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A visa change in Dubai, which GDRFA calls a Status Amendment and most people call a status change, moves you onto a new residence visa without leaving the UAE. The fee is AED 500 plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham. GDRFA needs the new entry permit and your cancelled old permit, and processes it in 48 hours. With typing or Amer charges it usually costs AED 535 to 750.
When you need a status change
You need one any time you are already in the UAE and a new sponsor brings you in on a new entry permit. The common cases in Dubai:
- Visit or tourist visa to a work visa. You found a job while visiting.
- Visit visa to a family visa. Your spouse or parent sponsors you while you are here.
- Old job to new job. Your old employer cancelled you and the new one issued an entry permit.
- Family visa to your own work visa. You start working and move off your spouse's or parent's file.
The same service works for Dubai-issued visas at any GDRFA channel: online with UAE Pass, at Amer centers or at GDRFA's customer happiness centers.
What GDRFA asks for
The conditions on the Status Amendment page are simple, but every item must exist before you file:
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| New visa (entry permit) | Issued by your new sponsor |
| Previous permit cancelled | Or a valid visit or tourist visa |
| Passport of the sponsor | Copy |
| Passport of the person changing status | Copy |
| Sponsor's residence permit | Copy |
| Cancelled permit and new entry permit | Both attached |
Official fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Status Amendment registration | AED 500 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Fee listed for individual sponsors | AED 15 |
| Fee listed for establishments | AED 50 |
| Inside-the-country fee on the new entry permit | AED 500 + AED 10 + AED 10 |
Source: GDRFA Status Amendment and entry permit service pages, checked . The AED 15 and AED 50 lines appear in a note on GDRFA's page, which suggests the extra depends on whether a person or a company sponsors you.
Being inside the country costs you twice: once on the entry permit and again on the status change. That is the price of not flying out.
Inside the country or exit and re-enter
| Status change inside | Exit and re-enter on the permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse entry permit, typical | AED 1,150 to 1,200 incl. status change | AED 500 to 600 |
| Status change fee alone | AED 535 to 750 with typing | Not needed |
| Travel | None | Flight and time away |
| Risk | Low, if done inside the deadline | Flight delays, re-entry checks |
Source: published price lists of Dubai typing centers, PRO firms and free zones, checked . A full in-country move to a new residence, with entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID and stamping, usually runs AED 3,000 to 5,500 per person in government fees.
For one person with a cheap flight nearby, exiting can save money. For a family, or someone who cannot take days off, the status change usually wins.
Timing: the deadline is your current visa
A status change must be filed while you are still legal. That means one of these is your real deadline:
- On a visit or tourist visa: its expiry date. The official pages we read give no grace period for visit visas, so treat the expiry as final.
- After a residence cancellation: the grace period, which depends on your category; see overstay fines in Dubai.
Miss it and the overstay fine is AED 50 per day, see overstay fine in Dubai. If your employer is slow to cancel, chase the cancellation paper, explained on our visa cancellation page.
Status change for a family
Each family member is a separate status change, so the inside-the-country fees repeat per person. For a spouse and two children already here on visit visas, that is three entry permits with the AED 500 inside fee and three Status Amendments. Price that against one family trip out and back before you decide. Only family members aged 18 or over need the medical test afterwards, which keeps the children's part quicker.
After the status change
The status change only puts you on the new entry permit. You still need the medical test if you are 18 or over, Emirates ID biometrics and the residence itself. New employees also need a MOHRE work permit from the employer, covered on employment visa UAE. Spouses and children follow the family visa steps.
Doing it yourself
If you sponsor your own family, you can file the entry permit and status change yourself on the GDRFA app. If an employer sponsors you, its PRO or an Amer center files it, and you can follow progress on our visa status check guide.
Changing status inside the UAE through the team
Send your passport, your current visa or cancellation paper, and either the new entry permit or your new sponsor's details. The partner team works out your real deadline first, from the grace period or the visit visa's last day, because missing it means fines or a trip out. They compare changing inside with exiting, file the entry permit as an inside-the-country application where that is better, type and submit the Status Amendment and book the medical and Emirates ID. You do not queue at Amer twice. You get one total price first, with the GDRFA fees, including the in-country charge, and the service charge set out separately.
