The UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security have activated emergency immigration measures in response to the air-space shutdown that followed Iran’s 28 February missile strikes.
Under the decree, all tourist, visit and transit visas that expire between 28 February and 31 March 2026 are automatically granted a 30-day grace period. Travellers who can show documentary proof that their flights were cancelled or that no alternative routing was available may apply—free of charge—for a further 30-day extension or for a one-year humanitarian stay permit. Normal overstay fines of AED 100 (≈ US $27) per day are suspended while an application is in process, and GDRFA officers have been instructed to consider full or partial fine waivers where the overstay is directly linked to the disruption.(digitaldubai.ai)
Visitors can file online via the GDRFA app, the ICP “Smart Services” portal or at any Amer typing centre. Walk-in counters at GDRFA headquarters in Al Jaffiliya, Al Awir and Rashidiya remain open extended hours, and a dedicated hotline (800 5111) provides multilingual support. Applicants need a passport copy, expired visa or entry stamp, evidence of flight cancellation and, where relevant, hotel or hospital letters confirming an enforced stay.
![UAE issues emergency visa extensions and waives overstay fines for travellers stranded by regional air-space closure]()
For travellers who would rather have an expert handle the paperwork, VisaHQ can manage UAE visa extensions end-to-end, including compiling supporting documents and liaising with GDRFA on your behalf. Their Dubai-focused service page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) outlines processing times, fees and real-time status tracking, helping visitors avoid costly missteps while the emergency rules are in effect.
Companies with assignees on single-entry business visas are urged to review travel dates and lodge bulk extension requests where staff remain in the country. Mobility managers should also update posted-worker notifications in home jurisdictions to reflect the involuntary extension of stay. Failure to regularise status could expose travellers to exit-ban orders and hamper future work-permit or Golden-Visa filings.
Practical tip: keep airline emails, WhatsApp messages and any re-booking attempts on file; GDRFA adjudicators require clear causality between the cancelled flight and the overstay. The authorities have signalled that the policy will be reviewed on 31 March, so immigration teams should calendar follow-ups for any travellers who may still be in the UAE at that point.
Under the decree, all tourist, visit and transit visas that expire between 28 February and 31 March 2026 are automatically granted a 30-day grace period. Travellers who can show documentary proof that their flights were cancelled or that no alternative routing was available may apply—free of charge—for a further 30-day extension or for a one-year humanitarian stay permit. Normal overstay fines of AED 100 (≈ US $27) per day are suspended while an application is in process, and GDRFA officers have been instructed to consider full or partial fine waivers where the overstay is directly linked to the disruption.(digitaldubai.ai)
Visitors can file online via the GDRFA app, the ICP “Smart Services” portal or at any Amer typing centre. Walk-in counters at GDRFA headquarters in Al Jaffiliya, Al Awir and Rashidiya remain open extended hours, and a dedicated hotline (800 5111) provides multilingual support. Applicants need a passport copy, expired visa or entry stamp, evidence of flight cancellation and, where relevant, hotel or hospital letters confirming an enforced stay.
For travellers who would rather have an expert handle the paperwork, VisaHQ can manage UAE visa extensions end-to-end, including compiling supporting documents and liaising with GDRFA on your behalf. Their Dubai-focused service page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) outlines processing times, fees and real-time status tracking, helping visitors avoid costly missteps while the emergency rules are in effect.
Companies with assignees on single-entry business visas are urged to review travel dates and lodge bulk extension requests where staff remain in the country. Mobility managers should also update posted-worker notifications in home jurisdictions to reflect the involuntary extension of stay. Failure to regularise status could expose travellers to exit-ban orders and hamper future work-permit or Golden-Visa filings.
Practical tip: keep airline emails, WhatsApp messages and any re-booking attempts on file; GDRFA adjudicators require clear causality between the cancelled flight and the overstay. The authorities have signalled that the policy will be reviewed on 31 March, so immigration teams should calendar follow-ups for any travellers who may still be in the UAE at that point.
