Change of Status

Historically, switching from a visit visa to a residency visa meant flying out of the UAE and re-entering on a new entry permit (the 'visa run'). Change of status removes that step: GDRFA / ICP adjusts the person's immigration status internally, so they can begin a residency process while remaining in the country.

Change of status is used in many situations — a tourist who decides to take a job, a job-seeker on a visit visa who gets hired, a person switching employers, or a dependent transitioning to an employment visa. It is processed against an already-approved entry permit, and once the status is changed the standard in-country steps (medical, biometrics, Emirates ID, stamping) follow.

Government fees for a change of status are usually AED 600–1,000 on top of the entry-permit fee. It only works if the person's current visa is valid and they have not overstayed. ZETUP PRO assesses whether change of status or an exit-and-return is faster and cheaper for each case, then handles the submission.