How Can I Cancel My Family Visa In Dubai

Applying for a family visa in Dubai can be both exciting and daunting at the same time. While there are many criteria to be satisfied, once you understand the documentation needed and process of applying, it becomes much easier. Soon after your family arrives in Dubai, it is likely that there will be a need for cancelling their visa. This article explains how you can do so. There are many reasons you are looking for this information, but one of them is to find out how to cancel your family visa in Dubai. This article will explain to you the essential information you need to know.

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How Can I Cancel My Family Visa In Dubai

New expat to Dubai, do you have a Family Visa? Canceling your Family Visa in Dubai is difficult if you are no longer in a position to sponsor a Family Visa (this includes if you have lost your job). Here is what you need to know and how we at Blupass can help.

A family visa is issued to an individual, married to a UAE national, and his/her children who are studying or living with the applicant. It is also issued on behalf of other family members, who are the dependents of the applicant, such as parents and siblings. Family visa can be granted for 1-2 years and can be extended based on merits and fulfilment of all requirements of the concerned authorities. However, cancellation of a family visa requires certain legal processes, which have to be carefully followed by a UAE immigration lawyer in order to protect the rights of officials over a Dubai citizen.

If you a have a residence visa sponsored either by a family member or by your employer, and you decide to leave the country permanently, your residence visa must be cancelled officially.

GDRFA Visa Cancellation

Who must cancel your residence visa

Normally, only the sponsor can cancel your residence visa. You cannot process the application on your own.

If a company decides to cancel an employment visa of its employee, it must first approach Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation with an application to cancel the employee’s labour contract and labour card. The employee must also sign this application. Then, the employer should apply to General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for visa cancellation.

The company must also cancel the work permit. For this, it must submit a letter signed by the employee stating that he has already received all his wages and end of services benefits to Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

An individual sponsoring his/her spouse, children and other dependents must cancel the dependents’ visas first before he cancels his/her own.

Cancellation must be processed through the GDRFA that stamped the residence visa in the first place.

How to cancel your residence visa

There are two ways to cancel your visa. You can do it either through a registered typing centre or online.

• Registered typing centre: The sponsor may visit any typing office registered by GDRFA in the respective emirate. The typing centre will fill the cancellation form on your behalf and process it online through the respective GDRFA. 
• Online: Alternatively, the sponsor may process the cancellation online through the respective GDRFA or through the eChannels platform of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Documents required

The following documents are required for cancelling residence visa through GDRFA:

• cancellation form signed by the sponsor
• if the sponsor is a company or a firm, the cancellation form must be signed and sealed by the company stamp and a clearance certificate from Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation must be attached
• the original passport of the sponsored
• original identity card of the sponsored
• if  the sponsored ones are out of the UAE, the sponsor may present the original passport or a computerised extract of their residence visas. (Kindly contact Naturalisation and Residency Dept to get a computerised extract of the residence visa.)

UAE Visa Cancellation Without Passport

If you are on the UAE on a Work Visa, your employer must also cancel your work permit (Labour Card) and work contract at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The application process for cancelling a work permit is as follows:

• Your employer applies through the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
• Your employer attaches the documents electronically
• The Ministry processes the application temporarily and forwards the information to the GDRFA
• The GDRFA cancels your Residence Visa and informs the Ministry, who then permanently cancel your UAE work permit

Along with the application for UAE work permit cancellation, your employer also has to submit a letter, signed by you confirming that you have received all the wages, settlements, and benefits you are due. Do not sign the letter unless you really have received them.

Cancelling your UAE work permit if you are changing jobs

If you are just changing jobs in the UAE, but you will not leave the country, then your employer must cancel your work permit for you. It is easiest to change employers if you have already spent two years working for the original employer (ie. your work contract has ended). If you work contract has not ended, but you wish to change employment, then your current employer has to sign a No Objection Certificate (NOC) transferring sponsorship to your new employer.

If your current employer does not agree to the premature termination of your contract, then you may face getting an employment ban. The employment ban can be from six months to one year.

If your employer does sign the NOC and cancels your work permit, you must give your future employer the UAE visa cancellation paper so they can submit a new work permit application on your behalf.

How To Cancel Family Visa In Dubai Online

If you have sponsored your family members to join you in the UAE through a Family Visa, you act as their sponsor. As such, it is up to you to cancel their UAE Residence Visas. You must cancel your dependents’ visas before your employer cancels yours.

Normally, if you are only changing jobs and will not permanently leave the UAE, you don’t have to cancel your dependents’ UAE family visas.

How To Cancel Family Visa Dubai

Your sponsor may cancel your UAE visa through one of the following ways:

• In-person, through one of the typing centers of the GDRFA in the emirate in which you live. The typing center then submits the application online and processes it.
• Online, through :
  • The website of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship; or
  • The websites of the GDRFA of the relevant emirate:
    • Abu Dhabi
    • Dubai (see also Amer, a website which Dubai citizens and residents can use to apply for family reunion and visitors can use to extend their Visa On Arrival)
    • Sharjah
    • Ajman
    • Ras Al Khaimah
    • Fujairah

Residence Visa cancellation for a person outside UAE (longer than six months)

Your Residence Visa will automatically be cancelled if you remain out of the UAE for longer than six months. If your UAE visa is cancelled while you are abroad, you must re-apply for an Entry Permit to be allowed back in.

However, there are some complications arising from cancelling your visa this way. If you left the country without formally resigning, tying off all your loose ends in regards to your job, and getting a proper visa cancellation, then your employer has the right to report you as absconding, and you may face legal repercussions if you try to re-enter the UAE later.

How Can I Cancel My Family Visa Outside Of UAE

When your sponsor applies to get your UAE visa cancelled, they must submit the following documents:

• UAE visa cancellation form, signed by the sponsor
• Your original passport
  • If you are not in the UAE at the time your sponsor cancels your visa, they may also submit a computerised extract of your Residence Visa. The UAE’s Naturalisation and Residency Department is in charge of providing computerized extracts of visas.
• Your original ID card
• If your sponsor is also your employer:
  • The approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
  • The UAE visa cancellation form has to be signed and sealed by the company stamp

Dubai Visa Cancellation Fee

What’s the cost of a UAE visa cancellation?

The cost for a UAE visa cancellation may differ from the specific office in which you apply. However, it usually revolves around AED 100 – AED 200. It is your sponsor who’s in charge of covering the costs of cancelling your UAE visa.

How long does it take to get a UAE visa cancelled?

It usually does not take long for a UAE visa to be cancelled. In most cases, the process takes 1 or 2 working days.  If your sponsor also has to cancel your Labour Card, that may take only 1 more working day, making it about three working days in total.

Things to keep in mind before cancelling your UAE visa

Before you get your UAE visa cancelled and leave the UAE, remember to settle some final details, such as:

• Closing your bank account
• Making sure you receive all your salaries, benefits, and settlements from your employer. Remember not to sign any confirmation letter if you have not.
• Paying all your utility bills
• Canceling your tenancy contract
• Selling your car (if you have one).

Visa Cancellation And Final Settlement

Employment visa cancelation

If you have been working in United Arab Emirates under an Employment visa, Cancelation of that Employment resident visa comprises with 2 basic steps.

• Labor card cancelation
• Resident visa cancelation

To cancel Labor card in the Ministry of Labor one separate application need to be submitted, Theron again another second application has to submitto ministry of foreign affairs in order to cancel Employment visa. This process must be done by your visa sponsor (employer) and it cannot be done by your own. Usually the visa sponsor will need to produce Original ID card, copy of your current passport, copy of your resident visa page, E-signature card of the authorized signatory, Copy of company’s trade license, Copy of Labor establishment card and copy of Immigration establishment card. Basically you must follow the company’s procedure of resignation and keep the good conduct with your company as well as the country law for a smooth process of getting your employment visa cancelled in UAE.

Procedure of Employment visa cancelation in UAE

Step 1

1. Printing the application at the respective service center (Tasheel or Amer centers or local typing center) or via online (Ministry’s e-forms program – GDRFA / smart channel)

Step 2

2. Signing the application by the sponsor/the authorized signatory

Step 3

3. Provide the relevant documents and initiating the process

Step 4

Cancelation of labor card temporarily in Ministry of Labor and electronically forwarding the information to GDRFA in order to cancel your resident visa permit

Step 5

Sponsor or Authorized person visit General directorate of residency & foreignaffairs

Step 6

General directorate of residency &foreign affairs send the electronic confirmation to cancel labor card permanently.

Employment visa cancelation fee

AED 100 – 200

Family visa cancelation

A sponsor of a Family visa could cancel the visa only through an authorized typing center or at the immigration office. The Typing center or the Amer/Tasheel center will fill your cancelation form and submit the cancelation request online through an online portal. Generally, Cancelation approval receives within an hour.

If you chose a typing center for the cancelation, upon approval you will be given only the cancelation copy printout. (Will not receive cancelation stamp on the visa page in the passport and it’s not mandatory). However, if you wish to get the cancelation seal in the passport visa page, better either submit the cancelation directly at the immigration branch office or else bring you cancelation paper given by the typing center along with the applicant original passport to get the cancelation stamp in the passport for free.

Required Documents

• Original Passport of Sponsored and Sponsor
• Original Emirates ID of sponsor
• Filled Application (e-Vision form)

Family visa cancelation fee

AED 200 – 250

Tourist visa cancelation

Visitors who got approved UAE visas sometime getting confused whether do they need to cancel this unused valid visa if in case they are not travelling UAE due to different reasons. Actually, the answer is they don’t need to cancel the visa. Because, UAE immigration department given 60 days validity for that visa from the date of the tourist/visit/ leisure visa been issued and after 2 months that visa will be automatically invalid. So, it’s unnecessary to cancel the visa by paying the cancellation fee.

If in case after getting approved UAE tourist/visit/ leisure visa, if you feel you have applied shorter visa than the expected length of stay during the visit/tour OR if your company or family applying a resident entry permit, then it’s mandatory to cancel the earlier tourist/visit/leisure visa by paying the visa fee. The visa sponsor can request to cancel the approved visa whenever necessary and pay the fee.

Tourist visa cancelation fee

AED150-200

Want to stay more in UAE

After your Employment visa and Family visa cancelation, if you would like to stay furthermore in UAE , better you can read the below details to make it easy

Those who are resigning their job and wanting to look for new job prospects, those who are planning to move out of UAE by cancelling resident visas and those who send their family members to home country due to studies or various reasons has the most easiest option. That is getting a new tourist visa / visit visa with or without exit. As soon as your Employment visa or Family visa cancelation is done, you will get 28 grace period to stay in country for free (in your cancelation paper the last date is mentioned)

Near to the end of cancelled visa grace period, you can choose one of the below options to stay longer in UAE or visit UAE back.

• Flying out or going home country: It’s one of the most used way to get a new UAE Visit visa / tourist visa. It takes 2-3 days to get a new visa, you can enjoy a holiday or family visit while your new tourist visa getting ready. At this option, you have to purchase 3 way tickets/ 2 way ticket with return dummy ticket which includes Flying out of UAE, flying to UAE and again your ticket dated after 30 or 90 days)
• Visa run: Most of the Europeans and western country people get on arrival tourist visa up on arrival to UAE. As soon as your residence visa cancelled you can do Oman visa run, where as you will be granted 30 or 90 days tourist visa based on your nationality with reference to on-arrival nationality list.
• Airport to airport visa change: Airport to airport visa change useful and convenient method to exit and get a new tourist visa, your visa provider will be providing you a return ticket to nearest Middle Eastern country (such as Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait) and up on return to UAE you will be provided with a new visa tourist visa . Even if you are currently overstaying after finishing the cancellation grace period, this is the best way to clear the overstay and previous resident visa status by paying the fine at the airport and exiting the country. You will return back with a new tourist visa and continue stay further in your desired UAE city
• Inside country visa: Most convenient way to stay in the country even after your Employment visa and Family visa been cancelled, Inside country visa is a visa change without exit which allows you to stay home without going anywhere. The visa provider will take care the paper works and provide you with new visa copy and status change paper

Consequences of leaving the UAE without proper cancellation of employment visa – what happens if UAE visa is not cancelled

Staying away outside of United Arab Emirates more than consecutive 6 months will automatically cancel your resident visa and if you don’t enter the country before completing 6 months won’t allow entry later using the same visa. Therefore, in such situation you are not needing to come all the way back to UAE to cancel the visa in case you have no idea to come back to UAE again in the future.

If you left the country without proper cancellation of employment resident visa which is followed by employer inform resignation which complied with employment termination procedures (Labor cancelation and employment permit cancellation), perhapsyour employer will report you as absconding person which leads to banned you in UAE. This will result new visa application rejections and even if you manage to travel to UAE there is a chance you might be get arrested at the airport.

So, it is always advisable to follow up with proper visa cancellation of your resident visa and collect proof of cancelation (cancelation paper and or cancelation stamp in passport visa page)before leaving United Arab Emiratesto avoid issues with your future visa applications.

UAE visa cancellation after 6 months

For some unavoidable reason you might unable totravel back to UAE for 6 months and obviously it will result automatic invalidation of your UAE resident visa. In order to travel back to UAE again you will need to get the previous visa properly cancelled even though it’s in invalid. Those who went without informing the company (Sponsor) have no options left behind, rather than pursuing the companies and coming to an amicable solution.

As soon as the current expired residence visa cancelled, a company or family member can re-apply a new residence visa, you will get an entry permit to travel to UAE where as you need to do medical test, Emirates ID & visa stamping in the passport again. Those who are wanting a tourist / visit visa can apply it through a visa agent or sponsored by a family member. After your entry using a tourist / visit visa you may change the visa status to residence visa followed bystatus change stamping, medical test, Emirates ID & visa stamping

Residence Visa cancellation for a person outside UAE

Doing Family visa cancellation while your family member gone out of the country is more easy and straight forward to get done when the sponsor is in UAE. The sponsor can submit required documents and do it without any hustle You can get this done using a typing center and not exactly need to visit the immigration department.

Required Documents

• Original Passport of Sponsor & the applicants
• Original Emirates ID of sponsor
• Application has to be a Typed form
• Application Fee: Dh266 and typing charges will be additional amount
• Cancellation stamp on Visa page in the passport is not required. If you want seal, you can visit nearest Immigration branch with original passport and cancellation receipt. They will put stamp without any fee.

While you are outside UAE getting the employment visa cancellation is bit hectic, since you must be only able to achieve it through the current visa sponsor. As long as you have genuine reason, the employer can cancel your visa and if you have any issues or debt with the company then indeed it will be harder to negotiate with the company being out of the country.

Freezone visa cancellation

The process of cancelling the contract from a Freezone company need the presence of both employer and employee at the freezone headquarters where they can meet the officers in person. This ensures all rules are honored and there is mutual agreement between the two parties regarding the termination of the existing employment contract. In order to initiate the cancelation process you must carry yourOriginal passport and Emirates ID card.

Covid19 & visa cancelation update

• 1. Guides and rules for dubai residents returning from june 22,2020
  • Use the ICA Smart service link to register and get the approval and then book the flight
  • Approval for return is handled by UAE General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs in partnership with airlines.
  • PCR tests are conducted at the Dubai & Abu Dhabi international airport
  • A 14 day quarantine duration is imposed for all individuals testing positive for COVID 19
• 2. Individuals who hold a UAE visa that expires between March and December 2020 are given an automatic extension effective until 31st December. The holder is supposed to exit the country or find employment to secure a new visa.
• 3. UAE visa holders with an expiry date before March 1 are given a 3 month grace period starting from 18th May until 18th August 2020.The holder is exempted from paying any overstay fines within this duration and should choose to leave the country or secure a new visa within this period.
• 4. Employees whose visas were cancelled after March 1st by their employers are provided a 30 day grace period from the date of cancellation. The employee should exit the country or secure new employment. Another viable option is to apply for a UAE tourist visa. The immigration department is issuing tourist visas for applicants within the UAE but not for those who apply from abroad.
• 5. In the case of domestic workers and dependants residing on Family visa, an automatic renewal will be given until December 31st for any visas that have expired after 31st March.
• May 13, 2020
  6. Due to the prevailing lockdown conditions individuals who have exited the country before UAE borders closed can now cancel their resident visa without being in the UAE. The passport of the individual is not required either as the exit will be updated on to a centralised system. The former employer of the individual needs to submit a copy of the employee’s passport and visa that has to be handed over to the GDRFA of the Ministry of Interior.
• May 10, 2020
  7. Expatriates who are overstaying due to border closing are requested to register at the FAIC portal to receive a 3 month grace period starting from the 18th of May, 2020. All fines with regard to ID cards, labour cards and expired work permits will be waived. The spokesperson of FAIC have urged all individuals falling under this category to make use of the grace period to exit the country before any legal action is taken.
• April 15, 2020
  8. With the spread of unexpected Corona virus- Covid19 pandemic, The United Arab Emirates government officially made a major announcement on extension of visa validity of all resident visas, entry permits, and Emirates Identity card which have been expired after 01st of March are extended till end of 2020. In accordance with the speech delivered by the official spokesperson of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) – Brigadier Khamis Al Kaabi; Emirates IDs that expired after first of March, will be valid for both locals and expats residents Emirates ID Card holders and it will be valid for use of bank and official government transactions up to 31st December 2020.

Things to Remember

Before you get your UAE visa cancelled and leave the UAE, remember to settle everything carefully, any wrong doing will result in refusal of new tourist or residence visa;

• Closing your bank account & make sure all you loans, credit cards, auto loans paid. Make sure to get the bank clearance letter on each liabilities you have enrolled before.
• Making sure you receive all your salaries, benefits, and settlements from your employer, remember not to sign any confirmation letter if you have not
• Paying all your utility bills – Etisalat, Du or home internet
• Canceling your tenancy contract
• Selling your car or settling your auto loans

Overstaying fines for Employment & Family visa cancelation

After cancelation you have 28 days’ grace period to either amend your status and get another residence visa or leave the country. Fines do not apply during the grace period of cancelled visa. If you overstay after the grace period over, then you will be fined as follows:

• First day – AED 125 for the
• For each subsequent day- AED 25
• After six months of overstaying – AED 50 per day
• After one year of overstaying- AED 100 per day

If you do inside country visa without exiting the country AED 125 for the first day not being charged and as per the immigration system shows before the status change the fine should be settled.