The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) quietly adjusted its online systems this week, and Gulf News has responded with an updated explainer that went live at 10:19 on 23 July 2026. The article consolidates disparate grace-period rules – 30, 60, 90 and 180 days – into a single reference and shows step-by-step how expatriates can confirm their exact deadline on the ICP Smart Services portal. The timing matters: the post-pandemic churn in the labour market and last month’s regional air-travel disruptions have produced a spike in visa cancellations. Mobility teams report that many departing employees mistakenly assume they have 30 days when, in fact, holders of Green or Golden residencies – and their dependants – have up to 180 days. Conversely, standard employment-visa holders tempted to linger risk AED 50 per day in overstay fines from day 31. The article also highlights a lesser-known data point: the cancellation form itself displays the final exit date in small print, a handy back-up if the ICP site is down. For HR offboarding checklists, capturing that document is now best practice. Companies should circulate the table to departing staff and remind those changing jobs internally that the grace period counts down even if the employee remains in country. Overstays can trigger system flags that delay future work-permit processing – a hidden cost for employers who rehire the same talent later. Given the UAE’s zero-tolerance stance on immigration violations, the clarified timelines reduce compliance risk for both individuals and organisations.
Source: Gulf News
