You can check your UAE visa status online in a couple of minutes through one of two free government portals. If your visa was issued in Dubai, use the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) portal at smart.gdrfad.gov.ae. If it was issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, or Fujairah, use the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) Smart Services portal at smartservices.icp.gov.ae.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Track Visa Application and Validity Both return results on the same page within seconds.
What You Need Before You Start
Every lookup requires at least one government-issued identifier. Your passport number is straightforward. Your file number looks something like 201/2023/1/1234567 and contains the issuing department code, the year, the service type, and a unique sequence. One wrong digit returns “record not found,” so copy it from your electronic visa rather than typing from memory.
Some services also ask for your Unified Number (UID), a numeric code that stays the same across renewals and transfers. It appears near the top of your entry permit. If you have lost track of it, the GDRFA offers a lookup at gdrfad.gov.ae that retrieves it from your passport number and nationality.2General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai. Unified Number Inquiry Service
Checking a Visa Issued Outside Dubai (ICP Smart Services)
Go to smartservices.icp.gov.ae and open the File Validity section. You can search by passport details or by file number, complete the CAPTCHA, and submit. The result shows your visa status, remaining validity, and file details on the same page.3Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. ICP Smart Services
The ICP also runs a mobile app called UAEICP for iOS and Android, which handles the same visa and residency checks from a phone.4Apple App Store. UAEICP App For phone enquiries, the ICP’s toll-free number is 600 522 222.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Track Visa Application and Validity
Checking a Dubai-Issued Visa (GDRFA)
Dubai runs its own immigration system. Open smart.gdrfad.gov.ae and select the Visa Status inquiry.5General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai. General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai Indicate whether you hold a residency permit or a short-term entry permit, enter your file number or passport details together with your year of birth, and search. The page refreshes with the permit’s current status and administrative history.
For phone support, the GDRFA can be reached on 800 5111 inside the UAE or +971-4-313-9999 from abroad.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Track Visa Application and Validity
DubaiNow App
Dubai residents can also check visa status through the DubaiNow app, built in partnership with the GDRFA. It shows entry permits and residency visas for you and your dependents, lets you request official reports, and sends push notifications when a residency permit is approaching expiry. Login is through UAE Pass.6Dubai Digital Authority. Dubai Now App
Using UAE Pass
UAE Pass is the country’s unified national digital identity and connects to thousands of government and private services.7Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. UAE Pass After logging in with facial recognition or a fingerprint, open your stored documents to view your residency permit, including issue and expiry dates, and download a PDF copy.
The digital version carries the same legal weight as the older physical visa stickers and is accepted by government agencies, banks, landlords, and border checkpoints. UAE Pass also serves as the login credential for DubaiNow and the ICP portal.8UAE PASS. FAQ
Tracking a Pending Application Is Different
Checking an existing visa’s validity is not the same as tracking a new application still being processed. Use the ICP portal’s application tracking tool for non-Dubai emirates, and the GDRFA portal for Dubai applications.1The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Track Visa Application and Validity Dubai residents who submitted through DubaiNow can expect processing times between 30 minutes and two working days, with the initial application taking roughly 10 minutes to complete.9Dubai Digital Authority. Residency Applications to Be Processed in 40 Minutes on Dubai Now App
What the Status Labels Mean
- Active or Valid. Your permit is current. No action needed until your renewal window opens.
- Expired. The permit has passed its end date. A grace period may apply depending on your visa category; if none applies, fines start the day after expiry.
- Cancelled. Your sponsor has formally ended the residency arrangement. Grace periods for cancellations range from 30 to 180 days by visa type.
- Used. Appears on entry permits already used for a single entry or converted into a full residency visa. Not a problem.
- Closed. Functionally the same as cancelled. The file is no longer active.
Grace Periods and Overstay Fines
If your status is anything other than Active, the grace period attached to your visa category determines when fines start.
- Tourist and visit visas: no grace period. Fines begin the day after expiry.
- Standard employment visa, cancelled: 30 days.
- Family or dependent visa: 30 to 60 days, depending on the circumstances.
- Investor or retirement visa: 60 days after cancellation or expiry.
- Golden Visa, Green Visa, and student visa: up to 180 days after the permit is cancelled or expires.
Once the grace period ends, the current overstay fine is AED 50 per day, applied as a flat rate regardless of visa category. This replaced an older system that charged different amounts for different visa types.10The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Visa Fees and Fines A three-month overstay runs to roughly AED 4,500. Prolonged non-compliance can also lead to deportation, and a deported foreigner cannot return without special permission from immigration authorities.
Paying Overstay Fines
Fines can be settled online through the same portals used for status checks. On the ICP portal, open Fines under Smart Services. Dubai residents use the Fines Inquiry section on gdrfad.gov.ae. Amer centres, typing centres, and official exit points at airports, seaports, and land borders also accept fine payments.
If a Renewal Has Not Gone Through
Since January 2025, private-sector employers must purchase a health insurance policy as a prerequisite for issuing or renewing any residency permit, covering both regular employees and domestic workers. The policy is valid for two years, and if the residency visa is cancelled before the second year, the second-year premium is refundable.11Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The Basic Health Insurance Scheme If a status check shows your renewal has stalled, a missing insurance policy is one of the first things to raise with your sponsor.