Coming to the UAE is not difficult. If you are just visiting, you apply for short or long-term tourist/visit visa. If you landed the job of your dreams, the status of that visit visa is changes to a residency. And, if you are already a resident and leaving, your residence visa is canceled. Nevertheless, the immigration authorities in the UAE, including Dubai (where most tourists apply their visas), are very strict when it comes to their regulations. You need to make sure that you do not, at any point, break those regulations. If you abide by the duration permitted to you by your visa, by abiding to UAE’s Zero Overstay Policy, you shall be good.
What does “Overstay” mean?
Tourist Visa
If you are visiting on a tourist visa, you are allowed to stay in the country for either 14 days, 30 days, or 90 days, depending on the visa you applied for. If that visa is about to expire, and you do not exit the country, you will be charged a fine for each day spent within the UAE exceeding the expiry date stated on the visa you hold. Do not take this lightly, as for the first day you overstay, you pay AED 340 (Emirati Dirham), and AED 100 for each day after that.
Note that this can only go on for a 30-days period, which is referred to as Grace Period. By “Grace” it does NOT mean that you are exempted from paying the fines. You pay the above-mentioned penalties. However, if you exceed a certain number of days (to be discussed with the supplier of your visa), you might be subjected to a criminal case, which, obviously benefits no one. Especially, if it means you could be blacklisted after that.
If you got a job and are about to get your resident visa, keep in mind that you still have to exit the country for the change of the visa status.
Resident Visa Cancellation
If you are a resident in the UAE, and decide to cancel your residency, or if your residency is terminated for any reason, you are also given a grace period of 30 days. The good news is that if you were a resident, during the grace period you are not charged any penalties of overstay. These 30 days are given to you to enable you to get your affairs in order and leave the country without being rushed.
However, if the 30 days pass and you still haven’t exited the country, then you are subject to a penalty of AED 100 for each day overstayed after your grace period. Plus, a service fee of AED 100 as you cross the border.
Be Safe!
To avoid any fines, criminal cases, or unnecessary waste of time, just be safe, plan your travel ahead, and make sure all your affairs are in order by the time you will have to leave.
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12 Comments on "Overstays: Why & How Not to Become One"
from cancelled visa, after the grace period, is it 100 each day? not the first day only?
Thank for your inquiry. It is 100 AED on the first day, and after that it is 25 AED. In case of any further inquires you can contact us on 00971 435 75 404.
Hi Faatema, my daughters visit visa expired on 24th Oct as I was still waiting for my Residence visa to be stamped. What is the implication of this?
Thank you for your inquiry Ms. Eve.
if you have got her status changed from visit visa to residence visa, then it will not be considered overstay. However, if the visa status has not been changed, it will be considered overstay.
For further clarifications, please feel free to contact us.
is it possible for the employer to file a case of absconding for not exiting the country after the 30 days grace period?
Dear Jade,
The employer is liable to only impose a file on the employee if he/she hasn’t exited the country after the 30 days grace period. However, it will not be considered a case of absconding.
the previous employer is telling us that they filed absconding and he will not be able to get any visa in UAE. They said that his choice is only to go to jail and the go to our country. What should we do?
Dear Jade,
As per our knowledge, the employer cannot file an absconding case against the employee. There are 3 different conditions under which the immigration can ask you to go to behind the bars or back to your home country:
– Absconding
– Black list
– Labor banned (Depending on immigration)
Please speak to the employer and ask for a clarification if the employee has been given a labor banned.
For further details and clarifications, please contact us.
Dear Jade,
We would recommend you to take his passport and cancellation page and go to the Immigration (Section 15) and directly clarify it with the immigration. Also, also take his previous company labor contract and passport and visit the labor department and check once again if he has been given a labor ban or no. These are the two possible ways for you to first check if he has been imposed a ban from the immigration as well as labor. Only after that we can give you the possibilities of his visa rejection.
For further details and clarifications, please contact us.
we want to do that but we are afraid that he might go to jail if we go to immigration
Dear Jade,
The employee doesn’t require to be there at the immigration. Anyone on behalf of the employee can go to the immigration and the labor department to get this cleared. Unless you physically don’t go to these departments, nothing can be clarified.