To check your UAE visa status online, first identify where the visa was issued. Use the GDRFA Dubai portal for Dubai-issued visas and the ICP Smart Services portal for visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah.

These official government platforms allow visitors and residents to check visa validity, issuance and expiry dates, application progress and other immigration-file details. Depending on the service selected, you may need your passport number, passport expiry date, nationality, date of birth, visa file number or application reference.

This 2026 guide explains which portal to use, how to complete a UAE visa status check by passport number, how to track an application and what to do if the system cannot find your record.

ICP or GDRFA: Which UAE Visa Status Portal Should You Use?

The UAE does not use one status-checking system for every visa. The correct authority depends on the emirate that issued your entry permit or residence visa—not necessarily the emirate where you currently live.

Visa-issuing emirate	Responsible authority	Official portal
Dubai	General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai	GDRFA Dubai
Abu Dhabi	Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security	ICP Smart Services
Sharjah	ICP	ICP Smart Services
Ajman	ICP	ICP Smart Services
Umm Al Quwain	ICP	ICP Smart Services
Ras Al Khaimah	ICP	ICP Smart Services
Fujairah	ICP	ICP Smart Services

Older online guides may refer to the federal authority as “ICA.” Its current name is the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, commonly shortened to ICP.

Visa Application Status vs Visa Validity: What Are You Checking?

Before opening a government portal, determine whether you want to track an application that is still being processed or verify a visa that has already been issued.

Type of check	What it tells you	Details commonly required
Application tracking	Whether an application is received, under processing, returned, approved or completed	Application, request or transaction number
Visa validity check	Whether an issued entry permit or residence visa is active, expired or cancelled	Passport or visa-file information
Expiry-date check	The recorded visa issuance and expiry dates	Passport or file details
Fine inquiry	Immigration fines recorded against a file or sponsored person	File number, UID, Emirates ID or passport information

A passport-based validity search may not show an application that is still being processed. For a pending application, use the reference number provided by your sponsor, airline, travel company, employer, free-zone authority, typing centre or immigration service provider.

Details Required for a UAE Visa Status Check

The information requested changes according to the portal and search type. Keep the following available:

• Passport number exactly as printed on your passport
• Passport expiry date
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Visa or residence file number
• Unified Number or UID, where applicable
• Application, request or transaction number
• Payment date or transaction details for some Dubai applications
• Applicant’s first name as recorded in the immigration file

Do not add spaces, symbols or dashes unless they appear in the record. If you renewed your passport after the visa was issued, the immigration file may still be connected to your previous passport details.

How to Check UAE Visa Status Through ICP

Use ICP for entry permits and residence visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Step 1: Open ICP Smart Services

Visit the official ICP Smart Services portal. Check that the website address ends in icp.gov.ae before entering personal information.

Step 2: Open the File Validity Service

Navigate to the public visa services and select the option for checking file validity. Portal names and menu positions can change, so look for wording such as “File Validity,” “Visa Information” or “Public Visa Services.”

Step 3: Select the Search Method

The portal may allow you to search using passport information or visa-file details. Select the option that matches the information available to you.

Step 4: Choose Visa or Residency

Select “Visa” for a visit, tourist, transit or other entry permit. Select “Residency” when checking a UAE residence permit.

Step 5: Enter Your Details

Depending on the search method, enter your passport number, passport expiry date, nationality, date of birth or file information. The details must match the immigration record.

Step 6: Complete the Security Check

Complete the CAPTCHA or other verification displayed by the portal and select “Search.”

Step 7: Review the Result

The result may display the visa or residence category, file number, issuance date, expiry date and current validity. Save a screenshot for your records, but rely on the live portal result when making travel, renewal or cancellation decisions.

How to Track an ICP Visa Application

If the visa has not yet been issued, use ICP’s application-tracking service instead of the file-validity search.

1. Open ICP Smart Services.
2. Choose the application-tracking or request-status option.
3. Enter the request or application number supplied when the application was submitted.
4. Complete the security verification.
5. Review the recorded application stage.

If an employer, sponsor or tourism company submitted the visa, request the official application reference from them. A verbal statement that the visa is “under process” is not a substitute for a trackable reference.

How to Check Dubai Visa Status Through GDRFA

Dubai-issued tourist visas, entry permits and residence files are managed through GDRFA Dubai.

Step 1: Open the GDRFA Visa Status Service

Visit the official GDRFA Dubai website and open “Visa Status.” The service is designed to verify entry permits, residence permits and related immigration records.

Step 2: Select Application or File

Choose “Application” if you are tracking an uncompleted request. Choose “File” if the visa or residence permit has already been issued and you want to confirm its validity.

Step 3: Enter the Requested Information

For an application-status search, GDRFA may request details such as:

• Application number
• Transaction number
• Payment date

For a visa-file or residence-validity search, the portal may request:

• Visa or residence file number
• Applicant’s first name in English
• Nationality
• Date of birth

Step 4: Submit and Review the Record

Complete the security verification and submit the inquiry. Check the validity, expiry or application information against your passport and visa records.

Can You Check a Dubai Visa by Passport Number Only?

A passport number is useful, but it is not always the only information required. Government systems generally request secondary details—such as nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date, file number or application reference—to identify the correct record and protect personal information.

If you do not know your UID, GDRFA provides a separate Unified Number Inquiry Service. It requests the passport number, nationality, date of birth and gender.

For Dubai visa validity, the GDRFA status service may require the visa file number rather than allowing every record to be found using passport information alone.

Where Can You Find the UAE Visa File Number and UID?

The required reference may appear on your electronic entry permit, residence document, previous visa copy, application receipt or email issued by the submitting authority.

• UID or Unified Number: A personal immigration identifier that normally remains connected to the individual across UAE immigration records.
• File number: Identifies a specific visa or residence file.
• Application number: Tracks a particular application before completion.
• Transaction or request number: Identifies the service transaction submitted to the authority.

If you cannot locate the correct number, contact the sponsor or organisation that submitted the application. Dubai applicants can also use GDRFA’s UID inquiry service.

What Different UAE Visa Status Results Mean

The exact terminology can vary between ICP, GDRFA and different application services. Common results include:

Status	General meaning	Recommended action
Received	The authority has received the application	Wait for processing unless more documents are requested
Under process	The application is being reviewed	Monitor the official portal and messages
Returned	A correction or additional document may be required	Check the recorded reason with the submitting party
Approved	The application has received approval	Wait for issuance or download instructions if not yet completed
Issued	The visa or permit has been generated	Download the official copy and verify every detail
Valid	The visa or residence record is currently active	Check the recorded expiry date and conditions
Expired	The recorded validity period has ended	Check the applicable grace period, renewal, extension or departure requirements
Cancelled	The visa or residence permit has been cancelled	Confirm the cancellation date and applicable grace period

Do not book travel solely because an application shows “approved.” Confirm that the entry permit has been issued and that the passport number, name, nationality, visa type and validity dates are correct.

How to Check UAE Visa Expiry and Grace Period

Your visa expiry date and your final permitted day in the UAE are not always the same. A grace period may apply after the expiry or cancellation of certain residence categories, but the permitted period varies according to the visa and resident category.

Official UAE guidance states that residence grace periods can reach up to six months for eligible categories. This does not mean every resident automatically receives six months. Visit visas, tourist visas and entry permits follow different rules.

To confirm your position:

1. Check the recorded expiry or cancellation date through ICP or GDRFA.
2. Identify the exact visa or residence category.
3. Check the grace period applicable to that category.
4. Confirm the last permitted day with ICP or GDRFA if the portal result is unclear.
5. Do not calculate the period using an old article or another person’s visa.

How to Check UAE Visa Overstay Fines

Visa validity and fine inquiries may appear as separate services. For Dubai immigration records, use the official GDRFA Fines Inquiry Service. It supports searches using details such as a file number, UID, Emirates ID or passport number, depending on the selected search type.

For visas issued outside Dubai, use the appropriate service within ICP Smart Services or contact ICP for confirmation.

ICP currently states that an overstay fine of AED 50 per day may apply after an entry permit expires or is cancelled, beginning after the grace period applicable to that permit. Because the starting date depends on the visa category and circumstances, check the official record instead of estimating the total manually.

Why Your UAE Visa Record May Not Appear

A “no record found” result does not automatically mean that the visa has been rejected or cancelled. Common causes include:

• Searching ICP for a Dubai-issued visa
• Searching GDRFA for a visa issued in another emirate
• Using a validity search for an application that has not yet been issued
• Entering the current passport when the record is linked to an older passport
• Selecting “Visa” instead of “Residency,” or the reverse
• Entering the nationality, date of birth or name differently from the application
• Using the wrong file, transaction or application number
• Adding spaces or symbols not present in the official record
• Checking before the submitted application has entered the authority’s system

What to do:

1. Confirm the visa-issuing emirate.
2. Check whether you need application tracking or file validity.
3. Compare every entry with your passport and application receipt.
4. Try the reference connected to your previous passport if it was recently renewed.
5. Contact the sponsor or submitting service provider.
6. Call the relevant immigration authority if the record remains unavailable.

Official UAE Visa Enquiry Numbers

Authority	Inside the UAE	Outside the UAE
ICP	600 522222	+971 600 522222
GDRFA Dubai / AMER	800 5111	+971 4 313 9999

GDRFA Dubai states that its contact centre is available 24 hours a day. Keep your passport and application or file reference available before calling.

How to Protect Your Passport and Visa Information

Passport and immigration details are sensitive personal information. Use official government websites whenever possible and check the domain before entering your information.

• Use websites ending in icp.gov.ae, gdrfad.gov.ae, dubai.ae or u.ae.
• Do not send a passport copy to an unknown social-media account.
• Avoid forms that do not explain who operates the website or how the data will be used.
• Do not share one-time passwords or UAE PASS approval requests with another person.
• Never pay someone merely to access a free public status-checking service.
• If professional assistance is required, verify the company and obtain a clear service explanation first.

UAE PASS may be used to sign in to certain government services, but it does not replace the need to select the correct authority. Visa jurisdiction still depends on whether the visa was issued by Dubai or another emirate.

Frequently Asked Questions About UAE Visa Status Checks

How can I check my UAE visa status online?

Use ICP Smart Services for visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah. Use GDRFA Dubai for a Dubai-issued visa. Select application tracking for a pending request or file validity for a visa that has already been issued.

Can I check UAE visa status by passport number?

Passport information can be used for many ICP visa-validity searches. You will normally also need secondary information such as passport expiry, nationality or date of birth. Dubai’s GDRFA service may require a visa file number or application reference, depending on the inquiry selected.

Is checking UAE visa status online free?

The public status and validity inquiry services provided by ICP and GDRFA are free to access. Separate charges may apply if you use a private company for typing, document preparation, application submission or another professional service.

How can I check a Dubai visa application?

Open GDRFA Dubai’s Visa Status service and choose the application inquiry. Enter the application number, transaction number, payment date or other information requested by the portal. Ask the sponsor or submitting company for the official reference if you do not have it.

Can I use ICP to check a Dubai-issued visa?

Dubai-issued entry permits and residence visas are managed through GDRFA Dubai. ICP manages visas issued in the other six emirates. Using the wrong portal is one of the most common reasons a visa record does not appear.

What is the difference between ICA and ICP?

ICA is the former name commonly used for the federal identity and immigration authority. Its current name is the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, abbreviated as ICP. Older searches for “ICA visa status” generally refer to current ICP services.

Can I check my visa using an Emirates ID?

An Emirates ID may be accepted for selected immigration and fine inquiries. However, visa-validity searches may instead request passport or visa-file information. Emirates ID production status is a separate ICP service that uses an application number or Emirates ID number.

Does an approved status mean I can travel?

Not necessarily. “Approved” may mean the application has passed an approval stage, while “issued” indicates that the permit has been generated. Download the official entry permit and confirm its validity, passport details and entry conditions before travelling.

How can I check my UAE visa grace period?

First check the visa’s expiry or cancellation date through ICP or GDRFA. Then confirm the grace period applicable to your exact visa and resident category. Grace periods vary and should not be calculated using a general rule taken from another applicant’s case.

Is MOFA the correct website for a UAE visa status check?

No. UAE immigration visa validity is normally checked through ICP or GDRFA Dubai. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs primarily handles diplomatic, consular and document-attestation services rather than standard entry-permit and residence-visa validity inquiries.

Need Help With UAE Visa Documents?

GloboPrime assists individuals, families and companies with UAE visa-document preparation, certificate attestation, legal translation and application-related documentation. Our team can help you identify the relevant document requirements and the appropriate official authority for your situation.

GloboPrime is a private service provider and does not issue visas, approve immigration applications or replace ICP or GDRFA Dubai. All visa decisions, validity records, grace periods and immigration fines are determined by the relevant UAE government authority.

For professional assistance, contact GloboPrime at +914442033480.