The United Arab Emirates has quietly dismantled one of the most frustrating rules for tourists, conference delegates and short-term assignees: the obligation to exit the country in order to renew a 30- or 60-day visit visa.
Published on 4 December 2025 and confirmed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), the reform allows most holders of tourist, business-visit, medical-treatment and family-visit permits to file an extension request inside the country, either through the ICP smart-services portal, its mobile app or an Amer/Customer Happiness centre. Once approved, the same e-visa is re-validated and no new entry stamp is required.
![UAE scraps ‘visa-run’ requirement, lets visitors renew short-term visas entirely online]()
Key operational changes include renewal periods that match the original visa’s length, real-time application tracking, and a single flat fee of AED 600 plus VAT (approximately US$ 165). A modest surcharge applies if the applicant has already overstayed. Crucially, Dubai’s separate 10-day grace period for tourist visas has been abolished: overstay fines of AED 50 a day now begin the moment the visa expires.
For corporate mobility managers the implications are significant. Overseas staff attending multi-week trade missions can remain in Abu Dhabi or Dubai for follow-up meetings without arranging “border-run” day trips to Oman or Bahrain. Event organisers can keep speakers on-site through wrap-up sessions, and hotels expect longer average stays during the peak winter season.
Practical advice: ensure passports have at least six months’ validity, submit extension requests five working days before expiry, and double-check that the specific visa category is eligible—free-zone-sponsored entry permits and some special-purpose visas are excluded. Holders of Golden, Green and other long-term residencies retain their separate (and more generous) post-expiry grace periods.
Published on 4 December 2025 and confirmed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), the reform allows most holders of tourist, business-visit, medical-treatment and family-visit permits to file an extension request inside the country, either through the ICP smart-services portal, its mobile app or an Amer/Customer Happiness centre. Once approved, the same e-visa is re-validated and no new entry stamp is required.
Key operational changes include renewal periods that match the original visa’s length, real-time application tracking, and a single flat fee of AED 600 plus VAT (approximately US$ 165). A modest surcharge applies if the applicant has already overstayed. Crucially, Dubai’s separate 10-day grace period for tourist visas has been abolished: overstay fines of AED 50 a day now begin the moment the visa expires.
For corporate mobility managers the implications are significant. Overseas staff attending multi-week trade missions can remain in Abu Dhabi or Dubai for follow-up meetings without arranging “border-run” day trips to Oman or Bahrain. Event organisers can keep speakers on-site through wrap-up sessions, and hotels expect longer average stays during the peak winter season.
Practical advice: ensure passports have at least six months’ validity, submit extension requests five working days before expiry, and double-check that the specific visa category is eligible—free-zone-sponsored entry permits and some special-purpose visas are excluded. Holders of Golden, Green and other long-term residencies retain their separate (and more generous) post-expiry grace periods.
