How to Get an Emirates ID in the UAE?

Emirates ID: What It Is, How to Get One, and What It Costs

If you're moving to the UAE, applying for a job, or even trying to open a bank account, the Emirates ID is the document that runs your life here. It's issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and tied to your residency visa. Lose it, and half your week disappears in queues.

Quick answer

Every UAE resident and citizen needs an Emirates ID. You apply through the ICP website or an authorised typing centre, submit biometrics at an ICP service point, and receive the card within 5 to 10 working days for standard processing. Fees run AED 100 per year of validity plus AED 70 service charges (typing centre) or AED 40 (online), and biometrics cost AED 30. Residents must carry it, and you'll need it for almost every government and banking transaction.^[1][2]

Who needs an Emirates ID and when

Federal Law No. 9 of 2006 (as amended) requires every UAE citizen and resident to hold a valid Emirates ID. That includes newborns of residents, GCC nationals living here, and anyone on a long-term visa, including the Golden Visa.

Tourists don't need one. Everyone else does.

You apply when you first get your residency visa stamped, and you renew it whenever your residency renews — usually every 2 years for standard employment visas, 5 or 10 years for Golden Visa holders. The card's expiry typically matches your visa expiry, so don't assume the dates are independent. Frankly, most clients I see get caught out because they treat the ID and the visa as two separate clocks. They're not.

If your visa is cancelled, your Emirates ID is cancelled with it. You can't keep one without the other.

How to apply (step by step)

There are three routes: the ICP smart app, the ICP website (icp.gov.ae), or an accredited typing centre. The typing centres are the path of least resistance if you're not comfortable with Arabic interfaces or you've got messy paperwork.

You'll need:

• Original passport with valid residency entry stamp (or e-visa)
• Passport-sized photo (white background)
• Existing Emirates ID if renewing
• Proof of medical fitness clearance (for first-time applicants 18+)

Once the application is filed, you'll get an SMS asking you to attend an ICP service centre for biometrics — fingerprints, signature, photo. Children under 15 are usually exempt from fingerprints. Biometric appointments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are available same-week if you book early.^[1]

After biometrics, the card prints and ships to an Emirates Post outlet near you. Standard turnaround is 5–10 working days. Urgent "Fawri" service at Al Barsha or Al Jazeera centres delivers within 24 hours for an extra fee — useful when your bank or employer is breathing down your neck.

Costs (2024 published rates): AED 100 per year of validity for residents, AED 30 biometric fee, AED 70 typing centre service charge or AED 40 online, plus AED 150 for Fawri express service. Citizens pay AED 100 for 5 years or AED 200 for 10 years.^[2]

Renewals, replacements, and fines

Renew within 30 days of expiry. Miss that window and you'll be fined AED 20 per day, capped at AED 1,000.^[3] The same fine applies if you fail to report a lost or damaged card within 7 days.

For a lost card, you submit a replacement application through the ICP app, pay AED 300 plus the standard service fees, and collect a new one in roughly 2–3 working days. You'll still need to do biometrics again if the system flags it.

Honestly? Set a calendar reminder 60 days before expiry. The renewal is straightforward when your visa is still valid; it becomes a nightmare if you let the visa lapse first.

What the Emirates ID actually does

Beyond proving identity, the card carries a chip that stores your biometric data and links to government services through UAE Pass. You'll use it to:

• Sign tenancy contracts and register Ejari (Dubai's tenancy registration system run by RERA, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency)
• Open bank accounts and apply for credit
• Access DHA, SEHA, and MOH health services
• Clear immigration at UAE airports via the smart gates
• Register a SIM card with du or Etisalat
• Sign documents digitally through UAE Pass

If you're dealing with employment paperwork, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) ties your labour contract to your Emirates ID number. Same for the Wages Protection System (WPS) that processes your salary. The number is, in practice, your permanent UAE identifier — even if you leave and come back years later, you keep the same one.

Lose track of the card, and you're locked out of the country's plumbing. Treat it accordingly.

Sources

^[1] Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security — Emirates ID services: https://icp.gov.ae

^[2] ICP published fees schedule for ID card services (2024): https://icp.gov.ae/en/services/

^[3] Federal Law No. 9 of 2006 concerning the Population Register and Identity Card system, and amendments under Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2017.

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