The term of a UAE residence visa depends on its type and sponsor: a standard work visa is 2 years, a Golden Visa 5 or 10 years (according to u.ae). The renewal must be completed before the visa expires, because the Emirates ID expires with it. This article covers the step-by-step renewal procedure, actual timelines, the medical test and what to do if you have overstayed.
More on the 180-day rule and its exceptions in a separate article. Here we cover the key points in the context of renewal.
When to start the renewal
The visa must be renewed before it expires (u.ae); in applicants' experience, it is convenient to start the process about 30 days before expiry. If the visa was issued through an employer, the company usually starts the process. If it was issued through your own company in a free zone or on the mainland, you do it yourself or through your PRO (public relations officer).
Visa types and when to renew:
| Visa type | Validity | When to start the renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Employment visa | 2 years | 30 days before expiry |
| Free zone visa (investor/partner) | Depends on the free zone | 30 days before |
| Golden Visa | 5 or 10 years | 30 days before |
| Family/dependent visa | Tied to the sponsor | When the sponsor's visa is renewed |
The renewal process step by step
Step 1. Medical fitness test
A medical test is mandatory when a residence visa is issued and renewed (UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 7 of 2008; there are exceptions for certain categories). It is done at authorised medical centres (DHA-approved in Dubai, DoH, formerly HAAD, in Abu Dhabi).
What it includes:
- HIV blood test, for everyone
- Chest X-ray (pulmonary tuberculosis), for everyone
- Hepatitis B/C and syphilis, only for certain occupations (nannies, domestic staff, workers in beauty salons, fitness clubs and medical facilities)
Cost: in applicants' experience, AED 250 to 350 depending on the centre and the emirate.
Where: government and private authorised medical fitness centres. The results are usually sent directly to the GDRFA/ICP system.
Turnaround: in applicants' experience, results are usually available within 24–72 hours.
Step 2. Biometrics and photo (if required)
At the first visa application, biometric data (fingerprints, photo) is given at a typing centre. In applicants' experience, biometrics are usually not required again at renewal if the data is already in the system; the exception is a new passport.
Step 3. Filing the renewal application
- Through an employer: the company files through the GDRFA/ICP system. You provide your passport, Emirates ID and medical results.
- Through a free zone: filed through the free zone portal (IFZA, DMCC, SHAMS, etc.) or its service centre.
- Through an Amer Centre (Dubai): for applying yourself.
Step 4. Payment and the new visa
The cost of renewal depends on the visa type and the emirate. Approximately, in applicants' experience:
- Employment visa renewal: AED 500–700 (government fees) plus the medical test
- Free zone visa renewal: included in the free zone service package (usually AED 3,000–7,000 for the full package)
Step 5. Updating the Emirates ID
The Emirates ID is tied to the visa: when the visa expires, so does the card (u.ae). The ID is usually renewed as part of the same renewal application; in applicants' experience, the new card is delivered by courier to the address in the application.
"My Emirates ID is approved, but I haven't received the physical card yet. I need to leave the UAE. Could not having the physical card cause problems on departure?"
— from a relocation chat, May 2026
"Next time I enter the UAE, do I need to show the physical Emirates ID card? I only have it in electronic form."
— from a relocation chat, June 2026
In practice (in applicants' experience): the electronic Emirates ID (in the ICP UAE app) is accepted at the border. The physical card is not required for entry or exit, but it is needed for banks, renting and other procedures.
Fines for an overstayed visa
If the visa has expired and has not been renewed, an overstay fine applies. This is regulated by the ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security).
"Dear tourists! Under the latest changes, everyone who has overstayed their visa is subject to fines. Applicants must either pay the fine and renew, or leave the country."
— from a relocation chat, March 2026
Grace period: after a visa expires or is cancelled, the resident gets a grace period to renew, change sponsor or leave the country. According to u.ae, it is flexible and lasts up to 6 months depending on the resident's category; check the exact period for your visa with the ICP or GDRFA.
"I've lost my job. There's a 30-day grace period. What then? Go to Oman? Fly out? How do I stay in Dubai legally without an ID?"
— from a relocation chat, April 2026
After the grace period: a fine of AED 50 for each day of overstay applies. According to u.ae, the ICP has unified the rate: AED 50 a day for visit, tourist and residence visas (for residents it used to be AED 25).
"Can anyone help me figure this out? I came back from the UAE and paid a fine for overstaying my visa by 3 days. When can I fly to the UAE on a free visa again?"
— from a relocation chat, January 2026
"When it's a few days of overstay, you can pay at departure and leave. Where the line is beyond which an overstay is considered too much and you get a travel ban, nobody can tell you for sure."
— from a relocation chat, April 2026
The 180-day rule: key for renewal
A UAE residence visa can be cancelled if the resident stays outside the country for more than 6 months (180 days) in a row. This rule applies to standard residence visas.
The exception is the Golden, Green and Blue visas: holders of the Golden Visa (5 and 10 years), Green Visa and Blue Residence are exempt from the 180-day rule. According to the ICP, they can enter the UAE at any time while the residence is valid.
"No restrictions: the Golden Visa lets you remain a resident while living outside the country, within its validity (10 years)."
— from a relocation chat, March 2026
What to do if 180 days are approaching and you cannot enter
"I have a UAE residence visa that requires entering every 180 days. The deadline is coming up, but flights are limited because of the current situation. Have the UAE authorities made any concessions?"
— from a relocation chat, March 2026
"I need to fly to the UAE so as not to lose my residence, but the airports are closed. Could the current situation count as a valid reason?"
— from a relocation chat, February 2026
Residents of emirates other than Dubai can apply to the ICP from abroad for permission to stay outside the UAE for more than 6 months: a valid reason is needed and more than 30 days must remain on the residence; once approved, you must enter within 30 days. The fee is AED 100 for each month beyond 6 months plus AED 100 for the smart service (ICP). This ICP service does not apply to Dubai residents.
Important: the ICP periodically announces amnesties in force majeure situations (airspace closures and the like). In March 2026, the ICP announced the waiver of fines for people stranded by the airspace closure: the waiver covered fines accrued from 28 February 2026 and only those who could not leave because of the closed airspace and cancelled flights (ICP). According to media reports citing the ICP, the final 30-day period for this group to regularise their status ran from 10 June to 9 July 2026 and has ended; standard fines now apply. Follow the official ICP and GDRFA channels.
Re-entry permit
If 180 days have passed and the visa has been cancelled, you will need a re-entry permit to enter again. In applicants' experience, the procedure is as follows:
"The entry permit is arranged in advance, before you arrive; then the overstay fines are paid and you enter. The entry permit is usually valid for entry within 60 days."
— from a relocation chat, March 2026
Visa cancellation: if you are leaving the UAE
When you leave a job or close a business, the visa is cancelled. The procedure:
- The employer or free zone initiates the cancellation
- The Emirates ID is cancelled together with the visa
- The grace period starts (the length depends on the category, up to 6 months according to u.ae)
- During the grace period you need to find a new sponsor, get a new visa or leave the country
"When you leave the company, it cancels your visa (your ID is cancelled automatically). The immigration service gives you 30 days to find a new sponsor."
— from a relocation chat, February 2026
"If there are still dependants on this visa, they take the sponsor's passport at the airport; you first have to cancel the dependants' visas and only then the sponsor's. It took us a couple of days."
— from a relocation chat, April 2026
Renewal checklist
- About 30 days before expiry: check the process with your sponsor or free zone
- Take the medical test (DHA/DoH-authorised centre)
- Prepare the documents: passport, Emirates ID, salary certificate or trade licence
- Pay the fees
- Wait for the new sticker in your passport or the electronic visa
- Check that the Emirates ID has been updated
Data current as of October 2026. Rules may change: check the ICP and GDRFA websites.
Residence visas, Emirates ID, accounts, family sponsorship and schools: we support the whole cycle through a SHAMS licence. We will look at your situation and suggest a route.
See UAE programmesFrequently asked questions
The visa must be renewed before it expires; in applicants' experience, it is convenient to start about 30 days before. If the visa was issued through an employer, the company usually starts the process; with your own company in a free zone or on the mainland, you do it yourself or through your PRO.
Yes, a medical test is mandatory when a residence visa is issued and renewed (there are exceptions for certain categories). Everyone is tested for HIV and has a chest X-ray for tuberculosis; hepatitis B/C and syphilis are checked only for certain occupations (domestic staff, beauty salons, medical facilities).
In applicants' experience, AED 250 to 350 depending on the centre and the emirate. Results are usually available within 24–72 hours and are sent to the GDRFA or ICP system.
In applicants' experience, usually not, if the data is already in the system. The exception is a new passport, in which case biometrics must be given again.
A family or dependent visa is tied to the sponsor and is renewed together with the sponsor's own visa, not on a separate schedule.