As of 1 October 2026: amending the data on a UAE entry permit costs AED 150, and cancelling one before entering the country costs the same AED 150, read directly from ICP’s own service pages. Both sit alongside the already-covered extension process as the three ways ICP lets an entry permit be managed after issuance, and cancellation in particular comes with a timing rule that catches people out.
What does UAE visa amendment and cancellation actually cover?
Amendment of Visa Data lets a holder correct information on an already-issued entry permit, covering the same categories as the original visa itself: tourism and visit, medical treatment, work-mission or residency entry, and study or training visas. It requires a passport valid for more than six months, along with a personal photo, and costs AED 50 for the application plus a AED 100 Smart Application Fee, AED 150 total. ICP lists a 2-day completion time, the same processing window the cancellation service uses, so neither correction takes materially longer than the other once submitted correctly.
Can a UAE entry permit be cancelled at any point, or only before arrival?
This is the detail worth knowing before assuming cancellation is always an option: ICP permits cancellation only if the applicant has not yet entered the UAE, and the request has to be submitted before the visa’s own validity period expires. A tourist entry permit specifically cannot be cancelled once the beneficiary has already entered the country, with one exception: if the cancellation is linked to a status-adjustment application, in which case the visa status updates to “settled/paid” and a new visa is issued instead of a straightforward cancellation. This matters most for anyone who changes plans mid-process, deciding not to travel after all, or needing to switch from a tourist entry to a different visa category once already inside the country, since the two scenarios are handled through entirely different mechanisms rather than one flexible cancellation request.
How much does cancelling an entry permit actually cost?
ICP charges AED 50 to cancel the entry permit itself, plus the same AED 100 Smart Application Fee as the amendment service, AED 150 total. The documents needed are a passport and personal photo, with an additional letter required specifically for Free Zone cases. ICP records over 18,000 total transactions on this service, confirming cancellations are a routine part of UAE visa administration rather than a rare edge case, usually tied to a change of plans before travel rather than anything unusual.
What happens if someone overstays instead of cancelling or amending in time?
Both services carry the same overstay fine: AED 50 for each day the visa holder remains in the UAE, or the entry visa itself stays unresolved, past its expiry or the relevant grace period. That daily charge applies identically whether the underlying issue was never corrected through an amendment or never properly cancelled before the validity window closed.
Why does a free zone cancellation need an extra letter?
ICP specifically requires a Free Zone letter as an additional document when the cancellation involves a Free Zone entity, on top of the standard passport and personal photo. That extra verification step reflects how Free Zone sponsorship runs through a separate authority structure from mainland sponsorship, something our UAE Establishment Card guide also touches on for free zone companies applying through their own Free Zone Authority rather than ICP directly.
How do these three services actually fit together?
Our UAE visa extension guide covers the third option, extending an entry permit’s validity rather than correcting its data or ending it outright. Together, the three give ICP a complete toolkit for managing an entry permit after it is issued: extend it if more time is needed, amend it if the details on file are wrong, or cancel it if it is no longer needed and the holder has not yet entered the country. Anyone sorting out a family member’s entry permit alongside their own should also check our UAE family visa sponsorship guide for the separate sponsorship costs involved.
What is the short version?
UAE visa amendment and cancellation both cost AED 150, and cancelling one before arrival costs the same AED 150, both requiring a passport valid for over six months and a personal photo. Cancellation only works pre-arrival, except when linked to a status-adjustment application, and both carry the standard AED 50-per-day overstay fine if left unresolved past expiry.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: ICP, Visa Cancellation.
