Since the introduction of the Advanced visa System in October 2022, several changes have been made to the visa rules of the UAE. After the recent discontinuation of residency visa stamping on passports and the increased fees for ICP smart services, the visit visa validity extension is the latest addition to the changes the UAE government has made. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) of UAE has introduced a new online service that allows UAE tourist visa holders to extend their already-issued Dubai visa validity. This service is used only once for a visa and must be done before entering the country.
What is Visa Validity?
- Visa validity refers to the amount of time the visitor should use the Visa to enter the country. Currently, all visas except the Dubai transit visa and the Visa for GCC residents are valid for 60 days from the issue date. For example, if you have an approved 14-day Dubai visit Visa with you, you must use the Visa to enter the UAE within 60 days from its issue date.
- The issued Visa expires after 60 days. If you cannot travel within these 60 days, you can now use the latest smart service by ICP, which allows you to extend your visa validity for another 60 days.
How is The Visa Validity Extension Service Beneficial?
- Sometimes, people have their Visit visa issued to Dubai but might need help to travel for some reason. Previously, the only option left for them was to apply for a new visa to visit the UAE, which would add to their travel budget. This latest service by ICP will be beneficial to the visitors who face this issue. They can pay the fee required to extend the validity of the Visa, which is much more cost-efficient than applying for a new UAE visa. You can easily avail of this service through “Only Tourism,” one of the best visa consultants in Dubai.
Who is Eligible For This Service?
- Visitors outside the UAE who hold a valid UAE tourist visa can use this service. The passport must also be valid for a minimum of six months. All Dubai tourist visas can be extended for 60 days.
What is The Expected Time Duration For Receiving The Visa Validity Extension?
- You can apply for a visa extension through "Only Tourism," one of the Top visa services in Dubai. The expected time for the visa validity extension is around 48 hours. Once the process is completed, the validity extended Visa will be sent to your email or WhatsApp.
What is the difference between the entry validity and duration of the UAE Visas?
- The entry validity of a UAE visit visa is the period within which the Visa should be used to enter the UAE. In contrast, the duration of the Visa is the period you are allowed to stay inside the country. For example, if you have a 30-day single-entry Dubai visa, you should enter the UAE within 60 days from the date it was issued to you, and the duration for which you can stay in the country is 30 days.
- If you have a 60-day multiple-entry Dubai Visa, you have 60 days to enter the country and 60 days to stay.
Conclusion
- The UAE's ICP authority has confirmed that visitors can now extend the validity of their visit visas if they cannot travel to the UAE within the existing validity instead of applying for a new Dubai visa online, provided that they are outside the UAE and have a passport with a validity of at least six months.