This guide is for reference. Fees, fines, and document requirements change frequently — verify the latest from the ICP official site or u.ae.
What Emirates ID is
The national identity card issued by ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security) to every citizen and resident of the UAE. It is not optional: carrying a valid Emirates ID is a legal requirement for residents, and its validity always matches your residence visa. Since 2022 the card itself has replaced the physical residence-visa sticker in your passport — the ID is the proof of residency.
How the application actually starts
For most people the Emirates ID application is bundled into the residence-visa process — you don't apply for it separately. When your employer (or sponsor) files your residence application, the Emirates ID form is generated as part of the same package. Your role is to:
- Complete biometrics (fingerprints + photo) at an ICP Customer Happiness Centre or an approved typing/medical centre — usually on the same trip as your visa medical test
- Pay the fee (often handled by the employer's PRO for employment visas)
- Wait for the SMS, then collect the card
If you're applying independently (e.g. Golden Visa self-sponsorship, family sponsorship you're handling yourself), use the UAEICP app or the ICP Smart Services portal, or go through an Amer/typing centre.
What you need
- Passport (6+ months validity)
- Entry permit / residence-visa application reference
- Sponsor or employment documents (from your employer or sponsor)
- Passport-size photo (white background)
- For renewals: the expiring card details — biometrics are usually on file already and often not repeated
Fees
The card fee is AED 100 per year of validity, so it tracks your visa length:
| Validity | Card fee | + typical service/typing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | AED 100 | + AED 40–70 |
| 2 years (employment) | AED 200 | + AED 40–70 |
| 3 years | AED 300 | + AED 40–70 |
| 5-year (Green) | AED 500 | + AED 40–70 |
| 10-year (Golden) | AED 1,000 | + AED 40–70 |
The application/service fee is about AED 40 online or AED 70 at a typing centre. The express lane (Fawri, available at select ICP centres) adds AED 150 and can issue the card in ~24 hours.
Tracking your application
- UAEICP app / ICP website — enter your application number (PRAN) or Emirates ID number to see the live status
- SMS — ICP sends status texts to the mobile number on the application: application received, card printed, card dispatched, ready for collection
- If the status stalls for more than two weeks, call ICP on 600-522-222 or check with your PRO — a stuck application is usually a photo-quality or document mismatch issue
Collecting the card
Cards are delivered through Emirates Post. The SMS tells you which post office holds your card; bring your passport (or the old ID for renewals) to collect. In many cases you can instead choose courier delivery to your address for a small fee during the application. Unclaimed cards are returned to ICP after about 90 days, so don't ignore the pickup SMS.
What you'll use it for daily
The Emirates ID is the key that opens nearly everything:
- Banking — account opening, and most branches ask for the physical card for any counter transaction
- Telecom — SIM registration and ownership (du / e&) is tied to your ID
- Healthcare — DHA (Dubai) and SEHA/DoH (Abu Dhabi) systems, plus insurance claims, all index on your ID number
- Airport smart gates — registered residents can skip passport control queues at DXB/AUH using the ID or biometrics
- Housing and utilities — Ejari tenancy registration, DEWA/SEWA hookups
- UAE Pass — the national digital identity (see below)
Renewal
- The Emirates ID renews together with your residence visa — same window, usually filed as one package by your employer or sponsor.
- After the card expires you have a 30-day grace period to renew without penalty.
- Past the grace period the late fine is AED 20 per day, capped at AED 1,000 — and unpaid fines block any new ICP application until cleared.
- Renewal can be filed through the UAEICP app; biometrics are typically reused unless ICP requests a new capture.
If lost or damaged
- Report the loss at an ICP Customer Happiness Centre or start the "Replace ID" service in the UAEICP app (reason: lost / stolen / damaged; attach passport copy)
- Pay AED 300 replacement + the usual AED 40–70 application fee (Fawri +AED 150 if you need it fast)
- A replacement typically takes 2–5 working days
If the card was stolen, get a police report first — you may need it for banks and telecom providers anyway.
After renewing your passport
Your Emirates ID stores your passport number. After a passport renewal, update the record through the UAEICP app or a typing centre ("amend ID data") — otherwise you can hit mismatch errors at immigration smart gates, banks, and visa renewals. Do it before your next trip, not after the gate rejects you.
Digital Emirates ID
The UAEICP app can display a digital version of your Emirates ID with a scannable QR code. It is accepted by many government counters and some private services in place of the physical card — useful in the gap between biometrics and card delivery, or if the card is lost. Keep the physical card for banks and telecom shops, which still commonly insist on plastic.
UAE Pass — link it immediately
Once your Emirates ID is issued, register for UAE Pass (the national digital identity app). It's the single sign-on for government and many private services — DEWA, RTA, banking, telecoms — and lets you sign documents digitally. Verification is done by scanning your Emirates ID card and a selfie, or at a kiosk. Set it up early; you'll use it constantly.
Common gotchas
1. The fine clock runs even if the delay isn't your fault
The AED 20/day fine is assessed against the card dates, and disputes are hard to win. If your employer's PRO is slow with the renewal package, chase them — the fine lands on your record, not theirs.
2. "Card printed" is not "card arrived"
Between printing and the Emirates Post pickup SMS there can be a week. If you urgently need proof of ID in that window, use the digital ID in the UAEICP app rather than waiting for plastic.
3. Photo rejections silently stall applications
A common reason applications sit in limbo is a photo that fails ICP's automated checks (shadows, glasses, low resolution). If your status hasn't moved in 10+ working days, ask the typing centre to check for a photo-rejection flag.
4. Old card stays valid until the new one is activated
During renewal, keep carrying the old card. Cutting it up early leaves you with no accepted physical ID for banks, and some services can't use the digital version yet.
5. Your mobile number must be current
Every status update, collection notice, and UAE Pass verification goes to the number on file with ICP. If you changed SIMs since your last application, update the number first — missed collection SMS is the top reason cards get returned to ICP.