The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) confirmed in the early hours of 21 April 2026 that the four-week grace period granted to holders of expired UAE tourist and visit visas has now closed. From today, anyone whose permit lapsed after 28 February and who has not either exited the country or regularised their status will begin accruing the standard AED 50 (≈ US$13.60) daily overstay fine. The temporary amnesty was introduced at the height of March’s flight-cancellation wave, when Iran-related airspace disruptions made it difficult for short-term visitors to find departures. Immigration counters processed more than 186,000 fee-free extensions during the reprieve, ICP figures show, but thousands more waited in the hope that airlines would restore normal schedules before the deadline. Law firms handling status-correction cases say enquiries have quadrupled since the weekend. “Many visitors assumed another extension was coming,” notes Amal Al-Rais of Dubai-based Gulf Legal Partners. “They now face fines and, in extreme cases, movement bans that can derail future business-visa applications.”
![UAE Reinstates Daily Overstay Fines As Grace Period For Expired Tourist Visas Ends]()
For travelers seeking guidance on how best to regularise their status or secure the correct entry permit before planning future trips, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, digital application tools and live support, helping both individuals and corporate mobility teams navigate changing regulations and avoid costly overstay penalties.
Companies hosting short-term assignees are being urged to cross-check passport stamps and ensure staff either file for a change-status visa or depart promptly. ICP officials also reminded residents that overstay fines accumulate automatically in the immigration system and must be settled at a land or airport exit gate—or online via the ICP app—before boarding. Failure to pay can trigger a one-year re-entry ban. Mobility managers should therefore flag the policy change across employee portals and consider absorbing the penalty as a cost of doing business if disruptions persist.
For travelers seeking guidance on how best to regularise their status or secure the correct entry permit before planning future trips, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ can streamline the process. The company’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, digital application tools and live support, helping both individuals and corporate mobility teams navigate changing regulations and avoid costly overstay penalties.
Companies hosting short-term assignees are being urged to cross-check passport stamps and ensure staff either file for a change-status visa or depart promptly. ICP officials also reminded residents that overstay fines accumulate automatically in the immigration system and must be settled at a land or airport exit gate—or online via the ICP app—before boarding. Failure to pay can trigger a one-year re-entry ban. Mobility managers should therefore flag the policy change across employee portals and consider absorbing the penalty as a cost of doing business if disruptions persist.
