UAE Visa Status Check From Pakistan: ICP for 6 Emirates, GDRFA for Dubai, and the Numbers Each Asks For
Check a UAE visa status on ICP for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and four more emirates, or GDRFA for Dubai. The numbers each needs, and fixes when nothing shows up.
To check a UAE visa status from Pakistan, use ICP's application tracking at smartservices.icp.gov.ae if the visa is for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah, and GDRFA Dubai's status inquiry at smart.gdrfad.gov.ae if the visa is for Dubai. The emirate printed on the visa decides which site holds your file, and searching the wrong one returns nothing.
That split is the reason most "my UAE visa is not showing" complaints happen. Below you will find which details each site asks for, the one GDRFA search that works with a passport number, what to do when nothing comes up, and the numbers to call. We read the UAE government's tracking page and both status forms on 31 October 2026.
The emirate on the visa decides where you check it
The UAE government portal, updated on 15 July 2026, splits the check in two. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) covers six emirates. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) covers Dubai only.
| Visa issued for | Where to check | Help line |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra | ICP application tracking | 600522222, or +971600522222 from Pakistan |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain | ICP application tracking | 600522222, or +971600522222 from Pakistan |
| Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | ICP application tracking | 600522222, or +971600522222 from Pakistan |
| Dubai | GDRFA status inquiry | 8005111, or +971 4 313 9999 from Pakistan |
Look at the e-visa PDF the sponsor sent you for the emirate it was issued in, or simply ask the sponsor. If it is Dubai, skip ICP entirely.
ICP tracking works with the application number
ICP's guest tracking page is built around the application number, also called the request number, together with the email used on the application and a picture check. The result lists each action on the file with its date, and offers print options once a visa or permit is issued.
- Open smartservices.icp.gov.ae and choose application tracking as a guest, without logging in.
- Type the application number from the sponsor's receipt or email.
- Enter the email address that was used when applying.
- Complete the picture check and search.
- Read the latest action and its date. Print the e-visa if it is shown.
ICP also runs a separate file validity service on the same site, which the UAE portal lists for checking whether a visa or residency is still valid. Use it before you book a ticket on an older visa.
GDRFA Dubai offers six ways to search a file
The GDRFA status inquiry opens in Arabic with an English button. It offers six searches. Most Pakistanis need the Application search, using the application number, the transaction number and the payment date from the sponsor's receipt.
| Search type | Details it asks for |
|---|---|
| Application | Application number, transaction number, payment date |
| File | First name in English, file number, nationality, date of birth |
| Request for reconsideration | Passport number, nationality, year of birth |
| Counter application | Application number, mobile number |
| Return permit | Application or file number, nationality |
| Establishment | Establishment number, expiry date |
The only search that takes a passport number is the reconsideration search, which is for an application that was refused and sent back for review. A routine visit or work visa is found through the Application or File search. Pakistan appears in the nationality list as code 203.
When the UAE visa status shows nothing
An empty result usually means a wrong site or a mismatched detail. First confirm the emirate. Then compare every number with the sponsor's receipt. If both are right and the search still fails, call the help line with your numbers ready.
- Wrong site: a Dubai visa will never appear on ICP, and an Abu Dhabi or Sharjah visa will not appear on GDRFA.
- Wrong email on ICP: the email must be the one used when applying, which is often the sponsor's or the typing centre's.
- Payment date on GDRFA: use the date printed on the receipt, not the date you were told about the visa.
- Agent with no number: no application number, no visa. Do not pay more until you see one.
A visa that is real will show your name and passport number exactly. A spelling difference is worth fixing before travel, because the airline in Pakistan compares the passport with the visa at check in.
Check the visa type before you fly
A visit visa and a work visa look alike on a phone screen, and the difference matters at the FIA counter. A visit visa does not let you work, and a work visa needs the protector stamp in Pakistan. Read the visa type on the PDF before anything else.
The rules for a UAE work visa from Pakistan cover the employer's permit and the protector stamp. If you are already in the UAE on a visit, you can extend a UAE visit visa online rather than overstay. And if you stay past the date, the UAE overstay fine starts adding up daily. Before the flight, the FIA checks on a foreign visa are worth reading too.
Common questions
Can I check my UAE visa with my passport number?
Not for a routine visa. ICP needs the application number and the email used, and GDRFA's Application search needs the application number, transaction number and payment date. Only GDRFA's reconsideration search takes a passport number.
Which site checks a Dubai visa?
GDRFA Dubai's status inquiry at smart.gdrfad.gov.ae. ICP does not hold Dubai files.
Which site checks an Abu Dhabi or Sharjah visa?
ICP's application tracking at smartservices.icp.gov.ae, which covers every emirate except Dubai.
What is the ICP number from Pakistan?
ICP lists +971600522222 for callers outside the UAE and 600522222 inside the UAE.
What is the GDRFA Dubai number from Pakistan?
GDRFA lists +971 4 313 9999 for international callers, 8005111 toll free inside the UAE, and amer@gdrfad.gov.ae by email.
Does a valid visa status mean I can board?
Not by itself. The airline and the FIA also check passport validity, the visa type and, for work, the protector stamp.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 31 October 2026. We read the UAE portal page on tracking a visa (updated 15 July 2026), the GDRFA Dubai status inquiry form and contact page, ICP's guest tracking page and ICP's service pages on that date. The GDRFA search fields come from the live form. The ICP fields come from the tracking page's own code, because the page draws its form only in a browser, so treat the email field as our reading. We did not run a search with a real application number and did not see a result screen.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
