UAE Visa Change: Inside the Country, by Bus or by Flight

The short answer: "Visa change" means two different things in the UAE. The first is a status change made inside the country: GDRFA Dubai calls it a Status Amendment, and uses it to move a person onto a new visa, such as from a visit visa to an employment visa, once the new visa is approved and the old permit is cancelled. GDRFA Dubai's page prices it at AED 500, plus a AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and a AED 10 Innovation Dirham, with 48 hours to process. The second is what agencies call a visa change by bus or by flight: leaving the UAE before the current visa ends, often by road to Oman or on a short flight, and coming back on a new visit visa. Either way, act while the current visa is still valid. Once it runs out, the overstay fine of AED 50 a day applies.

People search for "UAE visa change" for different reasons. Some have found a job and need to move from a visit visa to an employment visa without flying home. Some have used up the extensions on their visit visa and want a fresh stay. Others have heard about the Oman bus trip and want to know what it involves. This guide covers all three, with the figures GDRFA Dubai and ICP publish and the official entry rules for the Oman leg.

UAE visa change at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
What "visa change" covers	Two routes: a status change inside the UAE, or an exit and re-entry on a new visa
Visit visa to employment or residence visa, without leaving	GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment service, for Dubai
Status Amendment fee (GDRFA Dubai)	AED 500, plus a AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and a AED 10 Innovation Dirham
Status Amendment processing time	48 hours, per GDRFA Dubai
Status Amendment conditions	A new visa already issued, and the previous permit cancelled
Outside Dubai	ICP lists "Amendment of Visa Data" and "Visa Extension" services, with no fee published on icp.gov.ae
Exit and re-entry	Called a visa change "by bus" (usually to Oman) or "by flight"; you return on a new visit visa
Who applies for the new visit visa	A licensed agency, airline or hotel, or a resident relative, as for a first visit visa
Entry rules for Oman	Set by the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal, evisa.rop.gov.om, by nationality
Deadline	The current visa's last day
If you stay past it	AED 50 a day overstay fine, per ICP

Changing status without leaving the UAE

GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment service changes "the sponsored person's status within the country". Its page sets two conditions: the person must already have a new visa issued for the category they are moving into, and the previous permit must be cancelled. The documents it lists are passport copies of the sponsored person and the new sponsor, a copy of the sponsor's residence permit, and copies of the cancelled permit and the new one.

• Fee: AED 500 to register the amendment, plus a AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and a AED 10 Innovation Dirham. The page also notes an individual fee of AED 15 and an establishment fee of AED 50.
• Processing: 48 hours.
• Where: online through GDRFA Dubai's website or app at any time, or at an Amer service centre during its opening hours.

The usual case is a visitor who has found a job. The employer applies for the work permit and the new visa first, and the status amendment then moves the person onto it without a trip abroad. Our UAE job seeker visa guide covers the steps before that. GDRFA Dubai's page does not name a separate service for moving between two kinds of visit visa, so if that is your case, confirm it with GDRFA Dubai before you rely on these figures.

If the visa was issued outside Dubai: ICP

Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah come under ICP. Its service list on icp.gov.ae includes "Amendment of Visa Data", a request "to amend an entry permit issued by the authority", and a separate "Visa Extension" for eligible categories. Neither page publishes a fee, a document list or a processing time. Start the request on smartservices.icp.gov.ae or ICP's smart app, which show the fee before you pay.

The exit and re-entry route: visa change by bus or flight

The other route is to leave and come back. A new visit visa is applied for while you are still in the UAE, you leave before the current visa ends, and you re-enter on the new one. It is not a government service in its own right: it is a trip abroad plus a new visit visa application, which agencies sell together. It suits someone who has used up the extensions on their current visa, or whose sponsor cannot extend it.

By bus to Oman

"Visa change by bus" usually means a road trip into Oman and back. Oman's rules, not the UAE's, govern that leg. The Royal Oman Police runs Oman's visas through its eVisa portal at evisa.rop.gov.om, which sorts them into four classes: Resident Sponsored, Resident Unsponsored, Visit Sponsored and Visit Unsponsored. The fee and conditions depend on your nationality and class, so check your own on the portal. The UK government's Oman travel advice, written for British travellers, says your passport must have "an 'expiry date' at least 6 months after the date you arrive", and that at the border you should be able to show a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and proof of travel health insurance. It also notes that overstaying in Oman can bring a fine of up to 10 Omani rials a day, to a maximum of 500 rials. Our Dubai to Oman by bus or car guide covers the journey itself.

By flight

A visa change by flight works the same way: a short return flight out of the UAE, with the new visit visa ready for the flight back. Which country works best depends on your passport and on that country's entry rules, so confirm them on its official visa or immigration page, and check the current timetables from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah before you book.

What you need to re-enter

Re-entry depends on the new UAE visa being issued, not just on having left. The requirements are those of any visit visa: a passport valid for at least six months, a photo that meets the rules (see our UAE visa photo guide), and the documents the sponsor asks for. No agency can guarantee or speed up the decision, which sits with GDRFA Dubai or ICP, so leave a margin rather than planning to leave on the last day of the old visa.

What goes wrong

• Starting too late. Every route needs the current visa to be valid when you apply or when you leave. A new visa takes GDRFA Dubai's or ICP's own processing time, so a request made with a day or two left has no room for a missing document.
• Not knowing the real expiry date. Check it on the official portal before you plan anything: our UAE visa status check guide shows how, or use our free UAE visa check.
• Overstaying while you wait. If the old visa's last day passes before the status amendment goes through or before you leave, the AED 50 a day fine applies. Our UAE overstay fines guide covers how to pay it.
• Assuming Oman's rules. The Oman leg has its own visa rules by nationality. Check them on the Royal Oman Police portal, not on a forum.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UAE visa change?

It means one of two things. One is a status change inside the country, such as GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment, which moves a person onto a new visa without leaving. The other is a visa change by bus or flight: leaving the UAE briefly and returning on a new visit visa.

How do I change my visa status inside the UAE?

For Dubai, use GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment service once the new visa is issued and the old permit is cancelled. It costs AED 500 plus a AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and a AED 10 Innovation Dirham, and takes 48 hours. Outside Dubai, ICP lists an Amendment of Visa Data service on its smart services portal.

How do I change my visit visa to an employment visa in the UAE?

The employer applies for the work permit and the new visa first. Once it is issued, GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment service, or ICP's equivalent outside Dubai, changes your status without you leaving the country, with the visit visa cancelled.

What is a UAE visa change by bus?

It means leaving the UAE by road, usually into Oman, and returning on a new visit visa before the old one ends. Oman's entry rules for that leg are set by the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal, evisa.rop.gov.om, and depend on your nationality.

What is a UAE visa change by flight?

The same idea by air: a short return flight out of the UAE, with a new visit visa ready for the flight back. Check the destination's entry rules for your passport before you book.

Is a visa change the same as a visa extension?

No. An extension adds time to the visa you already hold, up to GDRFA Dubai's or ICP's limit, as our UAE visit visa extension guide explains. A visa change replaces it with a new visa, which helps once the extensions are used up or when you need a different kind of visa.

Planning your visa change

Start with the current visa's expiry date, since every route runs against it. Our visa desk handles visa changes for 30 or 60 days: by bus, 30 days, by bus, 60 days, by flight, 30 days and by flight, 60 days. Browse UAE visa services for new visit visas, check an existing visa with our free UAE visa check, or talk to us about which route fits your passport and dates. We prepare the documents; the decision is GDRFA Dubai's or ICP's.

Related guides

• UAE visit visa extension: fees, rules, how to apply
• UAE overstay fines: the daily rate, grace periods and how to pay
• UAE job seeker visa: rules and how to apply
• Dubai to Oman by bus or car

Last checked 9 October 2026 against GDRFA Dubai's Status Amendment service page, ICP's Amendment of Visa Data and Visa Extension service pages, the Royal Oman Police eVisa portal, and the UK government's Oman travel advice. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with GDRFA Dubai, ICP or our team before you travel.