Immigration Office of Sharjah

The Sharjah immigration office — listed on maps as the Immigration Office of Sharjah and officially the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Sharjah (GDRFA Sharjah) — is the government body that handles entry permits, residence visas, visa cancellations, overstay fines and travel-ban queries for the emirate. Its headquarters is in Al Rahmaniya, with a second office inside Sharjah International Airport.

This guide covers where the office is, how to reach it, opening hours, the contact numbers that actually get answered, the services you can complete in person, and which of those you can do online instead so you can skip the queue.

What the Sharjah Immigration Office Does

GDRFA Sharjah is the emirate-level immigration authority. It works under the federal Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security Authority (ICP), which runs the national visa system, but day-to-day residency matters for Sharjah are handled here. If your visa or residence permit was issued under a Sharjah sponsor — an employer, a family member or a Sharjah-based visa agency — this is the office that owns your file.

Two things it is not. It is not the Dubai immigration authority; Dubai has its own GDRFA. And it is not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Sharjah, which handles document attestation, not visas. People searching for "ministry of foreign affairs Sharjah" for visa help are usually in the wrong building.

Sharjah Immigration Office Location: Al Rahmaniya

The main Sharjah immigration Rahmaniya headquarters sits in the Al Rahmaniya area on the eastern side of the city, close to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) and the University City district. It replaced the older city-centre office and is the address you want for anything that needs an in-person visit.

• Area: Al Rahmaniya, Sharjah
• Landmark: off Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, University City side
• Map search term: "Immigration Office of Sharjah" or "GDRFA Sharjah Rahmaniya"
• Parking: large surface car park on site; it fills by mid-morning on weekdays

Getting There

By car from Dubai, take E311 north and exit at the Al Rahmaniya / University City signs; allow 35 to 50 minutes from Deira outside peak hours and considerably more between 7am and 9am. From Sharjah city centre, the drive is 15 to 25 minutes. Taxis know the building by "immigration Rahmaniya". Public bus routes serve University City, but the last stretch is a walk, so a taxi is the practical option if you are carrying documents.

Sharjah Airport Immigration Office

The Sharjah airport immigration office is inside Sharjah International Airport and operates 24 hours to match flight schedules. It handles arrival and departure processing, visa-on-arrival issuance for eligible nationalities, and urgent matters for passengers already at the airport — for example an entry permit that has not reflected in the system, or an overstay fine that must be settled before departure.

It does not handle routine residency work. If you need a residence visa stamped, a family visa processed or a cancellation completed, go to Al Rahmaniya, not the airport. Our guide to immigration clearance at Dubai airport explains what airport immigration counters do and do not do, and the same logic applies at Sharjah.

Sharjah Immigration Office Timings and Working Days

Sharjah government entities work a Monday to Thursday week, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. The Al Rahmaniya headquarters follows that pattern; the airport office is the exception and runs every day.

Hours shorten during Ramadan and the office closes on UAE public holidays. If you are searching "is Sharjah immigration open today", check the date against the UAE public holiday list before you drive out; a wasted trip to Al Rahmaniya is a common complaint.

Sharjah Immigration Contact Number and Online Channels

The fastest way to reach a human is the federal ICP call centre, which handles Sharjah residency queries:

• ICP call centre: 600 522222 — 24/7, English and Arabic
• GDRFA Sharjah direct line: 600 522222 — 24/7, English and Arabic (The direct contact number for the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs in Sharjah (formerly GDRFA Sharjah, now managed under the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP))
• Online services: the ICP smart services portal, where most Sharjah visa transactions are filed

There is no official public WhatsApp line for Sharjah immigration. Any number circulating online as a "Sharjah immigration WhatsApp" belongs to a typing centre or an agent, not the authority. Official ICP services and contact details are published at the ICP portal.

Services Available at the Sharjah Immigration Office

These are the transactions you can complete at Al Rahmaniya, either at the counter or through a registered typing centre on site:

• Entry permits — issuance, extension and cancellation for visit, tourist and employment entry permits.
• Residence visas — new issuance, renewal, transfer and cancellation for employees and sponsored family members. See our guide to the Sharjah residence visa.
• Family sponsorship — adding a spouse, children or parents under a Sharjah resident's sponsorship.
• Status change — converting a visit visa to residence from inside the country.
• Overstay fines — calculation and payment. Since February 2026 the fine is AED 50 per day with no grace period; details on our overstay rules page.
• Outpass (exit permit) — for overstayers who need to leave the country after settling fines. The outpass counter is at the Al Rahmaniya headquarters, not the airport.
• Travel ban and immigration ban enquiries — checking whether a ban exists on your file. Our page on the permanent immigration ban explains the types.
• Establishment cards — for companies that sponsor employees or visitors. See immigration establishment card.
• Absconding reports — filed by sponsors, and contested by employees.

Tourist and visit visa applications for people outside the UAE are not filed at the counter by the traveller. They are filed by a UAE sponsor online. If you are looking to get a Sharjah-sponsored visit visa, see how to apply for a Sharjah visa online.

What to Bring to the Sharjah Immigration Office

Counter staff will not process an incomplete file, and the queue token is forfeited if you have to leave for a missing document. Bring:

1. Original passport of the person the transaction concerns, plus a copy.
2. Emirates ID of the sponsor and, where applicable, the sponsored person.
3. The existing visa or entry permit — printed copy of the e-visa.
4. Sponsor documents — trade licence and establishment card for company sponsors; tenancy contract and salary certificate for family sponsors.
5. Passport-size photographs on a white background.
6. Medical fitness certificate and health insurance for residence visa issuance or renewal.
7. Attested documents for family visas — marriage and birth certificates attested by the home country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
8. Payment card — fees are paid by card at the typing centre or online.

Do It Online Instead: Services That Do Not Need a Visit

Most routine Sharjah immigration transactions are now filed through the ICP smart services portal or a registered typing centre, and only exceptions are escalated to the counter. You can usually avoid Al Rahmaniya entirely for:

• Visit visa extension and cancellation — see our visit visa extension procedure.
• Residence visa renewal where nothing about the sponsorship has changed.
• Visa status checks — our guide to checking visa status online covers the ICP route for Sharjah visas.
• Overstay fine enquiries and payments.
• Entry permit printing and verification.

Cases that still need an in-person visit are the ones with a problem attached: a rejected application you want reviewed, an absconding report to contest, an outpass, or a travel ban that needs clarification.

Tips Before You Go

• Arrive early. Tokens are issued on arrival and the queue peaks between 8am and 11am.
• Use the typing centre first. Most transactions must be typed and paid before the counter will look at them.
• Check for a ban before travelling out. If you suspect a ban, resolve it here; you cannot fix it at the airport.
• Dress code applies. As at all UAE government buildings, shoulders and knees covered.
• Bring the sponsor. For family and status-change transactions, the sponsor's presence or a notarised authorisation is often required.

For federal-level questions about the visa system itself, see our page on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, and for a list of other centres across the country, visa processing centres in the UAE.