Free tool · Status change
Compare the published status change fee with the real cost of a border run, and check whether your file is ready.
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If you are already inside the UAE and moving to a new visa, you can usually change status in the country instead of leaving and re-entering on the new permit. This calculator sets the published status change fee against what a border run really costs you, and checks the two conditions that decide whether your file is ready.
| Status change | Published fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GDRFA Dubai, individual applicant | AED 535 | GDRFA Status Amendment card (AED 500 + AED 20 dirhams + AED 15) |
| GDRFA Dubai, company applicant | AED 570 | Same card (AED 500 + AED 20 + AED 50) |
| Real Amer receipt, company-sponsored employee | AED 675.65 | AED 592.50 status change line + AED 83.15 transaction charge |
| ICP, other emirates | AED 500 | ICP Issuing Residency Permit card (add-ons shown at payment) |
| Processing | 48 hours | GDRFA card, once the application is complete |
GDRFA's two published conditions: you already hold the new visa (entry permit), and your previous residence permit is cancelled. After the change, the residence has to be completed within 60 days.
GDRFA publishes AED 535 when an individual applies and AED 570 when a company applies, before the service centre's own charge. One real Amer breakdown for a company-sponsored employee came to AED 675.65 in total.
Rarely, once a return flight, a hotel night and lost working days are counted, and a border run carries its own risks at re-entry. The calculator shows the comparison for your own numbers.
No. Someone arriving from abroad enters on the new entry permit and pays no status change fee at all.
GDRFA's service card gives 48 hours once a complete application is lodged. The weeks people lose are almost always spent waiting for the old cancellation or the new permit.
Numbers are one thing
A calculator works from what you type. We work from what is actually recorded against your file — which is frequently different, and always the number that matters.
Grace period by emirate and category, chargeable days at AED 50 a day per person, and the figure in 30 days.
Open calculator → EmploymentArticle 51 by dates or years, unpaid leave excluded, the two-year cap and the 14-day payment deadline.
Open calculator → CostLine-by-line government fees from the published GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE cards, before anyone quotes you.
Open calculator → FamilySalary, housing and who you can sponsor, checked against the official rules, with the cost per dependant.
Open calculator → Golden VisaProperty, salary and entrepreneur routes against the official thresholds, with the Green Visa fallback.
Open calculator → CancellationEmployer not answering, company closed or sponsor deceased? Find your exact MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP route in six questions.
Open calculator → Re-entryOutside the UAE for months? Check if you can board, whether you need a return permit, the fee and your entry deadline.
Open calculator → DeadlinesOne date in, every deadline out: grace period, overstay, ILOE, gratuity, Emirates ID and newborn deadlines, straight into your calendar.
Open calculator → Business setupPrice a Dubai mainland company line by line from the published DET schedule, and compare four free zones on their own published prices.
Open calculator → ComplianceExpired licence, establishment card or work permits, late WPS or corporate tax? See the fines building today and what each lapse blocks.
Open calculator → HiringVisa fees by MOHRE category, worker protection, insurance, salary and gratuity accrual over a two-year visa cycle.
Open calculator → AuthorityType your residence file number and see which emirate and authority hold your file, the helpline and where to apply.
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