The Federal National Council has approved a sweeping amendment to the country’s Entry and Residence of Foreigners law that sharply raises penalties for people who abuse, forge or facilitate the misuse of UAE visas and residence permits.
Under the new provisions – published on 9 December 2025 – fines will start at Dh100,000 and can reach an eye-watering Dh5 million in cases that involve organised trafficking, forged documents or multiple offenders. Repeat or aggravated breaches will also carry mandatory prison sentences of at least two months. The legislation specifically targets three problem areas: 1) individuals working on tourist or visit visas, 2) recruiters who bring in workers without proper permits, and 3) criminal syndicates that traffic people into the Emirates using forged or fraudulently obtained papers.
![UAE imposes fines of up to Dh5 million and jail for serious residency violations]()
Officials say the tougher sanctions are intended to protect the UAE’s labour market, close security loopholes and reinforce the integrity of long-term initiatives such as the Golden, Green and Blue residency programmes. Employers that knowingly hire people on the wrong visa type will face the same punitive range of fines, while landlords who shelter overstayers could see their properties black-listed.
For companies moving staff into the UAE, the message is clear: ensure that the visa category matches the assignment and that any third-party agent is properly licensed. Mobility managers are advised to budget extra time for compliance audits and to educate travelling employees about restrictions on part-time work, volunteering and remote assignments while on visitor status. Legal experts also recommend reviewing staff-housing contracts to avoid inadvertent liability for sub-tenants whose visas may have lapsed.
Beyond deterrence, the ICP says enforcement will be paired with an expanded online status-check portal and a short grace period for minor first-time offenders to regularise their status without deportation. Nevertheless, with border authorities now sharing biometric data across GCC partners, overstaying or visa-running will become far riskier – and far costlier – than before.
Under the new provisions – published on 9 December 2025 – fines will start at Dh100,000 and can reach an eye-watering Dh5 million in cases that involve organised trafficking, forged documents or multiple offenders. Repeat or aggravated breaches will also carry mandatory prison sentences of at least two months. The legislation specifically targets three problem areas: 1) individuals working on tourist or visit visas, 2) recruiters who bring in workers without proper permits, and 3) criminal syndicates that traffic people into the Emirates using forged or fraudulently obtained papers.
Officials say the tougher sanctions are intended to protect the UAE’s labour market, close security loopholes and reinforce the integrity of long-term initiatives such as the Golden, Green and Blue residency programmes. Employers that knowingly hire people on the wrong visa type will face the same punitive range of fines, while landlords who shelter overstayers could see their properties black-listed.
For companies moving staff into the UAE, the message is clear: ensure that the visa category matches the assignment and that any third-party agent is properly licensed. Mobility managers are advised to budget extra time for compliance audits and to educate travelling employees about restrictions on part-time work, volunteering and remote assignments while on visitor status. Legal experts also recommend reviewing staff-housing contracts to avoid inadvertent liability for sub-tenants whose visas may have lapsed.
Beyond deterrence, the ICP says enforcement will be paired with an expanded online status-check portal and a short grace period for minor first-time offenders to regularise their status without deportation. Nevertheless, with border authorities now sharing biometric data across GCC partners, overstaying or visa-running will become far riskier – and far costlier – than before.
