The UAE overstay fine is AED 50 for every day you stay past your permitted period, and the same rate applies to visit, tourist and residence visas. To run an overstay fine check, use GDRFA Dubai if your visa was issued in Dubai, or ICP for the other six emirates. The fine is added automatically, grows every day, and has to be cleared before you exit or get a new visa. Rules verified September 2026.
How the Dubai overstay fine is calculated
ICP’s fee schedule lists AED 50 per day for staying beyond the permitted period, and the same line covers expired entry permits and expired residence permits. The formula is simple: chargeable days multiplied by AED 50. Ten days costs AED 500. Thirty days costs AED 1,500. There is no upper cap.
The flat rate is the result of the 2022 reform. Before it, visitors paid AED 100 a day and residents AED 25, so two people overstaying the same number of days could owe very different amounts. Both were moved to AED 50, which means the penalty now tracks time overstayed rather than visa category.
Days are counted as calendar days, so weekends and public holidays count. A counter or service fee may be added when you settle at a service centre; confirm the current figure with GDRFA or ICP when you pay.
How a UAE overstay fine grows
AED 50 per calendar day, no cap
When the fine clock starts for your visa type
The rate is the same for everyone. The start date is not.
- Visit and tourist visas: treat the first day after expiry as a fined day. Several 2026 reports say the old visitor grace period has been removed, and we have not found an ICP or GDRFA page that confirms a visitor grace period still exists. Extend or exit before the printed expiry date.
- Expired or cancelled residence visas: a grace period applies before fines begin, and its length depends on your category. Long-term residents get far more room; golden visa holders, for example, keep up to six months, one of the practical benefits of the golden visa for residents. Confirm your exact window with GDRFA or ICP.
- Transit visas: these cannot be extended at all, so plan your exit around the hour count. Our guide on how the 48 and 96 hour transit visa works explains the timing.
How to run an overstay fine check
The check is free on both official portals. What matters is using the right one, because ICP and GDRFA hold separate records.
- Find the issuing emirate printed on your visa; for employees it follows the employer’s or free zone’s emirate, not where you live
- Dubai-issued visa: use the GDRFA Dubai website or app and search by passport details or file number
- Visa from any other emirate: use ICP Smart Services or the UAEICP app and search by passport details
- Compare the number of fined days with your expiry or cancellation date before paying
- Pay online by card, or at an authorised service centre, and keep the receipt
If you are not sure which portal holds your file, our walkthrough on which portal to use to check visa status in the UAE settles it in a minute.
Mistakes we see with overstay fines
The one that costs residents most is counting the grace period from the wrong date. Clients often assume it starts on their last working day or the day they handed back their laptop. It starts on the date the cancellation was recorded in the immigration system, which can be days earlier. Before planning around your grace window, check the cancellation date on your file, for example with a visa status check by passport number.
The second is checking the wrong portal. A Dubai visa checked on ICP shows no fine, the traveller relaxes, and the fine appears at the airport.
The third is assuming that paying the fine fixes your status. It does not. Payment clears the debt; you still need to exit, extend or move to a new visa.
FAQ
How much is the overstay fine in Dubai per day?
AED 50 per calendar day, the same rate across all emirates and for visit, tourist and residence visas. A one-week overstay costs AED 350 and a month costs AED 1,500, before any counter or service fee. The total has no cap, so it keeps growing until you exit or regularise your status.
Can I leave the UAE without paying an overstay fine?
No. Outstanding fines are flagged at immigration and must be settled before you are cleared to exit or issued a new visa. The simplest route is to run your fine check and pay online a few days before your flight, so nothing is left for the airport counter.
Can overstay fines be waived?
Only in specific situations. The UAE has granted time-limited exemptions after announced events, such as the 2026 grace period for travellers stranded by regional flight disruptions. Outside an announced scheme, individual waiver requests go to GDRFA or ICP and are decided case by case, with no guaranteed outcome.
Do weekends and public holidays count as overstay days?
Yes. Fines are counted per calendar day, so a visa that expires on a Thursday starts accruing on Friday, and the weekend days are fined too. If your expiry falls just before a holiday, extend or exit before it rather than waiting for offices to reopen.
Not sure how many days you are facing?
If your visa has expired or been cancelled and you want the real number before you pay, send us on WhatsApp your issuing emirate, visa type and the expiry or cancellation date. We will work out your chargeable days and tell you whether to extend, regularise or exit first.
This is general guidance, not legal advice; final decisions rest with ICP and GDRFA. Official reference: GDRFA Dubai.
About the Author.
Written by Zohaib Hashmi, 6+ years advising on UAE residency and Golden Visa applications across investor, salary, and endorsement routes. Has reviewed and corrected several hundred files, including rejected applications resubmitted successfully after restructuring. Works directly with ICP and GDRFA submission requirements.