Avyanco helps you through the visa cancellation process across the UAE. We complete the legal formalities under UAE government regulations, submit your documents and manage communication with the authorities, so you can check the status of your cancellation.
Employers managing offboarding must stay compliant with the statutory obligations under UAE labor law. Coordinate every cancellation with your company's licensing and establishment records.
A visa cancellation in the UAE may be required in specific situations to avoid legal fines, future entry bans or absconding reports. The process depends on the visa type, the sponsor and the issuing authority.
Avyanco reviews your circumstances before filing, identifies the right authority and explains the next steps. We coordinate the stages for the applicant's situation and the authority responsible for the file.
Watch: what a UAE free zone is, in 35 seconds
An uncancelled visa leaves the sponsor responsible and the file open. The sequence below is the standard order of cancellation.
If active dependants remain on a file, the main sponsor's cancellation is rejected, so each step must finish before the next. We coordinate every stage.
The sponsor stays legally responsible for the individual until the immigration files are closed.
Expired or uncancelled visas build up daily overstay fines once the grace period ends.
Open residency files can stop the sponsor from issuing new work permits, renewing the trade license or sponsoring family visas.
Leaving visas uncancelled can lead to future entry bans or an absconding report.
We review your case, find the applicable authority and explain the next steps before anything is filed.
The employer or sponsor submits the residence visa cancellation request, to MOHRE or the relevant free zone authority. The employee may need to sign or acknowledge the final settlement but cannot cancel an employer-sponsored visa independently.
An investor visa is tied to the company equity and trade license, so cancellation depends on whether the company is closing or continuing.
The head of household is the main sponsor. If active dependants remain on the file, the sponsor's own cancellation is rejected, so all dependant visas are cancelled first.
Golden Visa and Green Visa holders manage their cancellation through ICP or GDRFA directly, without employer or corporate approval.
Mainland employers cancel the work permit through the MOHRE digital portal or Tasheel centres. Fees vary with the employer's compliance category.
Free zone businesses cancel through their own authority, such as DMCC, IFZA or JAFZA. After approval, the employee can move to an eligible status change to join another employer.
Dubai residence visas are cancelled through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, using the official portals or Amer centres.
Visas in the other emirates are processed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security through ICP Smart Services.
Cancelling from inside the UAE needs the original passport and the physical original Emirates ID for clearance and scanning.
A residence permit may lapse if the holder stays outside the UAE for more than 6 months. An eligible holder can apply for a re-entry permit by giving a valid reason and paying the applicable fees.
The cost depends on the sponsor type, the jurisdiction and where the applicant is. Corporate PRO management and government fees are quoted separately. The estimated government fees are below.
| Item or service | Inside the UAE (government fee) | Outside the UAE (government fee) |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit cancellation (MOHRE or free zone) | Business centres may charge up to AED 72 | Business centres may charge up to AED 72 |
| GDRFA residence visa cancellation (Dubai) | AED 190 (individual) or AED 225 (company) | AED 290 (individual) or AED 325 (company) |
| ICP residence visa cancellation (other emirates) | AED 250 | Not listed |
| Typing and Amer admin fees | About AED 50 to 72 | About AED 50 to 72 |
| Avyanco management fee | Custom quote | Custom quote |
Example 1, one mainland employee inside the UAE: MOHRE work permit cancellation AED 100, GDRFA company residence cancellation AED 225 and a typing admin fee of AED 50. Total government cost: AED 375.
Example 2, a corporate partner with a spouse and one child inside the UAE: partner GDRFA cancellation AED 225, spouse AED 190, child AED 190 and Amer admin fees of AED 150. Total government cost: AED 755.
Tell us the visa category, issuing authority, location and number of applicants. We review the steps and quote the cancellation for your scope of service.
After a residence visa cancellation in Dubai, you get a grace period. During it you should leave the country, renew instead, move to a new sponsor or update your visa category.
| Visa category | Post-cancellation grace period |
|---|---|
| Standard employment and dependant visas | 30 days |
| Hosted or family-sponsored visas | 60 days |
| Skilled workers (MOHRE levels 1 to 3) and property owners | 90 days |
| Golden, Green and Blue visa holders and their dependants | 180 days |
If you stay in the UAE after the grace period, an overstay fine of AED 50 a day may apply across all seven emirates, from day 1 after the grace period ends. Leaving after a long overstay may also need an out-pass exit permit, costing AED 250 to AED 350. To stay, renew your residence visa or qualify for another residence arrangement before the deadline: see our visa renewal service.
The process depends on the visa type, the sponsor and the issuing authority. We coordinate the stages for your circumstances and the authority responsible for the file.
Before we file, we review your visa category, current status, sponsor and dependant records.
We resolve the dependant visas first, where required.
We complete the final settlement and end-of-service gratuity, where they apply.
Mainland employers apply through MOHRE. Free zone employers follow their authority's procedure.
We submit the request through GDRFA in Dubai or ICP in the other emirates.
Keep the cancellation confirmation, then check the Emirates ID, health insurance and the grace period that applies before you make your next arrangements.
Licence, bank account, visas and tax handled by one named advisor, with government fees and our fee always shown separately.
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As an experienced business formation company in the UAE, we handle each case with care. Avyanco operates under DET license number 909402 and coordinates the administrative procedures, and we explain the documents and charges before you commit.
These are the essential documents for visa cancellation. We confirm the exact list for your case before filing.
Standard visa cancellation takes 1 to 2 days. Employment visas take up to 3 days because the labour card is cancelled as well.
Yes, you can cancel through the official digital channels, subject to the authority and visa category. Some cases need an authorised service centre or extra documents.
No. Some procedures are available while the employee is abroad, subject to the authority's requirements and the permit status. Confirm the process before you submit the request.
The company completes the ownership change, relevant amendments or share transfer. The residence permit is then cancelled through the authority, subject to the case requirements.
Dependants' immigration records need to be resolved before the sponsor's cancellation goes ahead. The exact sequence may depend on the authority's rules and the sponsorship arrangement.
Yes, a new employer may be able to arrange the work authorisation and the residence status change inside the UAE. Eligibility depends on your current status and the new application.
Contact your employer to find out the application status. If it is still not resolved, you can get guidance through the appropriate authority, or contact Avyanco for the next administrative steps.
Check the status through the issuing authority's official channels: GDRFA for Dubai permits and ICP for permits in the other emirates. Keep the official confirmation for your records.
Consult Avyanco to handle the complexities of the UAE visa exit process. Whether you are relocating, changing sponsor or applying for a Golden Visa, tell us your visa category, issuing authority and where you are, and we take care of the cancellation. No obligation.
Sources: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai (GDRFA) · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) · Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) · Tasheel and Amer service centres · UAE Labour Law.
Verification & independence: Avyanco Business Consultancy LLC is a private firm, independent of GDRFA, ICP, MOHRE and every other UAE authority, and not affiliated with any UAE government agency. Fees, grace periods, fines and processing times are set by the relevant authorities, vary by visa category, emirate and case, and change over time. This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the authority or with us before acting.
