Dubai: Are you in the UAE on a cancelled or expired residence visa? Then it’s time to check the grace period and ensure you renew your visa before the duration ends.What is a grace period?A grace period is the legally permitted buffer time granted to expat residents after their visa gets expired or is cancelled.In the UAE, the authorities grant residents flexible grace periods, ranging from 30 days to six months, depending on your visa category. You are legally permitted to remain in the country within this period, without penalties, until you leave the country or sort out your visa renewal.How long is the grace period?The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) highlights the following grace period durations for visa holders:180‑day or six-month grace period: Granted after the expiry or cancellation of the residence permit for Golden Visa, Green Visa, and Blue Visa holders and their family members, widows or divorcees of residents, students after completing their studies, and foreign‑passport holders who are relatives of UAE citizens.90‑day grace period: Granted after the expiry or cancellation of the residence permit for skilled workers in Levels 1 to 3 and property owners. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) outlines the professional categories for each level:Level 1: Managers – Chief executives, business managers, senior officials and legislators.Level 2: Professionals – Specialists in scientific, health, engineering, IT, legal and academic fields.Level 3: Technicians and associate professionals: Individuals who are involved in technical roles that require diplomas, like engineering associates, health technician and business associates.60‑day grace period: Granted after the expiry or cancellation of the residence permit for residence permits issued with a guarantor or host.30‑day grace period: Granted after the expiry or cancellation of the residence permit for all other categories.How to check your visa’s grace periodThere are two ways to check your grace period.Offline: When you receive your visa cancellation form, you will be able to see the grace period expiry date on the document – this is the date by which, you must leave the country or change your residency status.Online: In order to check and confirm when your grace period ends, follow these steps:Visit the ICP Smart Services portal at smartservices.icp.gov.ae, or download the UAEICP app via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Log in with your UAE PASS.Click on ‘Public Services’ and select ‘File Validity’.Select the ‘Passport information’ option and click on ‘Residency’. Enter your passport number and expiry date.Alternatively, you can select ‘Search by File number’ and enter one of the following – your Emirates ID number, your Unified Identification Number (UID), which can be found on the top-right of your residence visa page and on your Emirates ID, or your File Number, an alpha-numeric code available on your residence visa page.Enter your year of birth and nationality.Finally, check the Captcha box indicating “I’m not a robot”, and click the ‘Search’ button.This final step allows you to view the field that states ‘Allowed days to stay in the country’.What happens after the grace period ends?Once the grace period ends, you are officially in the overstay period. The ICP enforces a flat penalty of Dh50 per day for residence visas, the moment the grace period expires.
