How UAE visit visa holders can apply for 30-day extension inside the country – total cost, application process and requirements explained

Dubai: If you are currently on a tourist visa in the UAE, and are planning to extend your trip, you can apply for an entry permit extension for an additional 30 days.

On Sunday, June 4, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP), posted a video tutorial on their official social media channels on how to extend entry permits inside the UAE through their official service platform – smartservices.icp.gov.ae.

How to extend the tourist visa inside the UAE

If you have a tourist visa for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah, the authority in charge of overseeing visas is ICP. If you want extend your stay in Dubai, the authority that approves and issues the extension is the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs Residency – Dubai (GDRFA).

Here are all the details.

Extending tourist visa online through ICP

According to ICP, the online application for extending entry permit can only be done by tourism companies in the UAE.

Requirements

To apply for the extension you must have a copy of your passport, with the passport valid for at least six months.

Extension period

According to the ICP website – the tourist visa can be extended twice for 30 days.

According to ICP, three types of entry permits can be extended for 30 days:
1. Extension of entry permit (for tourism)
2. Extension of entry permit (visit)
3. Extension of entry permit for residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

How long does it take to receive the extension?

As per ICP, the entry permit is issued electronically 48 hours after receiving and accepting the application.

Entry permit extension fees

Here is the breakdown of the cost, as per the ICP website:
• Request fee: Dh100
• Issuance fee: Dh500
• E-Services Fee: Dh10
Total: Dh600

Extending tourist visa online through GDRFA – Dubai

For Dubai tourist visa holders, only accredited tourism offices in Dubai can apply for the visa extension, according to the GDRFA website – gdrfad.gov.ae.

Requirements

The tourist visa holder must provide a valid tourist visa copy to apply for the service through a tourism office, according to the GDRFA website.

Extension period

“It may be extended by a decision of the issuing authority for one or more times, not exceeding 120 days in total,” according to the GDRFA website.

Entry permit extension fees

• Visa extension fee: Dh600, plus five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT)

Additional fees (if the sponsored person is inside the country):
• Knowledge dirham: Dh10
• Innovation dirham: Dh10
• Fee inside the country: Dh500
Total: Dh1,120

The website adds: “The total amount of the visa may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the sponsored person or for any other reasons that may require that.”

This article was published in June 5, 2023 and has been updated since.