What is a visa run?
If you are visiting United Arab Emirates and are running out of time alloted on your tourist visa for your stay, then you can exit and reenter the country in order to obtain a new entry visa thus extending your legal stay status in the UAE and avoiding any overstay penalties. This facility is available to a select number of nationalities as discussed below. In addition to this you can also do a visa run if you have a cancelled residence visa and you want to switch status to a tourist visa. Another scenario might occur when you are on a tourist visa and you find a job, you could do a visa run in order to adjust your status from visitor to resident. Eligibility varies depending on your nationality, you can find further details below.
How does it work?
The process involves:
- Travelling to the nearest United Arab Emirates border immigration checkpoint
- Being processed for EXIT from the UAE
- Travelling onward to the neighboring Oman immigration checkpoint
- Being processed for Entry into and thereafter Exit out of Oman
- Traveling back to the UAE border immigration check point & getting processed for a brand new ENTRY into the UAE
How can VisaFlip help me?
VisaFlip is an end to end solution for people interested in doing a visa run. We provide complete scheduling, logistics and consultation for anyone who needs to extend their stay or change status via a border run.
Where would I be picked up at?
Depending on your city and type of service you choose, we will either pick you up at your door or at a convenient centralised location. In Abu Dhabi all rideshare pickups are door to door. In Dubai and Al Ain, solo and group trips are door to door as well.
Am I eligible?
VISITOR VISA RENEWAL/EXTENSION
Citizens of the following countries are eligible to re-new their visitor status by way of a visa run:
- United States of America
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Australia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Malaysia
- Brunei
- Seychelles
- South Korea
- Argentina
CANCELLED RESIDENCE VISA to VISITOR VISA
Citizens of the following countries are eligible to change status to visitor visa during the cancellation period, as long as they bring along the cancellation paper:
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- USA
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Brunei
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgari
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lativa
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- Poland
- Romania
- Seychelles
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
NEW RESIDENCE VISA
Citizens of the following countries can change their status from a UAE tourist to a UAE residence/employment visa by performing a visa run. Travel once your entry permit has been issued and bring it along with you on the trip. Eligible nationalities include:
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- USA
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Canada
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Brunei
- South Africa
- Lebanon
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Taiwan
- Seychelles
- Iceland
- Italy
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malta
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- French Guyana
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
What to bring along?
- Passport
- Trip and Administration costs (for details on costs click here)
- If you’re switching to/from a job or spouse visa then bring your entry permit or cancellation papers.
- Extra cash if you believe that you have an overstay fine. If unsure you can always call us for assistance. 050.555.8472
- A happy attitude
What kind of car will it be?
We have a fleet of late model SUVs, minivans and higher occupancy vans. For rideshare trips, depending on how many people have booked that particular day we will send the vehicle most spacious for the trip. For Solo trips, depending on the time of day the trip is scheduled for and availability we will dispatch the best vehicle available. Currently our fleet includes BMW X series SUVs, Honda Odysseys and Mercedes Vitos among others.
Can we stop on the way?
Absolutely. There are two stops each way at rest areas where you can buy snacks and use the restroom. Additionally there are facilities at both the UAE and Oman immigration stations. If you need special assistance or urgent attention our driver will be happy to oblige.
Can children come on the trip?
Children are welcome. Please bring along a child seat if they are younger than 5 years of age. It is the law. On rideshare trips a separate ticket must be purchased for each child. For safety reasons, strictly no children or infant allowed on the lap for the duration of the trip.
Grace period or Overstay?
Generally all 30 day tourist visas have 9 grace days added on to them, however this fact is not officially acknowledged or stated. To avoid fines we recommend that our clients renew their visas before the end of the 30 days to avoid any confusion. Also, the day that you enter is counted as ‘Day 1’, please make sure that you count your allocated stay period with that in mind. If you are unsure give us a call.
Overstay fines will be assessed starting the 40th day. If you need guidance regarding overstay fines or are unsure when your visa requires renewal you can call us anytime 050.555.8472.
You can still do a visa run if you have overstayed but you must pay a fine for each day spent after the 39th day. Call us beforehand to schedule your trip and assistance regarding the fines.
Earlier there was a rule that you can only renew your visa between the grace period but that rule is no longer valid. Hence, everytime you exit and enter you get issued a new 30 day single entry visa.
Nationalities who receive a 90 day tourist visas have no grace period.
Residence visa holders with a valid cancellation letter can travel on or before the travel date written on the cancellation paper. In general there is a 30 day grace period assigned for exit, any stay beyond this point is fined.
If you’ve extended your tourist visa via an inland Naturalization & Residency Department or Immigration office then you do not have a grace period.
How much are overstay fines?
Overstay on a tourist visa is assesed at around 340AED for the first day and 100AED for each subsequent day.
Overstay on a residence visa that was cancelled is assesed at 220AED for the first day and 25AED for each subsequent day.
