Bilal lives in Lahore. His cousin in Dubai arranged a visit visa through an agent. The agent said two or three days. On day four Bilal still had nothing. He did not know where to check. This guide is for that exact moment.
The short answer first. Where you check depends on which emirate issued your visa. Dubai visas are handled by GDRFA, the Dubai residency authority. Visas for the other six emirates are handled by the federal authority, ICP. The official UAE government platform gives the same split.
Which portal checks your UAE visa?
Pick the portal by the emirate that issued your visa. If your visa is for Dubai, use the GDRFA visa status inquiry page. Most Pakistani travellers end up here, because most UAE visit visas are issued through Dubai.
If your visa is for any of the other six emirates, use the ICP application tracking page or the ICP file validity page. ICP runs the portals for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Not sure which emirate? Look at the visa copy, or ask the agent or the sponsor who applied for you. They know.
What you need before you check
Have these four things ready.
- Visa file number. The agent or sponsor has it. It is sometimes called the transaction number or application number. Without it you cannot check anything.
- Passport number and your nationality. Most portals ask for these together with the file number.
- Date of birth, because some portals ask for it to confirm your identity.
- Your unified number (UID) if you have one. If you do not know it, GDRFA runs a find UID service that works with your passport number.
If the agent has not given you a file number yet, ask for it in writing. A genuine agent shares it without argument.
How to check UAE visa status on the ICP portal
The ICP portal serves six emirates. The steps are the same for all of them.
- Open the ICP application tracking page.
- Enter your application or file number and your passport details.
- Submit. The screen shows where the application stands.
Use application tracking while the visa is still being processed. Once it is issued, use the file validity page to see the issue date and expiry date.
How to check a Dubai visa on GDRFA
For a Dubai visa, the GDRFA status inquiry page is the official route.
- Open the status inquiry page.
- Enter your file number or transaction number and your passport number.
- Submit. You see the visa status, the issue date and the expiry date.
GDRFA also has customer happiness centres in Dubai and an official mobile app, but the website works from Pakistan, so start there.
What each status means
- Under process. The authority is still reviewing the application. This is normal. Paper processing time for a tourist visa is 48 hours, and in practice count a few working days.
- Approved. The visa is issued. The sponsor or agent receives the visa copy with your photo on it. The airline checks it at check in, so keep the copy with you.
- Rejected. You cannot travel on this visa. Ask the agent or sponsor for the reason before you pay anyone again. No one can guarantee approval, and anyone who does is not being honest with you.
- Expired. The visa was used or its time ran out. A single entry visa ends the day you leave the UAE.
What a UAE visit visa costs and the rules
The official fees come from GDRFA, the authority that issues Dubai visas. For a single entry tourist visa, the fee is AED 200 for 30 days and AED 300 for 60 days. For a multiple entry tourist visa, it is AED 300 for 30 days and AED 500 for 60 days. Value added tax of 5% is added on top. Agents and airlines add their own charges on top, which is why prices in Pakistan differ.
Three rules matter for Pakistani applicants. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your travel date. Pakistani applicants must also submit a copy of their national identity card (CNIC). The GDRFA service pages list Pakistan among the nationalities that need it. The processing time is 48 hours for a tourist visa, so apply well before your flight.
If you are still choosing between destinations, the Dubai visa from Pakistan guide covers the visa types and the three ways to apply.
What if the portal shows nothing?
An empty result almost always means a wrong number or the wrong portal. Check the file number again with the agent and confirm the emirate. Try the passport number exactly as it appears in your passport, because a small spelling difference blocks the search. A Dubai visa will not show on the ICP portal, and the other way round.
Still stuck? Call the authorities. ICP answers on the toll free number 600522222. GDRFA answers on 800 5111 if you are inside the UAE, and on +971 4 313 9999 from outside. These numbers come from the official UAE government platform.
For other Gulf travel with the same style of checking, see how to check your Saudi visa status online. And if you want to skip visas altogether, the list of visa free countries for Pakistani passport holders is worth reading before you plan anything.
Fees and rules change without notice. Confirm everything on the official portal before you pay. More plain English guides live on the Lexiber blog, and you can start from the Lexiber home page.
Thinking about other destinations? Our eVisa guide for Pakistani citizens covers which countries offer online visas and where the official applications live.
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