to additional government fees). Fines can be paid through the immigration authority’s website or directly at the immigration counters on departure. Previously, foreign visitors were exempt from fines if their overstay period was less than 10 days. However, the implementation of this rule was not consistent within the country and the Emirate of Dubai had already discontinued this concession. Prior to the amendment of the UAE immigration regulations in 2022, the overstay fine for visitors was AED 100 per day.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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