As of 1 October 2026: extending a UAE entry permit costs an AED 100 application fee plus a separate AED 500 extension fee, read directly from ICP’s own service page, a service used over 167,000 times in total. But not every entry permit qualifies, and the rules on how many times and for how long vary sharply by visa category.
What does a UAE visa extension actually cover?
ICP’s Visa Extension service extends an entry permit for whichever categories are eligible, covering tourism and visit visas, medical treatment visas, work-mission entry visas, and study or training visas, each handled slightly differently depending on the issuing authority: tourism establishments, licensed healthcare facilities, government or free zone entities, or licensed educational institutions.
How popular is this service, and why does that matter?
ICP records over 167,000 total transactions on this service, a figure that confirms how routine an extension request actually is rather than an edge case. The whole process runs through the ICP Smart App or Smart Services website, needs UAE PASS login, and ICP states a 2-day completion time once a complete application with a passport and personal photo is submitted.
How much does an extension actually cost?
ICP lists a tiered fee structure rather than one flat charge: a AED 100 application fee applies to all extension types, with a AED 500 fee for the extension itself. A 14-day visa issued to nationals of certain countries costs AED 250 to extend once for the same period. Extending a six-month multiple-entry visa used to complete Golden or Blue Residency procedures costs AED 1,000. Requesting an extension before actually arriving in the UAE, rather than while already inside the country, costs a separate AED 50 fee.
Which visa types can actually be extended, and how many times?
The rules differ sharply by category. An entry permit can generally be extended once, for an equivalent period, before arriving in the UAE. A permit for visiting a relative or friend can be extended once or multiple times, as long as the total stay does not exceed 180 days. The same 180-day cap and multiple-extension allowance applies to a permit for exploring job opportunities or setting up a business. The six-month multiple-entry permit for Golden or Blue Residence procedures can only be extended once, for an equivalent period.
What cannot be extended at all?
ICP lists several non-extendable categories outright: entry permits for border areas, truck drivers, workers on tourist ships, and pleasure boats. A 60-day visa issued to nationals of certain countries residing outside their home country is also explicitly non-extendable, distinct from the 14-day version of that same category, which can be extended once for the same period.
What happens if someone overstays instead of extending?
ICP charges a fine of AED 50 per day once the permitted stay period or the entry visa itself has expired. That daily fine structure makes extending in advance, where the visa type allows it, clearly cheaper than simply overstaying and settling the fine afterward, on top of the compliance risk overstaying carries. A visitor on a 30-day visit visa who overstays by even two weeks would already owe AED 700 in fines, well past what extending in advance would have cost under most of the category-specific fee tiers listed above.
How does this connect to the rest of UAE visa and residency rules?
Our UAE family visa sponsorship guide covers the separate process for sponsoring a relative on a longer-term basis rather than an extendable entry permit, and our UAE six-month absence rule guide covers what happens on the other side of the equation, a resident staying outside the UAE too long rather than a visitor staying inside too long. Anyone extending a visa specifically to work toward long-term residency should also check our UAE Golden Visa guide, since the six-month multiple-entry extension covered here exists specifically to support that process.
What is the short version?
A UAE visa extension costs AED 100 plus a AED 500 extension fee in the standard case, with separate rates for a 14-day certain-nationality visa (AED 250) and a Golden or Blue Residency multiple-entry visa (AED 1,000). Visit permits for relatives or job-seeking can be extended multiple times up to 180 days total; border, truck driver, and 60-day certain-nationality visas cannot be extended at all. Overstaying instead costs AED 50 per day.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: ICP, Visa Extension.
