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UAE overstay fines: AED 50 a day, and what to do if your employer never processed your visa

Overstay fines are now a flat AED 50 a day in every emirate. Here's how fast they add up, how to ask for a reduction, and where to turn if the overstay was your employer's fault.

By Kindoo teamPublished 3 min read

"Me I pay 15k fines overstay, coz my company before not give me visa for 10 months, then file bankruptcy…" One reader paid AED 15,000 in overstay fines after her company failed to process her visa and then went bankrupt, and she didn't know she could ask for the fines to be reduced. Here's how overstay fines work now, and what to do if you're in a similar situation.

The fine: AED 50 a day, everywhere

Since February 2026, the UAE has charged a flat AED 50 for every day you stay beyond your permitted period. It's the same in every emirate and for every visa type: visit, tourist and residence.

It adds up quickly:

  • 1 month (30 days): AED 1,500
  • 6 months (about 180 days): AED 9,000
  • 10 months (about 300 days): AED 15,000

You can't leave the UAE until the fines are settled.

How fast overstay fines add up UAE overstay fines are AED 50 a day in every emirate: AED 1,500 for one month, AED 9,000 for six months and AED 15,000 for ten months. Visit visas have no grace period; for residence visas, fines start after the grace period. AED 50 a day, in every emirate 1 month: AED 1,500 6 months: AED 9,000 10 months: AED 15,000 AED 0 AED 5,000 AED 10,000 AED 15,000 Visit visas: no grace period. Residence visas: fines start after your grace period. How fast overstay fines add up UAE overstay fines are AED 50 a day in every emirate: AED 1,500 for one month, AED 9,000 for six months and AED 15,000 for ten months. Visit visas have no grace period; for residence visas, fines start after the grace period. AED 50 a day, in every emirate 1 month 6 months 10 months AED 1,500 AED 9,000 AED 15,000 AED 0 AED 7,500 AED 15,000 Visit visas: no grace period. Residence visas: fines start after your grace period.
How fast overstay fines add up at AED 50 a day.

When the clock starts

  • Visit and tourist visas: there's no grace period. Fines start the day after your visa expires.
  • Residence visas: after your visa expires or is cancelled, you get a grace period to renew, change status or leave. Its length depends on your visa category. For a cancelled employment visa it's commonly 30 days. Check your exact date in the ICP or GDRFA app.

If it wasn't your fault

If your employer failed to apply for or renew your visa, you shouldn't simply pay and stay quiet.

  1. File a complaint with MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Your employer is responsible for processing your work permit and residence visa.
  2. Contact the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. They help Filipino workers with complaints against employers, including companies that have closed or gone bankrupt.
  3. Keep proof: your contract, payslips, messages with HR, and anything showing you asked for your visa to be processed.

Asking for the fine to be reduced

The UAE lets you apply to have overstay fines reduced or waived, usually for humanitarian reasons or circumstances beyond your control, such as an employer failing to process your visa.

  • In Dubai: apply through GDRFA Dubai.
  • In the other emirates: apply through ICP.

Include your evidence, especially anything showing the delay was your employer's fault. There's no guarantee, but you won't get a reduction if you don't ask. And ask before you pay. Once the fine is settled, it's very hard to get any of it back.

Amnesties

From time to time, the UAE announces amnesty or grace periods that let people fix their status or leave without fines. The most recent was a short grace period in mid-2026. If you're overstaying, follow ICP, GDRFA and MWO announcements closely, so you don't miss the next one.

The simplest rule

Check your visa's expiry date in the ICP or GDRFA app today, and set a reminder a month before it. Most overstay fines start with a date nobody was watching.

Rules and fees can change. Check icp.gov.ae and gdrfad.gov.ae for the latest.

Sources

This article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Government rules and rates change; confirm current figures with the official agency before acting.

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