Can UAE visa overstay fines be waived for humanitarian reasons?

Yes, humanitarian waivers are real. The immigration authorities — the ICP federally, and the GDRFA for Dubai-issued visas — have discretion to reduce or waive overstay fines where the overstay was caused by genuine circumstances beyond the person's control, and hospitalisation is one of the clearest examples. A documented medical emergency that physically prevented departure is exactly the situation the mechanism exists for. The application is made to the authority that issued the visa, and the strength of your paperwork decides the outcome. Gather hospital admission and discharge records, medical reports stating that she was unfit to travel and for which dates, her passport and visa copies, and a short written explanation of the timeline. Apply through the GDRFA if it is a Dubai visa, or through ICP channels otherwise; customer happiness centres and registered typing centres can submit the request. Important: apply before she exits, while the file is still open — it is much harder to claw back fines after they are paid at departure. Be prepared that waivers are discretionary, not guaranteed, and partial reduction is a common outcome. An immigration lawyer can prepare the waiver request so the medical evidence is presented the way the authority expects.