How To Check UAE Visa Status Online

How To Check UAE Visa Status Online

Are you an expat resident of the UAE? When was the last time you checked your visa expiry date? Do you remember when it is going to expire? Let’s face it! Keeping track of your UAE visa status while tackling personal and professional life can be difficult. Many people forget to check their visas until the point that their visa expires. 

If you want to check your visa status, you have to bring out your passport to check the date, but that can be a chore, and honestly, this is the very reason many people don’t bother. Every time they remember to check the date, they don’t have their passport with them. Are you also one of these people? Do you also forget to check your visa status often?

If yes! There is no need to worry because we will share alternative methods to check your visa status. If you want to know about them, keep reading because this blog will answer all your queries. So let’s begin.

How Can I Check My Visa Status For UAE Online?

How To Check UAE Visa Status Online

A visa is a crucial document for expat residents that allows them to enter, remain, and exit a foreign country like UAE. It authenticates your legitimacy and is also required when you want to rent a place or lease an apartment in the UAE. 
The UAE government is super supportive when it comes to UAE visa status inquiry. If you want to check your visa status on the go, you can go to the government’s official portal. You will need only your passport number for the cause.

Step-By-Step Guide to Check Visa Status Online

Here is the step-by-step guide by which you can check your UAE resident visa validity.

  • Step 1: Visit the official government portal by clicking on the link.
  • Step 2: If you don’t know Arabic, go to the “Change language” option in the top right corner. And select “English.” Now the website display is in English.
  • Step 3: Next, click on the option “Passport information.”
  • Step 4: Go to the option of “Residency” or “Visa”, depending upon your visa requirement.
  • Step 5:  You will be asked to enter your passport number along with your passport expiration date. Enter it.
  • Step 6: Next up, select your nationality from the drop-down menu.
  • Step 7: Clear the captcha if you are not a robot (pun intended).
  • Step 8: Double-check your information and click on the search tab

The website will display complete details regarding your visa and the expiration date if all your information is correct. 

UAE Visa Status Check Using the GDRFA portal

If you currently reside in the UAE, you can also check your UAE visa status using the official GDRFA portal. GDRFA stands for General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. This department is entrusted with the task of dealing with every UAE visa-related query. They are tasked with responding to concerns, applications, and visa-related rules. For now, only Dubai is granted an exclusive portal.

Step-By-Step Guide to Check Visa Status Using GDRFA Website

If you are a Dubai resident, here is an exclusive method to check your UAE visa status.

  • Step 1: Visit the Official GDRFA website by clicking on the link.
  • Step 2:  From the drop-down menu, click the option “Residence Validity” 
  • Step 3: The page will ask for the residence file number. This number is available on your passport on the visa page. Enter the number.
  • Step 4: Insert your first name (same as your passport name). Also, enter the gender.
  • Step 5: Enter your birth date in the format dd-mm-yy.
  • Step 6: Clear the captcha by writing specific code visible on the screen and proceed to submit.

If the given information is correct, the screen will display all your visa validity details right under your form of submission. The details encompass your name, gender, birth date, nationality, and visa expiration date. 

How To Use GDRFA App For UAE Visa Status Inquiry?

How To Check UAE Visa Status Online

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) went one step ahead and launched an exclusive GDRFA Dubai app. The aim was to further facilitate the UAE expats’ visa-related issues. You can download the app on your mobile phone if you don’t intend to visit the website. 

Step-By-Step Guide To Check Visa Status Using GDRFA App

Here’s a complete tutorial on how you can check your visa details using the GDRFA app.

  • Step 1: Download the GDRFA app on your phone from the Google Play Store.
  • Step 2: Once downloaded, open the application and click the option of “Services.”
  • Step 3: Next, select the option of “Entry Permit / Residence Status,” then proceed by selecting the option of “Residence Inquiry”
  • Step 4: Now, the display will ask for your details like first name, birth date, nationality, and visa code. Enter all information correctly.
  • Step 5: Make sure the information is correct by rechecking and then proceeding to click the button “Inquiry.”

Given that all your entered information is correct, the app will display all your required information. The details displayed on the screen will include your visa expiration date, visa number, type, full name, and nationality. 

Pro Tip

Whether you check through the UAE government’s official GDRFA portal or use the GDRFA Dubai app, you will need your passport details to get the desired result. But you don’t carry your passport always with you. Right? 

So here is a pro tip that can save you from the hassle of carrying your passport all the time. Simply keep a scanned version of your passport on your mobile phone or keep a photocopied document in your wallet. Aren’t these two things you always carry with you? This way, you can do the UAE visa status checking anytime, anywhere, without needing an actual passport document. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Check My UAE Visa Status Using Passport Number Only?

To check your visa status using only your passport number, you can visit the official website of the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship by clicking on this link. Wait for a few minutes as the website takes time to load because of high traffic from across the world. Change language to English, and select the option “Passport Information.”

Select the option of “Visa,” and if you are working in UAE, select the option of “Residency” instead. The next step is to enter the passport number and passport expiry date. Next, add your nationality in the relevant box. Prove that you are not a robot by clearing the captcha and clicking the search button. And you are DONE. The website will display your visa expiration date on the screen along with other information.

What Happens If My UAE Visa Expires?

You have checked your UAE visa status, and it has expired. Now you don’t know what to do. Well, you don’t have to worry if your visa expiration date was less than a month ago because the Government of UAE allows expats a grace period of 30 days after visa expiration. If you stay for more than a month with an expired visa, you will have to face the following penalties. 
During the first six months – AED 25 per day penalty
During the next six months – AED 50 per day
After 12 months or more – AED 100 per day

How Early Can I Renew My UAE Residence Visa?

The government of UAE grants 30 days time period for the visa renewal starting from the expiration date. In case you need to renew the visa earlier, i.e., 1 to 6 months before the expiration date. You will need special approval/grant from the concerned  General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner’s Affairs.

How Can I Renew My Expired UAE Visa?

Here are the basic requirements for the renewal of an expired UAE visa: a sponsor who holds a legitimate residency permit, a qualifying fitness test for people aged 18 or older, an insurance card, a renewed ID card, or an authentic receipt from ICP. The documents you will require are online application submission, the sponsor’s original passport, and a photo.

Final Thoughts

Being a UAE expat resident, it’s a constant drill after every two to three years to check the UAE visa status and apply for renewal. Many of us do remember the month but forget the date. For this, we run to flip the passport to check for the date, but we don’t carry the passport with us all the time. The easiest way out of this case is to check the visa status online. You can visit the government’s official portal, GDRFA website, or official app to check your visa details using only your passport number and expiration date. You only need to have a scanned passport version on your phone or a passport photocopy, and you are good to go.

You can see also : Dubai Tourist Visa for All Countries – Types, Price, Rules, on Arrival