All you need to know about GDRFA

What is GDRFA?

The GDRFA stands for General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Just as the name implies, it is an official government authority in the emirate of Dubai that oversees and controls all the protocols involved with the entry, residence and exit of expats in the country.

The GDRFA Dubai also works in collaboration with the Dubai legal system for the issuing of residence visas and other related services with regards to residency and foreigners affairs. For those involved in business setup in UAE, understanding GDRFA regulations is essential, as they directly impact visa approvals and residency procedures for investors and employees.

It's very important to note that the GDRFA is responsible for the residency and foreigners affairs in Dubai only. This means that the UAE residents from other emirates cannot access the GDRFA services. Instead, they can access the ICA services which are for other emirates except for Dubai. 

What services are provided by GDRFA?

The GDRFA is considered one of the major government authorities in the emirate of Dubai as they offer the following services:

Residence and entry permit services — The GDRFA Dubai assists in the required procedures for getting, renewing, and termination of entry permits in Dubai. This is applicable to protocols for various categories of Dubai residence visa status. 

Establishment support services — This is related to company formations in the emirate. The aim is to enable companies, investors, and entrepreneurs to complete all the necessary processes involved in the establishments. Businesses undergoing company setup in Dubai must ensure compliance with GDRFA residency regulations to facilitate smooth operations.

Personal status and citizenship services — The GDRFA also handles the system for smooth and hassle free services related to citizenship and personal status services in the emirate.

Violation control — The GDRFA ensures that the issues of violators are settled according to the legislation and regulations of the emirate. This boils down to improving the security and safety of its residents.

Foreigners’ follow-up services — To ensure that any concern with regards to foreigners’ entry, settlement, and exit is well solved.

Ports control services — The GDRFA manages the to-and-fro activities of both the marine ports and airports in Dubai.

Find out more and get access to other services offered by the GDRFA in Dubai. Click the corresponding links to be redirected to the pages devoted to particular services.

GDRFA customer service centers

The GDRFA customer service centers are located all over the emirate. Follow the link above to open a map and find the nearest one. For a full list of the GDRFA centers in the emirate of Dubai, click here.

Tracking the GDRFA application status

To track the status of your GDRFA application status, follow the easy steps below:

1. Click here to be redirected to the main page of the portal.
2. Enter your search parameters, such as the application, file, over the counter service applications, special requests, establishment.
3. Enter your application number. 
4. Enter your transaction number. 
5. Enter your payment dates. 
6. Click Search and you will see the status of your application.

Note that the application and tracking numbers are usually assigned during the service registration.