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The Gulf Expat

How long is the UAE visa grace period after cancellation?

At least 30 days from the day your residence permit is cancelled, and longer for some residents: 60, 90 or 180 days (ICP). Stay past your grace period and the fine is AED 50 a day.

Checked 21 October 2026

The clock starts when your residence permit is cancelled or expires. That can be a different day from your last working day, so ask HR for the exact date.

Get your datesEvery deadline as a date, from your last working day.

What to do now

  1. Ask HR the date your residence permit will be cancelled.
  2. Find your group in the list above and count your grace period from that date.
  3. Add the dates to your leaving plan, next to your final pay and ILOE dates.
See an example plan
Example only: an expat whose employer ended the job, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026. Tap it to build your own.

What to ask HR

  1. On what date will you cancel my residence permit?
  2. Which skill level does my work permit show?
  3. Will my final pay arrive before my permit is cancelled?
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Also happening to you?

Which grace period is yours

  • 30 days: every resident not in one of the groups below.
  • 60 days: residence permits issued with a guarantor or a host.
  • 90 days: skilled workers in levels 1 to 3, and property owners.
  • 180 days: Golden, Green and Blue residence holders and their families. It also covers widows and divorced women of residents, finished students, and relatives of citizens with a foreign passport.

These periods are set out by ICP. Not sure of your group? Ask HR which skill level your work permit shows, then check with ICP before the cancellation.

If you stay past it

A fine of AED 50 a day applies from the day after your grace period ends (ICP).

So plan to leave, or to hold your next visa, a few days early. Flights and paperwork can take longer than you expect.

A visa to look for work

A job seeker visit visa lets you look for work in the UAE without a sponsor. It is a single-entry visa, valid for 60, 90 or 120 days (u.ae).

It is for skilled workers in levels 1 to 3 and recent graduates of the world's top 500 universities. Read the conditions on u.ae before you apply.

If a new employer is hiring you, ask them when they will apply for your new permit. Keep the date inside your grace period.

How it fits with your other dates

  • Final pay: due within 14 days of the contract ending (Art. 53).
  • ILOE: claim within 30 days of the job ending, while you are still legally resident (Cabinet Resolution 97/2022, Art. 9).
  • Unpaid dues: claims are heard for 2 years after the job ends, starting at MoHRE (Art. 54).

Before you leave the UAE

  • Get your final settlement breakdown in writing.
  • Keep your bank account open until the final payment arrives.
  • Give HR a phone number and email that will work abroad.
  • Save the MoHRE website and app on your phone, in case your final pay is late.

Keep copies of your contract, your last payslips and anything you sign. You need them if you have to complain from abroad.