How to Check Overstay Fine in UAE Online?

Posted on January 9, 2023

The UAE is a magical place. Multicultural, aesthetically pleasing, and diverse. Its metropolitan areas are something out of a dream. Once you visit and take it all in, you’ll want to visit again and again.

Business meetings, sightseeing, tourism, get-togethers – there are plenty of reasons why people visit the Emirates. There is something for everyone.

But it’s not a haven without rules. The Emirati government is a well-regulated machine with a legal visa system. They’re the ever-vigilant forces granting people entry into the country.

Failure to follow Emirati procedures leads to various fines inside the UAE. If left unchecked and ignored, they can make your stay within the country troublesome.

The government is strict about who it chooses to let in, and the duration of their stay. The time period laid out by them ensures that immigration is running smoothly.

Overstaying your visa is an uncomfortable situation to find yourself in. However, there are solutions to that problem. In this post, we’ll discuss how to check overstay fine in UAE.

So, let’s start, shall we?

What Is an Overstay Fine in UAE?

A visa is essentially a gateway into another country. It details a certain period of time that the visa holder can stay before they have to leave the country. If the said holder doesn’t leave the UAE within the allocated period, they could face overstaying fines.

Overstaying tourists on pre-paid or on-arrival visit visas will be assessed a fee of 200 AED for the first day and 100 AED every day after that. Any UAE resident who overstays with an expired residence visa will be fined 125 AED on the first day and 25 AED per day after that.

As a best practice, it’s best to know the stay period on your visa and stick by it. For more clarity, let’s take a look at the overstay fines in the UAE based on different visa types.

Overstay fines for UAE residents:

The UAE government issues resident visas for a limited amount of time. It’s only during this time that they are allowed to stay in the UAE. Typically a resident visa lasts for about two or three years, after which the individual has three options:

Leave the country
Renew the visa
Renew their visa to a visitor visa

To allow people to put their affairs in order, the government offers a thirty-day grace period. If an individual overstays beyond the grace period provided, then a fine of 125 AED will be imposed for the first day and a 25 AED fine for each subsequent day. Here is a list of overstay fines in the UAE for resident visa holders:

Day 1: AED 125
Subsequent days: AED 25/day
Six months of overstay: AED 50/day
One year of overstay: AED 100/day

Overstay fines for UAE visitors:

Overstay fines differ for people holding a visit visa. They are a lot more stringent as compared to the holders of a resident visa. The fines, as listed below, are a lot higher and the grace period is shorter.

If you’re visiting the UAE and your visa gets canceled, then overstay fines for a canceled visa are applicable to you. During the ten days grace period, you have two options:

Leave the country
Convert your visit visa into a resident one

If a visitor chooses to stay beyond the grace period provided, the fines imposed are as follows:

Day 1: AED 200
Subsequent days: AED 100/day
Service fees: AED 100

In the past, a visitor had to exit the country, renew their visa status to a resident one, and then come back. Now, with the UAE Ministerial Resolution No 377, visitors can stay within the country, and pay the penalties, and late fees.

Overstay fine in UAE for canceled visa

If the visa had officially been canceled by the government, then an individual has to go through a grace period of 30 days (10 for a visitor visa). Once that period expires, overstay fines are imposed, which you have to pay.

Overstay fines for a canceled visitor visa are:

Day 1: AED 200
Subsequent days: AED 100/day
Service fees: AED 100

Overstay fines for a canceled resident visa are:

Day 1: AED 125
Subsequent days: AED 25/day
Six months of overstay: AED 50/day
One year of overstay: AED 100/day

Overstaying in the UAE, regardless of the type of visa you have, could land you on immigration blacklists. This could have long-term ramifications for your future visits to the UAE and other countries.

How to Check Overstay Fine in UAE Online?

There is a step-by-step process that you have to follow on how to check overstay fines in the UAE online. We’ll go over the steps in just a bit, but first, let’s talk about the details one needs to know in order to check fines online.

Requirements for Checking Overstay Fine in UAE:

Before you can move on to the steps to check your overstay fines, you need to have your Residence Visa Copy or File Number. If you’re checking someone else’s overstay fines, let’s say for an elderly family member, you must know their Date of Birth.

Procedure to Check Overstay Fine in UAE:

Follow the steps to check overstay fines in the UAE online:

Step 1:

Visit the website of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP).
The link leads you to the homepage of the website, which looks something like this:

From there, you need to navigate to the Public Services tab right here. Click on Applying for exemption from late fines.

Step 2:

When you’ve clicked on the fee exemption tab on the website, you will be led to a page that says Fines – Pay Fines.

It is located at the very top of the Smart Services page. Click on Start Service, to begin the process of paying your overstay fines in the UAE.

Step 3:

When you’ve clicked on the start button as mentioned above, you will be redirected to another page. Over there, you will have to enter your credentials such as your visa file number and whatnot.

Step 4:

You then have to add the following information to the website’s database:
- Department numbers (101, 201, and 301)
- Year during which you got your visa
- Serial numbers
- The sequence number of seven digits
- Date of birth

Afterward, you have to pass the captcha code and simply click on the search button.
Be sure to proofread all the inserted information.

Step 5:

If the details are accurate, then you’ll be able to see the amount imposed on you based on your overstay in the UAE. In addition, you will also be able to see the number of days you overstayed.

All you have to do then is pay those fines. We also have a guide explaining how to check your UAE visa status. Perhaps you might find that useful too.

How Much Is the Grace Period After Visa Cancellation in UAE?

Grace periods for different visas vary. Here’s a list of grace periods for different visa types after a visitor’s visa gets canceled:

Grace period – 30 days on arrival visa

Individuals having a 30-day on-arrival visa in the UAE are granted a 10-day grace period.

Grace period – 90 days on arrival

Citizens of the European countries listed above do not have a grace period.

Grace period – Prepaid visa holders

There is a 10-day grace period on all prepaid single-entry visas (30 days and 90 days).

Grace period – Indian passport holders with US Visa/Us Green card, EU Residency visa & UK Residency visa

After your 14-day stay, you are entitled to a 10-day grace period on your initial entry.

Grace period – Mexican passport – 180 days on arrival

Overstaying Mexican citizens are not given a 10-day grace period.

Grace period – Brazil passport – 90 days on arrival

There is no 10-day grace period for Brazilian citizens.

FAQs About Overstay Fine in UAE

How can I get out of UAE without paying an overstay fine?

By leaving within the grace period allotted to you by the government. According to a 2020 announcement by the ICP, which discussed extending the deadline of overstay for visa and entry permit holders for a month. This would give them the option of leaving the country without paying overstaying fines. Fines will only be imposed if you stay within the country after the grace period.

Can you go to jail for overstaying your visa in the UAE?

According to Emirati law, overstaying in the UAE on either your visitor or residence visa is not a criminal offense that could lead to imprisonment.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during its peak, flight cancellation was a frequent issue. Due to this, the UAE government took measures with regards to delaying the processing of imposing overstay fines.

However, with the pandemic now under control in the Emirates, you can expect these concessions to go away.

How can I remove the overstay fine in UAE?

You can ask for an extension to your overstay one time after which you are required to exit the UAE. As an alternative, you can contact a tourism company for a visa change without exit. As discussed, the costs of overstaying are more for tourists than residents so it’s best to stay on schedule with your stay.

What are the service charges for the overstay fine & refund policy in UAE?

The fee schedule for service charges is as follows:
1) Fine Clearance Fees: 52 AED

2) E-Services Charge: 29.4 AED

3) Fees for ICA Procedures: 22 AED

As far as rejections to your request are concerned, the total fees will not be refunded. When you’re done, you’ll receive an SMS on your phone as well as an email confirmation with the overstay fines that you’ve paid.

Conclusion

This wraps up our guide on how to check overstay fine in UAE. From this article, it should be clear how much the UAE government gives leeway and concessions to its visitors and residents. The grace period is sufficient enough for anyone to get all their affairs in order and decide on their next move while inside the UAE.

If by chance, you do get in trouble with overstay visas, the UAE government facilitates you through its online portals as we have illustrated above. In general, it’s best to keep track of the duration of your stay to avoid troubles in the long run. Also, check our other article on how to check emirates ID fine