The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)–Dubai has confirmed that its Customer Happiness Centre at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3 Arrivals, will operate round-the-clock from May 25 to May 29 to cope with the Eid Al Adha travel surge. Other walk-in service centres—Al Manara and Al Twar—will open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the holiday, while the Al Awir public-services branch will run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including weekends.
![Dubai immigration authority to keep Terminal 3 counters open 24/7 throughout Eid break]()
For travellers who prefer a single, streamlined interface rather than juggling multiple government platforms, VisaHQ can step in to manage the paperwork on their behalf. Its dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) allows individuals and corporate PROs to select the right visa, upload documents securely and track approvals in real time, helping avoid last-minute airport surprises during peak seasons like Eid.
Officials said the extended hours are part of a wider push to maintain service continuity amid the busiest travel window of the year. In addition to on-site counters, the authority’s digital channels—GDRFA Dubai website, Dubai Now super-app and the Amer call centre—remain fully operational 24/7, allowing residents, visitors and corporate PROs to file entry-permit applications, renew residencies and track statuses remotely. For global mobility teams, the announcement removes uncertainty about obtaining last-minute visa amendments or entry-permit clearances for senior executives flying in for board meetings immediately after the holiday. Companies can still process work-permit transfers and dependent-visa renewals online, but physical fingerprinting or visa-stamping appointments—where required—should be booked early as walk-in capacity is limited. GDRFA also reminded travellers to verify the six-month passport-validity rule and to activate biometrics on the UAEICP app to speed e-gate passage. Overstay fines continue to accrue during public holidays, so residents whose visas expire during the break should file renewal requests electronically to freeze penalties until processing resumes. The authority’s statement concluded with a plea for applicants to use digital channels wherever possible—part of Dubai’s wider strategy to shift 100 per cent of residency services online by 2027, freeing frontline officers to focus on complex humanitarian and investor-visa cases.
For travellers who prefer a single, streamlined interface rather than juggling multiple government platforms, VisaHQ can step in to manage the paperwork on their behalf. Its dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) allows individuals and corporate PROs to select the right visa, upload documents securely and track approvals in real time, helping avoid last-minute airport surprises during peak seasons like Eid.
Officials said the extended hours are part of a wider push to maintain service continuity amid the busiest travel window of the year. In addition to on-site counters, the authority’s digital channels—GDRFA Dubai website, Dubai Now super-app and the Amer call centre—remain fully operational 24/7, allowing residents, visitors and corporate PROs to file entry-permit applications, renew residencies and track statuses remotely. For global mobility teams, the announcement removes uncertainty about obtaining last-minute visa amendments or entry-permit clearances for senior executives flying in for board meetings immediately after the holiday. Companies can still process work-permit transfers and dependent-visa renewals online, but physical fingerprinting or visa-stamping appointments—where required—should be booked early as walk-in capacity is limited. GDRFA also reminded travellers to verify the six-month passport-validity rule and to activate biometrics on the UAEICP app to speed e-gate passage. Overstay fines continue to accrue during public holidays, so residents whose visas expire during the break should file renewal requests electronically to freeze penalties until processing resumes. The authority’s statement concluded with a plea for applicants to use digital channels wherever possible—part of Dubai’s wider strategy to shift 100 per cent of residency services online by 2027, freeing frontline officers to focus on complex humanitarian and investor-visa cases.
