The Federal National Council has passed a sweeping amendment to the UAE’s Entry and Residence of Foreigners Law that dramatically escalates the penalties for visa misuse, illegal employment and organised trafficking. Under the revised provisions, fines now start at Dh100,000 and can climb to an eye-watering Dh5 million in cases that involve forged documents, multiple offenders or human-trafficking rings. Repeat or aggravated breaches also trigger a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two months.
Three hot-button issues drove the change: (1) individuals working on tourist or visit visas, (2) recruiters who import workers without the proper permits, and (3) syndicates that traffic people into the Emirates using counterfeit papers. Employers that knowingly hire staff on the wrong visa face the same punitive range of fines, while landlords risk property black-listing if they house overstayers. Officials say the tougher sanctions are designed to close security loopholes and protect long-term initiatives such as the Golden, Green and Blue residency schemes.
For mobility managers, the message is clear: check that every transferee’s visa category precisely matches the assignment, budget extra time for compliance audits and educate travelling employees about the absolute ban on even short-term “side gigs” while on visitor status. Legal advisers also recommend reviewing staff-housing contracts because giving shelter to an overstayer could expose a company—and its HR director—to the same multi-million-dirham fines.
![UAE Raises Fines to Dh5 Million and Adds Jail Time for Serious Visa and Residency Violations]()
At this juncture, many employers are turning to specialised visa services for guidance. VisaHQ’s UAE desk (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers end-to-end support—from selecting the right visa class to tracking renewals—helping corporations steer clear of the costly pitfalls that now carry seven-figure penalties.
Technologically, enforcement will rely on the UAE’s expanded smart-services portal, which now allows companies to track staff visa status in real time, and on data-sharing agreements between GCC border agencies. In parallel, the Interior Ministry will run a brief grace period so minor, first-time offenders can regularise status without deportation, but officials warn that “visa-running” is now riskier—and far costlier—than ever. Companies ignoring the new regime not only face financial exposure but also reputational damage, as immigration authorities have begun publishing violation statistics by sector.
With the country positioning itself as the region’s corporate headquarters hub, the crackdown underscores a wider policy trade-off: generous long-term residencies for investors and high-skilled talent, balanced by zero tolerance for abuse. Multinationals that get their paperwork right will continue to benefit from the UAE’s flexible labour market and gateway location; those that do not now face headline-grabbing penalties.
Three hot-button issues drove the change: (1) individuals working on tourist or visit visas, (2) recruiters who import workers without the proper permits, and (3) syndicates that traffic people into the Emirates using counterfeit papers. Employers that knowingly hire staff on the wrong visa face the same punitive range of fines, while landlords risk property black-listing if they house overstayers. Officials say the tougher sanctions are designed to close security loopholes and protect long-term initiatives such as the Golden, Green and Blue residency schemes.
For mobility managers, the message is clear: check that every transferee’s visa category precisely matches the assignment, budget extra time for compliance audits and educate travelling employees about the absolute ban on even short-term “side gigs” while on visitor status. Legal advisers also recommend reviewing staff-housing contracts because giving shelter to an overstayer could expose a company—and its HR director—to the same multi-million-dirham fines.
At this juncture, many employers are turning to specialised visa services for guidance. VisaHQ’s UAE desk (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers end-to-end support—from selecting the right visa class to tracking renewals—helping corporations steer clear of the costly pitfalls that now carry seven-figure penalties.
Technologically, enforcement will rely on the UAE’s expanded smart-services portal, which now allows companies to track staff visa status in real time, and on data-sharing agreements between GCC border agencies. In parallel, the Interior Ministry will run a brief grace period so minor, first-time offenders can regularise status without deportation, but officials warn that “visa-running” is now riskier—and far costlier—than ever. Companies ignoring the new regime not only face financial exposure but also reputational damage, as immigration authorities have begun publishing violation statistics by sector.
With the country positioning itself as the region’s corporate headquarters hub, the crackdown underscores a wider policy trade-off: generous long-term residencies for investors and high-skilled talent, balanced by zero tolerance for abuse. Multinationals that get their paperwork right will continue to benefit from the UAE’s flexible labour market and gateway location; those that do not now face headline-grabbing penalties.
