Desk research against primary sources. Figures are traced to the issuing UAE authority and linked on the page.
The date matters because it marks a genuine reform, not just an update — ICP replaced separate per-category fine tables with one flat daily rate under the Unified Fine System from 11 February 2026, so a guide, forum post or friend’s experience from before that date is describing a system that no longer applies. If you are working from anything written earlier, treat the AED 100 or AED 125 figures as retired rather than as an alternative rate that might still apply to your category.
The settlement requirement is what actually blocks departure — the fine is not billed to you afterwards, it has to be paid at GDRFA Dubai or the airport immigration desk before you are permitted to board, which is why arriving with an unresolved overstay can mean missing the flight. The travel ban risk scales with how long you overstayed: cross the 6-month mark and you move from a fine-only outcome to a ban running from 1 to 5 years, so the daily AED 50 adds up to more than money.