The UAE Guides

UAE Visa Grace Period Ends 9 July: Final 48 Hours to Act

· 3 min read News
UAE passport and travel documents

Contents

  1. Who Does This Affect?
  2. What You Must Do Before 9 July
  3. Enforcement Resumes 10 July
  4. Impact on Travelers
  5. Related Reading

The UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has confirmed that a 30-day visa overstay grace period expires on 9 July 2026 — two days from now. Anyone still in the country under this amnesty must either regularise their visa status or depart before midnight on that date.

Who Does This Affect?

The grace period, which ran from 10 June to 9 July 2026, was granted specifically to visitors, residents, and former residents who were unable to leave the UAE during the regional airspace closures and flight suspensions that began on 28 February 2026. Eligible individuals include:

  • Tourist and visit visa holders whose stay expired during the disruption period
  • Departure permit holders unable to exit
  • Former UAE residents whose visas were cancelled while flights were grounded

If you were already legally resident and your visa remained valid throughout the crisis, this amnesty does not apply to you and no action is required.

What You Must Do Before 9 July

There are two options before the deadline:

Option 1 — Leave the UAE. Depart through any port of entry before midnight on 9 July and no overstay fines will be imposed for the period you were unable to leave.

Option 2 — Regularise your status. Visit an ICP service centre or use the ICP Smart app to apply for a visa change, extension, or transfer. Employers can also sponsor a new residency visa for eligible workers.

The ICP has stated explicitly that no extensions to the July 9 deadline will be granted.

Enforcement Resumes 10 July

From 10 July 2026 onwards, standard immigration penalties apply in full. These include daily overstay fines, potential detention, and deportation orders. Immigration officers will resume regular inspections across all emirates.

Travelers planning to visit the UAE in the coming weeks should be aware that entry screening may be heightened as authorities process outstanding cases. Allow additional processing time at Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport.

For full details on UAE entry rules and what to expect on arrival, see our UAE visa guide and first-time visitor overview. If you are travelling this month, our UAE in July guide covers what to expect on the ground.

The ICP can be reached through its official app, website, or by calling the 600 522 222 helpline available in Arabic and English.

Impact on Travelers

For visitors arriving in the UAE from 10 July onwards, this amnesty is not relevant — it applies only to those already present on an expired or irregular status. Standard entry procedures apply normally for all new arrivals.

However, the ICP has indicated that immigration screening will be heightened in the days immediately following the 9 July deadline as officers process outstanding cases across all emirates. Allow additional processing time at passport control at Dubai Airport and Abu Dhabi Airport during the week of 10–17 July.

For anyone in the UAE on a valid, unexpired visa, no action is required. The amnesty specifically targeted individuals whose status became irregular because of the February–June flight suspension period. If your visa remains valid and your stay is within its permitted duration, you are entirely unaffected.

Employers in the UAE who have staff on irregular status as a result of the crisis should have initiated the regularisation process through the Ministry of Human Resources well before the deadline. Any employee who remains on irregular status from 10 July faces the same fines and enforcement actions as any other overstayer — the employer sponsor does not shield the employee from immigration penalties.