United Arab Emirates
Verified- Region:
- Western Asia
- Time zones:
- Asia/Dubai
- Last verified:
Overview
The United Arab Emirates issues a different permission for almost every reason to visit, and each one is counted differently. A multiple-entry 5-year tourist visa allows 90 days from each arrival. A transit visa is measured in hours rather than calendar days. A sponsored residence visa runs for 1, 2 or 3 years. DAYOZA lists the permissions it has read off an official source, and says plainly where it has not.
Two UAE rules catch people out, and both are pure arithmetic. A residence visa is nullified automatically once the holder has been outside the country for more than 180 continuous days — there is no notice and no application to refuse. And time past a permitted departure is charged at AED 50 for each day. The calculators on this page work out both.
Stay rules
Multiple-entry 5-year tourist visa
- Permitted stay
- 90 days
- How it is calculated
- The visa is valid for 5 years and allows multiple entries. Each visit permits a stay of up to 90 days, which may be extended by a further 90 days. The 90 days runs from each arrival, so it is counted per visit rather than accumulated across the five years.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Issued to all nationalities on self-sponsorship. The calculator counts the first 90 days from entry; an extension is granted on application and is not automatic, so it is not assumed here.
- If you overstay
- 50 AED per dayThis is the published daily rate applied from the first day past your permitted departure. No grace period is applied, because none could be verified — the real amount may be lower. Settle it with the authority.Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security — Payment of visa or residence violation fine
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Tourist visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Transit visa (48 or 96 hours)
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- A transit visa is issued for either 48 or 96 hours. It is a single-entry visa and cannot be extended. Because the limit is counted in hours from arrival rather than in calendar days, DAYOZA does not compute a departure date for it.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Transit visas are arranged by UAE-based airlines. Work from the exact arrival time on your boarding documents, not from the calendar date.
- If you overstay
- 50 AED per dayThis is the published daily rate applied from the first day past your permitted departure. No grace period is applied, because none could be verified — the real amount may be lower. Settle it with the authority.Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security — Payment of visa or residence violation fine
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Transit visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Residence visa (sponsored)
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- A sponsored residence visa is issued for 1, 2 or 3 years depending on its type and sponsor. It is nullified automatically if the holder stays outside the UAE continuously for more than 180 days.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Certain categories are exempt from the 180-day absence rule, including golden visa holders, those on diplomatic assignment and those receiving approved medical treatment. After a residence permit expires or is cancelled, grace periods reach up to 6 months depending on the resident category; DAYOZA does not guess which applies to you.
- If you overstay
- 50 AED per dayThis is the published daily rate applied from the first day past your permitted departure. No grace period is applied, because none could be verified — the real amount may be lower. Settle it with the authority.Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security — Payment of visa or residence violation fine
Last verified:
Golden visa (long-term residence)
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- A long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years depending on the category. Holders may stay outside the UAE for longer than the six months that would otherwise be needed to keep a residence visa valid.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Because golden visa holders are exempt from the 180-day absence limit, the absence calculator does not apply to this visa. Which of the 5- and 10-year terms applies depends on the category granted.
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Golden visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Jobseeker visit visa
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- Granted for 60, 90 or 120 days, for a single entry. The source states the three durations but not whether the period runs from issue or from arrival, so DAYOZA does not compute a departure date for it.
- Effective from
- Notes
- No host or sponsor in the UAE is required. The applicant must fall within the first, second or third MOHRE skill level, or have graduated within the last two years from one of the best 500 universities in the world; must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent; and must meet the prescribed financial guarantee.
- If you overstay
- 50 AED per dayThis is the published daily rate applied from the first day past your permitted departure. No grace period is applied, because none could be verified — the real amount may be lower. Settle it with the authority.Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security — Payment of visa or residence violation fine
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Jobseeker visit visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Green visa (5-year self-sponsored residence)
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- A renewable residence visa valid for 5 years. It is self-sponsored, so it does not depend on an employer or a family sponsor.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Open to skilled workers, to freelancers and the self-employed, and to investors and business partners. The source does not state whether the 180-day absence limit that applies to sponsored residence visas also applies here, so DAYOZA does not apply the absence calculator to it.
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Green visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Blue visa (10-year residence)
- Permitted stay
- —
- How it is calculated
- A 10-year residence permit for people who have contributed to environmental protection.
- Effective from
- Notes
- Granted to supporters of environmental action: members of international organisations and companies, members of associations and non-governmental organisations, global award winners, and distinguished activists and researchers in environmental work. Obtained by applying to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, or by nomination from a competent UAE authority. The source does not state whether the 180-day absence limit applies, so DAYOZA does not apply the absence calculator to it.
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — The blue visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Time outside the country
A residence visa here is nullified automatically after more than 180 continuous days abroad. Enter the day you left to see how long you have.
The day you last departed the country.
Usually today. Change it to test a planned return date.
Some categories are exempt from this limit. Confirm yours with the immigration authority before relying on this.
Last verified:
Passport validity
Information requires verification
DAYOZA has not yet confirmed this rule against an official source, so no result is shown. Check directly with the relevant official authority.
Check your stay
Enter when you arrived and the permission you are travelling on, and DAYOZA works out the last day you may still be present. Allowances written in months are treated as calendar periods, not as a fixed number of days.
Where you are travelling to.
What you are travelling on.
Optional. Add it to check your plan against the deadline.
A stamped date always wins
Where a border officer has stamped or written a specific date in your passport or on an entry record, that date is the one that counts, not this calculation.
Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Tourist visa(opens in a new tab)
Last verified:
Notes
Issued to all nationalities on self-sponsorship. The calculator counts the first 90 days from entry; an extension is granted on application and is not automatic, so it is not assumed here.
Common questions
How long can I stay outside the UAE without losing my residence visa?
More than 180 continuous days outside the country nullifies a residence visa automatically. An absence of exactly 180 days is still within the rule; day 181 is not. Some categories are exempt, including golden visa holders, those on diplomatic assignment and those receiving approved medical treatment. Count your own days with the absence calculator on this page, and confirm your category with the immigration authority before relying on it.
How much is the UAE overstay fine?
Official sources state AED 50 for each day past the permitted departure. DAYOZA applies no grace period to that figure: the federal portal says grace periods reach up to six months depending on the resident category, which is a range rather than a number that can be applied to a stranger, and the commonly repeated claim that fines only begin after ten days could not be found on any official page. The calculator therefore charges from the first day over, which may overstate what you owe. Settle the actual amount with the authority.
Does a 5-year tourist visa let me stay for five years?
No. The visa is valid for five years and allows multiple entries, but each visit permits a stay of up to 90 days, which may be extended by a further 90 days on application. The 90 days runs from each arrival rather than accumulating across the five years, so it is not a rolling allowance like the Schengen 90/180 rule.
Can DAYOZA tell me whether I get a visa on arrival?
No, and it will not guess. Whether you are granted a visa on arrival, and for how long, depends on your nationality and on lists that change. DAYOZA does not determine nationality-based eligibility for any country. Check the official UAE government channels or the nearest UAE embassy before you travel.
Sources
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Tourist visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Transit visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — General provisions for the residence visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Golden visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Jobseeker visit visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — Green visa — Last verified:
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government — The blue visa — Last verified:
Report incorrect information
Further reading
Longer explanations of the rules this page applies.
Calculators for United Arab Emirates
Each one uses the rules published on this page.
- Visa Stay CalculatorWork out the exact date your permission to stay runs out, from the allowance your visa or entry actually grants.
- Visa Overstay CalculatorCount exactly how many days a stay runs past its permitted departure date, and how many are left if it has not.
- Passport Expiry CalculatorCheck your passport against a destination's actual validity requirement — not a one-size-fits-all six-month rule.
- Travel Days CalculatorCount the days of a trip the way border authorities do, with both the arrival and departure days included.