GDRFA Application Status: Track Your Dubai Application

To check your GDRFA application status, open the Application Status Tracker on gdrfad.gov.ae and enter the email address and Emirates ID number used in the application plus the application reference number, then verify your email to see the status. Applications submitted with an application, transaction number and payment date can also be tracked on GDRFA’s classic status inquiry page, and Amer submissions through its counter application tab.

Do this next to track your Dubai application

• Find your reference number in the submission email, SMS or Amer receipt.
• Use the same email and Emirates ID that were entered in the application.
• Status says returned? Upload the requested correction quickly; it is not a rejection.
• Need help? Call GDRFA’s Amer call centre on 800 5111 (+971 4 313 9999 from abroad).

What GDRFA application tracking covers

The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) processes entry permits, residence visas, renewals, cancellations and Golden Visa residency for Dubai. Its tracking tools show where an application has reached while it is being processed. Once a visa is issued, you check its validity separately with a file or passport search.

Only Dubai applications appear on GDRFA. Applications for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are tracked on ICP Smart Services instead.

Method 1: GDRFA Application Status Tracker

This is GDRFA’s newer tracker on its main website. It works in three stages: application reference number, email verification and status display.

1. Go to gdrfad.gov.ae and open Application Status Tracker (under online services, or search for it on the site).
2. Enter the email address used in your application.
3. Enter the Emirates ID number used in the application, where one applies.
4. Enter the application reference number you received when you submitted the application, then select Next.
5. Complete the email verification step with the code sent to that email address.
6. The status display shows the current stage of your application.

All three details must belong to the same application. If you applied through a typing centre or your company’s PRO, ask them which email address and reference number they used, because it may not be yours.

Method 2: GDRFA status inquiry

GDRFA’s classic status inquiry service on smart.gdrfad.gov.ae lets you choose what to search for. Every search field must be filled in:

Search for	Use it when	Details you enter
Application	You have an application in progress	Application number, transaction number and payment date
File	The visa or residency has been issued and you want its validity	File number, nationality and date of birth
Establishment inquiry	A company checking its own file	Establishment details
Request for reconsideration	You asked GDRFA to reconsider a decision	The reconsideration request details
Counter application service	The application was submitted at an Amer centre or counter	Application or file number with your details, as shown on the form

The transaction number and payment date are on the payment receipt. Enter the date exactly in the format the form shows; a wrong date format is a common reason for “not found”.

Method 3: GDRFA Dubai app, DubaiNow and Amer

• GDRFA Dubai app: log in with UAE PASS to see your own applications and get notifications as they move forward. It is available on the App Store and Google Play.
• DubaiNow app: brings many Dubai government services together, including residency services.
• Amer centres: typing and service centres authorised by GDRFA can check and follow up an application for you, especially one they submitted.
• Amer call centre: 800 5111 inside the UAE or +971 4 313 9999 from abroad, including follow-up of returned transactions.

What each GDRFA application status means

Status	Meaning	What to do
Submitted or under process	The application is with GDRFA and being reviewed	Wait and check again; most simple applications move within a few working days
Returned or requires modification	The officer needs a correction or an extra document; this is not a refusal	Read the note, upload the correction and resubmit quickly so the file does not lapse
Approved	The application was accepted	Download the entry permit or continue to medical test and Emirates ID biometrics
Rejected	The application will not proceed as submitted	Find the reason, then correct and apply again or ask for reconsideration
Not found	Wrong details, wrong search type or wrong authority	Check the search option, date format and spelling, or try ICP

Status pages do not always update in real time. A step such as final approval or printing can show a day or two after it actually happened, so wait a working day before worrying about a status that has not changed.

How long does GDRFA take to approve an application?

GDRFA does not publish one processing time for every service, because it depends on the visa type, the sponsor and whether documents are complete. A complete visit visa or renewal can be decided in a few working days, while employment visas take longer because they pass through two systems. First the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) issues the work permit, and only then does GDRFA issue the entry permit and residency.

After entering the UAE on an employment entry permit, you complete the medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics and residency stamping on the file. Keep an eye on deadlines: if a residence application is not completed and the entry permit expires, overstay fines can start.

Approved, but no residence visa yet?

• Medical test pending: the residency is issued only after a fit medical result.
• Emirates ID biometrics pending: book and attend your biometrics appointment if asked; track the card with our Emirates ID status check.
• Employer still finishing steps: ask HR or the PRO which stage is outstanding.
• Different authority: if your employer’s licence is in another emirate, the residency is issued by ICP, not GDRFA.

Rejected or returned: what to do next

1. Read the reason or note attached to the decision in the app, email or status page.
2. If documents were missing or wrong, such as a tenancy contract, salary certificate or photo, fix them and resubmit through the same channel.
3. If you believe the decision is wrong, use GDRFA’s request for reconsideration route, which you can then track in the status inquiry service.
4. If the reason is a legal restriction, such as a travel ban or an absconding report, resolve that first: see how to check a travel ban and how to check absconding status.

Related checks after your application

• Visa cancelled before a new one is issued? Check your grace period after cancellation.
• Changing jobs? Read our employment visa cancellation guide.
• Stayed past your visa? Use the UAE overstay fine check.
• Need your work permit details? Find your labour card number.

Official sources: GDRFA Application Status Tracker and the UAE government’s track visa application and validity page.

This guide is part of our UAE Visa and Emirates ID Guide.

More guides you may need

• UAE Visa Status Check by Passport Number (ICP, GDRFA)