STEP 01
Check your expiry date
Find your visa expiry on the passport stamp, or in the GDRFA portal or the ICP app. Start the renewal about 30 days before it ends, and no later than two weeks before, to avoid an overstay fine.
Residency guide
How to renew your UAE residency visa
Updated June 20264 min readBy FZM Solutions
Renewing your UAE residency visa before it expires keeps your status, your Emirates ID and your dependants in good standing. The process is straightforward once you know the order: check the dates, gather the documents, do the medical and Emirates ID, apply through GDRFA or ICP, then collect the new visa. Here is each step.
Quick answer
A UAE residency visa is renewed by repeating a shorter version of the original process: a medical, an Emirates ID renewal and the re-stamping, applied through GDRFA or ICP. Start about 30 days early; it takes roughly five working days.
- Government cost
- From AED 1,120
- Processing time
- About 5 working days
- When to start
- ~30 days before expiry
- Where to apply
- GDRFA portal or ICP app
STEP 02
Gather your documents
You will need your passport valid for at least six months, your current residency visa, your Emirates ID and a recent passport photo. If your visa is sponsored by an employer, add a salary and job-title letter and your renewed contract. For sponsored family, attested marriage and birth certificates apply.
STEP 03
Medical test and Emirates ID
Book the medical fitness test at a government-approved centre, and apply for the Emirates ID renewal at the same time. The two run in parallel, so the new card and the visa stamp land together.
STEP 04
Apply for the renewal
Submit the renewal through the GDRFA portal, the ICP app or an approved typing centre. Upload the scanned documents, fill in the details and pay the renewal fee. An advisor or typing centre can lodge it for you if you prefer.
STEP 05
Get the new visa issued
Once approved, the residency is re-issued and linked to your passport, and the Emirates ID is delivered. Keep both together: you cannot hold one without the other, and they are renewed at the same time.
Fees and timeline
Government fees for a residency renewal start from around AED 1,120 and depend on the visa type and duration, with the medical and Emirates ID charged on top. The renewal usually completes within about five working days once the file is in order, which is why we start about a month before expiry, and never later than two weeks out, so there is no overstay and no rush on the medical.
Skip the queues, we renew it for you.
One advisor handles the documents, the medical, the Emirates ID and the re-stamping. Free Standard walkthrough for clients whose company we set up or renew.
Common questions
- How much does it cost to renew a UAE residency visa?
- Government fees start from around AED 1,120 and vary by visa type and duration, plus the medical and Emirates ID charges. If your residency came through a company we set up, our Standard renewal walkthrough is free, and we pass government charges through at cost.
- How long does the renewal take?
- The renewal itself usually takes up to about five working days once your documents, medical and Emirates ID are in order. Start about 30 days before expiry so there is comfortable time for the medical and any document attestation.
- What happens if my residency visa expires?
- An expired residency accrues a daily overstay fine, and it can complicate banking, travel and your dependants' status. This is why we start renewals about a month early. If you have already overstayed, we can still help you regularise the file and clear the fine.
- Do I need a medical test to renew?
- Yes. A medical fitness test at an approved centre is part of the renewal for most residents, alongside the Emirates ID renewal. We book and accompany you to the medical so the result is tracked straight to clearance.
- Can you renew my residency visa for me?
- Yes. We handle the whole renewal, the documents, the medical, the Emirates ID and the re-stamping, with one advisor. For clients whose company we set up or renew, the Standard renewal walkthrough is free.
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