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.
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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.
Here is the step-by-step guide by which you can check your UAE resident visa validity.
The website will display complete details regarding your visa and the expiration date if all your information is correct.
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.
If you are a Dubai resident, here is an exclusive method to check your UAE visa status.
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.
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.
Here’s a complete tutorial on how you can check your visa details using the GDRFA app.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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