How to track a Dubai visa application with GDRFA's Application Status Tracker, check fines on your file or your sponsored staff, what the UAE overstay fine is (AED 50 a day, per ICP), how to pay it, and where to check visas issued in other emirates.
GDRFA Dubai runs residency and entry permits for Dubai, so a Dubai visa is tracked, and its fines checked, on GDRFA's own tools; visas issued in the other emirates go through the federal ICP. This guide covers both checks, what the overstay fine is, and how it is paid — read from GDRFA, ICP and u.ae pages on 25 October 2026.
How to check your GDRFA application status
Quick answer: use GDRFA's Application Status Tracker. Enter the email address and the Emirates ID number used in your application, and the application reference number you received when you submitted it. The tracker verifies your email, then displays the status.
u.ae also points Dubai applicants to GDRFA's smart-services status inquiry, which tracks an application and checks a visa's validity. It searches by application, file or establishment (as well as reconsideration and over-the-counter applications):
| Search by | What the form asks for |
|---|---|
| Application | Application number, transaction number and payment date |
| File | First name in English, file number, nationality and date of birth |
| Establishment | Establishment number and expiry date |
Dubai visa or another emirate?
u.ae splits the checks by the emirate that issued the visa (u.ae: track visa application and validity):
| Visa issued in | Track the application | Check validity (issue and expiry dates) | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | GDRFA (status tracker or smart status inquiry) | GDRFA smart status inquiry | 800 5111 in the UAE; +971 4 313 9999 from abroad |
| Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | ICP application tracking | ICP file validity | ICP toll-free 600522222 |
How to check GDRFA fines
GDRFA's Fines Inquiry Service lets you "check fines on your file or those under your sponsorship". Choose a search type — File Number, UDB Number, Emirates ID or Passport Number — and enter it; the form also has a nationality field. Because sponsored people are covered, an employer or family sponsor can check the people on their file, not only their own.
How much is the UAE overstay fine?
ICP's service card for paying a visa or residence violation fine lists:
| Item | ICP fee |
|---|---|
| Expiry of the permitted stay, or cancellation or expiry of the entry visa, residence permit, exit permit or newborn registration | AED 50 per day |
| Smart services fee | AED 100 |
| Misuse of smart services | AED 2,000 |
u.ae confirms that ICP "standardised" overstay fines: visit, tourist and residence visas are all AED 50 a day — AED 50 instead of AED 25 for residency visas (u.ae: residence visa provisions). The fine counts once the permitted stay has run out; after a residence permit is cancelled or expires, u.ae says residents get grace periods of up to six months depending on their category. Our visa cancellation guide sets out the grace periods and what a month of overstay adds up to.
How to pay a visa or residence fine
ICP's federal service pays "fines imposed on violators of entry and residence laws": submit the application on ICP's smart services website or app, review the retrieved data, and pay. It needs a UAE Pass login and runs 24/7. ICP's condition: after paying, the person must adjust their status or leave the UAE. ICP's call centre is 600522222.
For employers: checking sponsored staff
- Fines: GDRFA's fines inquiry covers people under your sponsorship, so check a departing or transferring employee's file before the grace period ends.
- Your establishment's file: the smart status inquiry also searches by establishment number and expiry date.
- The work-permit side sits with MOHRE, not GDRFA — see our guide to MOHRE enquiry services for application, permit and contract checks.
GDRFA's other contact channel is the email amer@gdrfad.gov.ae; see the GDRFA glossary entry for what GDRFA covers and how it differs from ICP.
Why ZETUP PRO?
We prepare and track residency transactions for mainland companies on a monthly retainer — new visas, renewals and cancellations — and keep an eye on grace periods so nobody on your team runs into overstay fines. Scandinavian transparency, published pricing. That work sits inside our visa services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I check my GDRFA application status? A: On GDRFA's Application Status Tracker (gdrfad.gov.ae), enter the email address and Emirates ID number used in your application and the application reference number you received; the tracker verifies your email and shows the status. GDRFA's smart-services status inquiry also tracks applications and visa validity.
Q: Can I check my Dubai visa status by passport number? A: On the GDRFA pages we checked, passport number is a search option in the Fines Inquiry Service. The status tools ask for other details instead: the tracker takes your email, Emirates ID and application reference number, and the smart status inquiry searches by application number, file number or establishment number.
Q: How do I check GDRFA fines? A: Use GDRFA's Fines Inquiry Service and search by file number, UDB number, Emirates ID or passport number. It shows fines on your own file and on people under your sponsorship.
Q: How much is the overstay fine in the UAE? A: AED 50 per day. ICP's fine-payment service lists AED 50 a day for expiry of the permitted stay or cancellation or expiry of the visa or permit, plus a smart services fee of AED 100, and u.ae says visit, tourist and residence visa overstay fines were standardised at AED 50 a day.
Q: How do I pay a visa overstay fine? A: Through ICP's "Payment of visa or residence violation fine" service on its smart services website or app, with a UAE Pass login. After paying, the person must adjust their status or leave the UAE.
Q: Where do I check a visa issued in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah? A: On ICP's smart services: application tracking for a pending application and file validity for an issued visa. u.ae sends only Dubai-issued visas to GDRFA.
Q: What is the GDRFA contact number? A: 800 5111 inside the UAE and +971 4 313 9999 from abroad, per u.ae; GDRFA also lists the email amer@gdrfad.gov.ae. For visas from the other emirates, ICP's toll-free number is 600522222.
Related guides
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