UAE visa and immigration guides kept current with the 2026 rule changes. This section explains overstay fines, the Golden Visa, visit and residence visas, mission and remote-work permits, family sponsorship, and how to check your visa, travel-ban or immigration status with ICP and GDRFA. Clear, resident-first explanations of rules that change often.
Indian passport holders can get a UAE visa on arrival, but only with the right document. You qualify if you hold a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, or a few other countries. The visa on arrival lasts 14 days. Without an eligible document, you apply online…
The UAE mission visa is a short-term work permit for project and temporary assignments. In 2026 it changed a lot. A Cabinet decision from 1 January 2026 turned it into a two-year, multiple-entry permit. You can now work up to 60 days per trip, capped at 180 days a year. Your UAE employer applies for…
A UAE visa for Pakistani citizens must be arranged before you travel. Pakistani passport holders do not get a visa on arrival. The main options are 30-day and 60-day tourist visas, single or multiple entry, plus a five-year visa. A 30-day visa costs about AED 252, and approval usually takes three to seven working days….
The UAE remote work visa, also called the Virtual Working Programme, lets you live in the UAE while working for a company based outside it. It runs for one year and you sponsor yourself. You need to earn at least USD 3,500 a month, and show six months of bank statements. Here is how to…
When you check a UAE visa or application, the result uses a few standard words. Under process means it is still being reviewed. Approved means it is ready for the next step. Valid means your residency is active now. Cancelled and expired mean the visa no longer works. Here is what each result actually means,…
To check your UAE visa status, use GDRFA for a Dubai visa, or ICP Smart Services for any other emirate. Enter your passport number, or your Emirates ID with your date of birth. The result shows your visa status, expiry date and file number. It is free and instant. Using the wrong portal returns no…
To check your UAE visa cancellation status, use ICP Smart Services or the GDRFA Dubai app with your passport number or file number. Cancellations are usually confirmed within 48 hours. Only your sponsor, an employer or a family member, can cancel a residence visa. You cannot cancel your own visa directly. Do this next Confirm…
To check a UAE travel ban, use Dubai Police for financial or criminal cases in Dubai, or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s Estafser service for cases there. A travel ban stops you leaving the country over an unpaid debt or legal case. It is different from an immigration ban, which stops you entering, and a…
To track a Dubai visa application, use the GDRFA Application Status Tracker at gdrfad.gov.ae, or the GDRFA Smart App. You need your application reference number, which your typing centre or agent gives you at submission. This is different from checking an already issued visa. It tracks a new application while it is still being processed….
Your GDRFA or ICP file number is printed on your visa sticker inside your passport, labelled “File No.” or “Visa No.”, on your entry permit, and on your e-visa PDF near the top. It follows the format 201/2026/XXXXXXX, where 201 means Dubai. If you cannot find it, log in to GDRFA or ICP with your…