UAE visa · ICP & GDRFA
UAE visa check: ICP and GDRFA
A UAE visa check online only works if you open the right portal. Dubai visas sit on GDRFA. Every other emirate sits on ICP. This guide gives you the decision rule, the file and UID number formats, and the exact steps for a Dubai visa check or an ICP residency check, using the government's own services.
Portal steps last verified 24 July 2026
Dubai visa check: ICP or GDRFA?
Use GDRFA Dubai if your visa or residency was issued in Dubai. Use ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, for a visa issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah. The split follows where the visa was issued, not where you currently live or work.
| If your visa was issued in | Use this portal | Official site |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | GDRFA Dubai (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai) | gdrfad.gov.ae |
| Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) | icp.gov.ae |
| Not sure, or you moved emirates | Try your file number's first digits (see the table below), or try GDRFA first, then ICP | Both listed above |
A quick way to tell them apart without opening either site: your file number's leading digits usually point to the issuing emirate, which is the next thing to check.
UAE visa file number and Unified Number (UID) formats
A UAE visa check by passport number is one route, but a file number or Unified Number gets you a faster, more precise result. These two numbers look similar but do different jobs, so it helps to know which one you are holding before you open either portal.
| Number | What it identifies | Typical format | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| File number | One specific visa or residency transaction | Emirate code / year / serial, for example a Dubai file commonly starts 201/ | Visa page in your passport, residence visa sticker, e-visa PDF |
| Unified Number (UID) | You, as a person, across every visa and passport you have held | A numeric ID with no slashes, unchanged by renewal or transfer | Old visa stickers, Emirates ID card, GDRFA's own Unified Number inquiry |
If your only number does not start with the pattern above, it may be from a different service, such as an application or transaction number issued when you paid a fee. Both portals accept that too, alongside the payment date.
How to check UAE visa status online with ICP
This is the route for a visa issued anywhere in the UAE outside Dubai. ICP runs its checks through the Smart Services portal, which asks you to sign in before it shows full residency details.
- Go to icp.gov.ae and open Smart Services, or use the UAEICP mobile app.
- Sign in with UAE Pass if you have it, since this is the fastest login. No UAE Pass? Create a free ICP account instead.
- From the dashboard, open Residency Services, then look for the status or application tracking option next to your visa or residency file.
- If asked to search manually, enter your file number or Unified Number, plus your passport number as a check.
- Read the result: the residency or visa status, the issue date and the expiry date.
- If you only have a request or transaction number from a recent payment, use that with the payment date instead.
ICP's dashboard view is the more reliable route if you already have an account, because logged-in applications appear automatically without you retyping a file number.
You enter your details on icp.gov.ae, the government site, not here. Your file, Unified and passport numbers stay on icp.gov.ae.
How to check Dubai visa status online with GDRFA
This is the correct route for a Dubai visa check. GDRFA Dubai's status inquiry does not require an account for a basic file or passport lookup, which makes it quicker for a one-off check.
- Go to gdrfad.gov.ae and open the Visa Status service, or go straight to the Smart Services status inquiry page.
- Choose English from the language link if the page loads in Arabic.
- Pick your search type: Request (طلب) if you have an application or transaction number, or File (ملف) if you have a file number.
- For a file search, enter the File Number (رقم الملف), your Nationality (الجنسية) and your Date of Birth (تاريخ الميلاد).
- No file number? Switch to a passport-based search and enter your passport number, nationality and date of birth instead.
- Submit, then read the visa or residence status, the issue date and the expiry date shown.
- Need your Unified Number instead of a status? Use GDRFA's separate Unified Number inquiry service on the same site.
Type every digit carefully. A single wrong character in a file number returns a "record not found" result rather than an error explaining what went wrong, so it is worth double-checking the number against your visa sticker or passport page before you submit.
You enter your details on gdrfad.gov.ae, the government site, not here. Your file, passport and Unified numbers stay on gdrfad.gov.ae.
What a UAE visa status result actually tells you
Both ICP and GDRFA return a short set of fields once your search matches a record. This table reads across both portals, since the wording is close enough to use one guide for either.
| Result field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Status: active / valid | The visa or residency is currently in force |
| Status: expired | The validity period has passed; a renewal or new visa is needed |
| Status: cancelled | The sponsor or employer has ended the visa; a grace period may apply before you must leave |
| Status: under process | An application on this file is still being reviewed |
| Issue date | When the current visa or permit was granted |
| Expiry date | The last day the visa or residency is valid |
| No record found | A typo in your number, or the record has not loaded into the system yet |
Neither portal fixes a problem it reports. If your status shows expired or cancelled and that looks wrong, contact your sponsor, your company's PRO, or the GDRFA or ICP call centre listed on the site you used, rather than retrying the search with different numbers.
UAE visa overstay fine: what we can confirm
If your check shows an expired visa with no exit or renewal booked, a daily overstay fine can start accruing automatically once the grace period, if any applies to your visa type, has passed. Both ICP and GDRFA record these fines against your file and show them through a dedicated fines inquiry.
We are not quoting a specific fine amount per day here. Reported overstay rates have changed more than once in recent years and differ by visa type, so a number printed on a guide page can go stale fast on a topic where being wrong costs you money. Run the fines inquiry on the official portal below and read the figure it shows for your own file; that is the only number worth trusting.
- On GDRFA Dubai: look for the "Fines Inquiry" service, searching by file number or passport.
- On ICP: the fines check sits alongside your residency status inside Smart Services.
- Overstaying past 30 days commonly requires an exit permit before you can leave, on top of any fine owed. Confirm the current rule for your case on the portal, since exemptions apply in some circumstances.
Leaving the UAE for good? Check your gratuity too
A clear visa status is only half the picture if you are ending your UAE job. Before you cancel a residency visa or book a final exit, work out what your employer owes you with our UAE end of service gratuity calculator, which applies the 2021 labour law formula to your basic salary and service length. Pair that with the checks on this page and you leave with both your paperwork and your settlement confirmed.
Still not sure which portal or number you need? Our visa checkers by country directory lists the right official service for every country we cover, and the visa check hub is the starting point for every other Saudi and GCC visa check on this site.
UAE visa check: common questions
Is ICP or GDRFA the right portal for a Dubai visa check?
For a Dubai visa check, use GDRFA Dubai, run by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai. ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, covers every other emirate: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Check where your visa was issued, not where you currently live.
How do I check my UAE visa status online by passport number?
On GDRFA Dubai, open the file and request status service and search using your passport number, nationality and date of birth instead of a file number. On ICP Smart Services, choose the passport-based search inside the residency status inquiry. Both portals also accept a file number if you have one, which is usually faster.
What is a UAE visa file number and where do I find it?
The file number identifies one specific visa or residency application. It is printed on the visa page in your passport, on the residence visa sticker, and on any e-visa PDF. A Dubai-issued file typically starts with 201; files from other emirates use a different leading code, followed by the year and a serial number.
What is the difference between a file number and a Unified Number (UID)?
The file number belongs to one visa transaction and changes every time that visa is renewed, cancelled or replaced. The Unified Number, often called the UID, is tied to you as a person and stays the same across passport renewals and different visas. GDRFA Dubai has a dedicated Unified Number inquiry if you only know your file number.
Does checking a UAE visa status cost anything?
Reading your own visa or residency status on the official ICP or GDRFA inquiry pages carries no fee. You only pay if the result shows an action you then choose to take, such as a renewal, a status certificate printout or a fine payment. Never pay a third-party site to run this lookup for you.
How do I check for a UAE visa overstay fine?
Use the fines inquiry service on GDRFA Dubai or ICP Smart Services, searching by your file number or passport details. Both portals show any outstanding penalty linked to your file in real time. We do not quote a per-day fine amount here because published rates change; always read the figure on the official portal before you pay or travel.
Can I check a UAE visa status without creating an account?
GDRFA Dubai lets you run a file or passport-based status inquiry without logging in. ICP Smart Services generally expects a UAE Pass or ICP account login to see full residency details, though basic application tracking by request number is often available without one. Try the no-login route first.
Keep going
More GCC visa checks
This is part of our Saudi and GCC visa check hub, which lists the right official portal for every kind of visa, with exact steps and free tools. Wrapping up in the UAE? Start with your UAE end of service calculation.