UAE waives all visa-overstay fines for travellers grounded by airspace closure

In a late-night announcement on 4 March 2026, the UAE formally suspended daily overstay penalties for anyone who could not depart when regional hostilities forced airlines to cancel flights. The decision—confirmed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security—applies retroactively from 28 February and covers tourists on visit or tourist visas, residents who cancelled their permits before departure, and holders of exit permits whose grace periods lapsed. Ordinarily, travellers pay Dh50 (≈ US $13.60) per excess day. Mobility consultants estimate that a family of four stranded for ten days would have faced Dh2,000 in fines; those costs are now erased. Payment systems in smart-gates and at Customer Happiness Centres have already been updated, meaning no manual refund process is required.



For anyone unsure how the suspension affects future travel plans or upcoming visa renewals, VisaHQ’s UAE team can guide you through the latest rules and handle applications online. Their portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) tracks real-time immigration updates and helps individuals and employers file, extend, or amend UAE visas quickly—so you stay compliant once normal penalties resume.

The waiver is a significant relief for employers running short-term assignments and rotational shifts in the Gulf. HR teams can keep personnel in the Emirates without triggering unexpected budget hits while rebooking flights. The policy also protects laid-off expatriates whose residency visas were cancelled prior to travel. Officials stressed that the exemption is temporary and linked specifically to the current force-majeure situation. Travellers must still depart as soon as practicable and should retain evidence—such as airline cancellation e-mails—to present at immigration control or future visa applications. Companies are therefore urged to archive disruption notices in employee files and to brief staff that normal fine rules will resume once the GCAA lifts remaining capacity caps.