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Updated August 2024
An entry permit to the UAE is a document either issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICA) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), and it allows foreigners to enter and stay in the UAE legally for a short period of time.
The UAE issues different entry permits depending on the applicant’s purpose for entering the UAE. In this article, Wego helps you find out more about the UAE entry permits for the year 2024.
Table of Contents
UAE entry permit news 2024
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security UAE (ICP) has officially confirmed that you now have the option to extend or terminate your entry permit through a personal online account. The duration of these permits are as follows:
- Normal visas or green residency visa applications are valid for two months.
- Golden visa applications allow for a validity of six months with multiple entries.
Through the digital system, you now have the ability to submit requests for extending an entry permit. Additionally, the system facilitates the payment of applicable fees and financial guarantees. Once approved by a government employee, your entry permit can be modified, and you have the option to print the electronic permit yourself.
If desired, you can also cancel an application through the digital portal. Alternatively, you can choose to visit a typing centre to undertake this process.
Do you need a UAE entry permit or visa?
Before applying for the entry permit, you can check here if you need an entry permit or if you might get a visa on arrival. The UAE entry permits can be applied for both online and offline.
Depending on the applicant’s purpose of entering the UAE, there are various types of entry permits, including:
- entry permit – employment
- entry permit – family visit
- entry permit – tourism/transit
- entry permit – treatment
- entry permit – mission
- entry permit – attending conferences.
An entry permit to the UAE is a document either issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICA) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), and it allows foreigners to enter and stay in the UAE legally for a short period of time. The entry permit may be presented in a physical or electronic form.
Please note that the entry permit transactions will be handled through GDRFA’s online and offline channels by the party sponsoring the person who wants to enter the UAE with an entry permit. The sponsor could be a company from the private sector, a public entity, a relative, a UAE-based airline, a hotel and so on.
How to apply for the UAE entry permit?
The applicants can apply for entry permits through both the websites of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). and through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) of the individual emirate.
However, while ICA offers only online channels, GDRFA offers both online and offline channels.
Applying online
The eChannels portal
Through the eChannels portal, individuals and companies registered in the UAE can apply for a new visa or visa renewal. In order to apply, individuals and companies must first register themselves. Note that eVisa can be used at the entry port in the UAE without the need to put the original visa in the entry port before the arrival of the sponsor.
GDRFA – Dubai website
You can apply online for a visa through the websites of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai.
GDRFA of Dubai provides one more website Amer.ae, through which Dubai nationals and residents can apply for entry permits and residence visas for their families. Visitors can apply for an extension of visas on arrival.
Mobile apps
You can apply for a UAE entry permit and residence visa through:
For more information, please contact the UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai.
Applying offline
Typing centres
The offline visa application can be processed through licensed typing centres where the visa application is typed and processed through the GDRFA of the respective emirate. Upon approval, the sponsor will receive a message about the approval and the original entry permit.
Amer centres
Dubai Government stipulates that all entry permit and visa transactions must be carried out through its Amer centres.
Entry permit to visit relatives or friends
UAE residents can apply for an entry permit for friends and relatives who want to visit them. The applicants will be the sponsor of their friends or relatives.
You can find out more about the UAE family entry permit by visiting the article below:
Entry permit for a temporary work mission
Visitors who have a temporary work assignment like probation testing or a project-based mission and are sponsored by the employer can apply for an entry permit for a temporary work mission. A visitor can apply for this entry permit if he/she is a relative or friend of a UAE citizen or resident.
Some of the requirements include the following:
- a temporary work contract, or
- a letter from the employer clarifying the visit purpose
- proof of health and fitness to work.
Entry permit for study and training
The entry permit for study and training is primarily intended for those attending training and study courses or participating in internship programs. The sponsor for this type of permit can be universities or educational or research institutions licensed in the country or government or private entities.
The requirements include a letter from the entity clarifying the details of the study or training, or internship program and its duration.
Residence permit for humanitarian cases
Residence permits to the UAE will be issued for the following humanitarian cases:
- a female resident whose husband of UAE nationality passed away in the country and has one child or more will be eligible for a residence permit.
- parents or children of a UAE citizen who holds foreign passports
- spouses and children of Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) state citizens who hold foreign passports
UAE entry permit for GCC residents
Residents of the GCC must apply for an e-Visa, also known as the UAE entry permit, and obtain them before travelling to the UAE. They can apply through GDRFA if they wish to enter from Dubai, and they can apply through Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICA) if they wish to enter the other Emirates in the UAE.
Book cheap flights to the UAE
UAE entry permit validity
In the UAE, entry permits have a validity period, which refers to the period in which they must be used after entering the country through one of the entry points at land borders, airports, or seaports. Generally, the validity for the majority of entry permits is two (2) months.
The duration of stay for each entry permit will vary depending on the type of entry permit the applicant is applying for. For instance, holders of entry permits for transit are allowed to stay in the UAE for four (4) days, whereas entry permits for employment allow the employee to stay in the country for two (2) months, during which his sponsor must change the employee’s status into a residence visa.
Please note that if the entry permit holder does not change their status to a residence visa, they have to leave the country upon the lapse of entry permit duration to avoid fines and penalties or renew within the prescribed periods.
UAE entry permit status check online
UAE entry permit status check via ICA
Applicants applying for an entry permit to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah can check the status and validity period of their entry permit on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship-ICA website.
UAE entry permit status check via GDRFA
Applicants applying for an entry permit to Dubai can check the status and validity period of their entry permit through the AMER GDRFA portal by following the steps mentioned below:
- Visit the AMER GDRFA official website link given here.
- Under general enquiry select “File Type” – entry permit or residence.
- Select “Entry Permit”.
- Enter your details, including your first name, visa number, nationality and date of birth.
- Enter the captcha code and hit submit.
If all your details are correct, your entry permit validity details will appear on the screen.
UAE entry permit cost
For the various types of entry permits and residency permits applicable across all the Northern Emirates and the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the service catalogue issued by Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security states the fees.
However, for various types of entry permits applicable in Dubai, the fees of some of the entry permits, as stated by the Amer.ae website, are as follows:
- Entry Permit / New / Sponsor Registration – Walking – AED 268.90
- Entry Permit / New / Sponsor Registration – PRO – AED 218.90
- Entry Permit – Entry Permit / Cancel / Residence – AED 188.90
- Entry Permit – Entry Permit / Cancel / Work – AED 209.65
- Entry Permit – Entry Permit / Extend / Short Term Visit – On Arrival – AED 899.65
- Entry Permit / Extend / Long Term Visit – On Arrival – AED 83.15
- Entry permit /Extend Indian -US permit – AED 545.65
- Entry Permit /New /Entry permit Job Seekers – AED 615.75
- Entry Permit / Extend / Visit – AED 858.90
Find out the complete list of UAE entry permit fees from the Amer.ae website.
UAE entry permit extension
The duration of the extension for an entry permit depends on the type of permit issued, including factors such as the permitted extension period and the number of allowable applications. A copy of the passport is required for each type of permit.
Types of extensions
Extensions vary based on the permit’s validity period and the type of visa. Generally, permits can be extended for either 30 days or beyond 30 days.
Extension for 30 days
Permits eligible for a 30-day extension include:
- Tourism entry permit can be extended twice. Applications must be processed through authorized tourism companies.
- Visit visa entry permit can be extended twice.
- GCC resident entry permit can be extended once.
Fees:
- Tourism entry permit: AED 600
- Visit visa entry permit: AED 600
- GCC resident entry permit: AED 700
Extension for more than 30 days
Permits eligible for extension beyond 30 days include:
- Entry permit for treatment can be extended for up to 90 days.
- Entry permit for companions of GCC citizens can be extended for up to 60 days.
- Entry permit for study can be extended for up to 90 days.
Fees:
- Entry permit for treatment: AED 500
- Entry permit for companions of GCC citizens: AED 250
- Entry permit for study: AED 600
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for an entry permit extension, applicants must:
- Have a passport valid for more than six months.
- Follow the instructions and requirements provided during the application process to prevent cancellation of the request.
- Note that the entry permit is issued 48 hours after the application is submitted.
Individuals have the option to extend their entry permits through various channels, including personal accounts, government establishment accounts, and typing center accounts.
The process is simple and can be completed by following these straightforward steps.
Through personal account & government establishment account
- visit the official website of ICP for the Extend entry permit service, then click “Start Service”
- log in to your account or create a new one
- submit a request to extend an entry permit and attach the service requirements
- pay the fees and financial guarantees, if any, and send the application
You will then receive the notification of approval and print the electronic entry permit in case of an approval request
Through typing center account
- visit one of the approved printing offices
- submit a request to extend an entry permit and attach the service requirements
- submit a request to extend an entry permit and attach the service requirements
- pay the fees and financial guarantees, if any, and send the application
You will then receive the notification of approval and print the electronic entry permit in case of an approval request.
However, if you’re looking to find budget-friendly ways on how you can extend your UAE entry permit, please consult our article below.
