Updated June 14th, 2023
Is that true all UAE visitors get 10 days free grace period? No, The UAE immigration authority has recently eliminated the grace period for prepaid visit visas, which used to be granted for a duration of 10 days. Instead, prepaid visa holders now have the option of choosing either a 30-day or 60-day visa. When you reach the completion of chosen visa duration, we are urging you to exit, extend or do Airport to airport visa change or boarder run & get an express visa to avoid overstaying fines or absconding
Read Arabiers types of visas in UAE page for a better explanation of the different UAE visitor types. The different categories of 30 days on arrival visitors, 90 days on arrival visitors and prepaid visa visitors. A complementary 10 day grace period is given only to 30 days on arrival visitors and prepaid visa visitors. The 90 days on arrival visitors don't get a 10 day grace period because they get a multiple entry visa that is valid for a span of 6 months and permits a total stay of 90 days in UAE.
Usually, individuals visiting UAE who pre-book their return ticket to produce as proof to the immigration cannot include this 10 day grace period in their stay duration as some countries don't approve of this.
Example : You have successfully received a 30 day single entry visa to UAE and are planning to fly from Johannesburg airport to UAE. At Johannesburg airport immigration they will verify the visa, then check your entry flight and exit flight date to calculate your stay duration. Your stay duration has to be 30 days or less, it can't be 40 days. After entering UAE and you feel like you need a few more days in UAE for work or holiday you can extend your flight to the 40th day. To get the accurate date of your final exit date use the UAE visa days calculator. This calculator will save you from making any miscalculation which will result in overstaying and paying fines.
In the situation of UAE residence visa holder who cancelled their visa, they are given a 30 day grace period.
If you hold an Abu Dhabi visa make sure to calculate your last stay date by visiting the smart services ICA Government site. If you are a Dubai visa holder then drop by the general Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai site. You can check this by inputting your passport and visa details.
Stop by at any of the many Amer service centers to receive your certificate for entry or exit. You can also check the smart services ICA Government site.
Even after taking your 10 day grace period, you still need more time, you can always take a visa extension. Usually visa extensions take anywhere between 2 to 3 working days. So only 30 days on-arrival visa holders can do this during their grace period, while prepaid visa holders and others need to be done this process before their visa period expire.
If you hold a passport belonging to any of the countries stated below then you will be stamped with a 30 day free visit visa on arrival at the UAE airport or any other entry point. You will also receive a 10 day grace period. If you wish to extend, use the 10 day grace period duration to apply for a new 30 day extension via any tourism firm or Amer center. This will give you a total of 60 days in the UAE. For instance, if you choose to extend for an additional 30 days but have already used 5 of your 10 day grace period, you will get an additional 25 days from your new visa totaling to a stay of 60 days. If you prefer to do an Oman visa run you will get an extra 30 days. Additionally, 30 day on arrival visa countries are eligible to apply for a 90 days prepaid visa before arriving in the UAE via any tourism firm or after entering the UAE.The cost of this 90 day prepaid visa is 750 AED if applied before arriving in the UAE or 2300 AED if applied after entering in UAE.
| Andorra | Australia | Brunei |
| Canada | China | Hong Kong, China |
| Japan | Kazakhstan | Macau, China |
| Malaysia | Mauritius | Monaco |
| New Zealand | Republic of Ireland | San Marino |
| Singapore | Ukraine | United Kingdom and Northern Ireland |
| United States of America | Vatican City |
If you hold a passport belonging to any of these countries you will be stamped with a 90 day multiple entry visa upon arrival at any UAE airport or other entry points. This visa is valid for use through a duration of 6 months from the date of issue and allows the holder to stay for a total of 90 days in UAE. Citizens from European countries mentioned in the below list can also apply for a prepaid visit visa if their 90 day multiple entry on arrival visa is used up. 90 day on arrival visa holders are not given a 10 day grace period as it is a multiple entry visa. You can obtain a prepaid visit visa by doing an Oman visa run or opting for without exiting in side country visa change.
| Argentina | Austria | Bahamas Islands |
| Barbados | Belgium | Brazil |
| Bulgaria | Chile | Colombia |
| Costa Rica | Croatia | Cyprus |
| Czech Republic | Denmark | El Salvador |
| Estonia | Finland | France |
| Germany | Greece | Honduras |
| Hungary | Iceland | Italy |
| Kiribati | Latvia | Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania | Luxembourg | Maldives |
| Malta | Montenegro | Nauru |
| Netherlands | Norway | Paraguay |
| Peru | Poland | Portugal |
| Romania | Russian Federation | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| San Marino | Serbia | Seychelles |
| Slovakia | Slovenia | Solomon Islands |
| South Korea | Spain | Sweden |
| Switzerland | Uruguay |
Majority of Asian, African and certain European countries must apply for a prepaid UAE visit visa. Depending on the individual's travel plan they can choose between a single entry or Multiple entry prepaid visa.
When you have single entry visa you will get 10 days grace period where you can use that to stay more or if you want to stay more you can extend it. You have multiple options to extend it. Airport to airport visa change, visa change by bus, inside country visa.
When you have multiple entry visa you will not get 10 days grace period. You have multiple options to extend it.
Make sure to read all about UAE visa extensions options in our explanatory guide to educate yourself about the specifics and the recent updates.
Overstaying fines are charged when a visitor overstays exceeding the grace period. In such circumstances the said individual will be fined and has to settle this fine before leaving UAE. The charges are:
If the person overstaying is a former UAE resident with a cancelled resident visa, the grace period is 30 days after visa expiry to either apply for a new residence visa or exit the country. During the grace period no fines will be charged. If the individual overstays after the 30 day grace period then they also have to settle the fines as above.
As per the UAE government any individual staying with an expired visit/tourist visa or resident visa will not need to pay any overstaying fines for 3 months.
(Source: Gulf news)
It's not possible to extend your grace period however if you are unable to exit the country even after the grace period is over, you can request the UAE immigration or your country embassy to request for a waive in fines until you settle something.
(Source: Gulf news)
