UAE Confirms Foreigners Can Switch Visit Visa to Residence Permit Without Leaving

• The Abu Dhabi Residence Office confirmed that foreigners on entry visas can convert to a residence permit without leaving the UAE
• Most entry visas are valid for 60 days, with holders allowed to extend their stay twice for up to 120 days in total
• The UAE warned that overstaying carries a daily fine of AED 100, though a 10-day grace period applies after the visa lapses

Foreigners living in the United Arab Emirates may no longer need to exit the country to change their immigration status, following confirmation from the Abu Dhabi Residence Office that a visit visa can be converted to a residence permit from within the country.

The guidance, published by the Abu Dhabi Residence Office, clarifies that entry visas allow foreign nationals to stay legally in the UAE for a defined period, covering purposes ranging from employment and tourism to medical treatment, family visits, and conferences.

Read also

Qatar lists countries whose citizens qualify for 30-day joint tourist visa

How UAE Entry Visas Work

Under the rules, most entry visas carry a validity of 60 days. Transit visas are significantly shorter, permitting only a four-day stay. Those who arrive on employment entry visas have 60 days to either secure a residence permit or apply for an extension before their visa runs out.

All entry visa holders are permitted to extend their stay by 30 days, and this extension can be applied for twice. In practice, this means a visitor could remain legally in the UAE for up to 120 days without once leaving the country, giving applicants sufficient time to finalise residence permit processes without crossing a border for a renewal stamp.

UAE Fines for Overstaying

The Abu Dhabi Residence Office has cautioned that failing to either extend a visa or obtain a residence permit before expiry will result in a daily penalty of AED 100, equivalent to roughly GHC380. Notably, the fine does not begin from the exact date the visa expires but kicks in 10 days after that date, offering holders a brief window to act before charges start accumulating.

Read also

UK publishes over 30 visa routes that foreigners can use to get 10-year permanent residency

Not everyone qualifies for the extension, however. Visitors and tourists who hold residency in GCC countries, residents accompanying GCC nationals, those on special entry permits, and individuals on 96-hour mission permits are all excluded from the extension provisions. These groups must manage their time in the UAE strictly within the terms of their original visa.

The confirmation is particularly significant for Africans living or working in the UAE, many of whom previously had to travel out of the country and return in order to change their visa status, a process that was both costly and time-consuming.

Source: YEN.com.gh