How to Apply for and Renew a UAE Passport?

Passport of UAE: How to Apply, Renew, and Use It

If you're a UAE national wondering how to get a passport, renew an expired one, or use it for visa-free travel, this is the short version. The passport of UAE process runs through ICP (the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) and, for Dubai residents, the GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs).

Quick answer

The passport of UAE is issued only to UAE citizens. You apply through the ICP app, ICP website, or in person at an ICP service centre (or GDRFA in Dubai). Standard adult passports cost AED 300 and are valid for 5 years; child passports cost AED 150. Processing usually takes 2–5 working days once biometrics are done. The UAE passport currently ranks among the world's strongest, giving visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 180+ destinations.^[1][2]

Who can hold a passport of UAE

Only UAE nationals. Citizenship is governed by Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 on Nationality and Passports, as amended. You qualify if you hold a Family Book (Khulasat Al Qaid) confirming UAE citizenship by descent, or if citizenship has been granted under the 2021 amendments allowing naturalisation for investors, doctors, scientists, and certain specialised professionals nominated by the Rulers' Courts or Cabinet.^[3]

Long-term residents — even Golden Visa holders — don't get one. Frankly, this is the part most expats get wrong: a 10-year residency visa is not a path to UAE citizenship.

How to apply or renew

You have three realistic options:

1. ICP smart app or icp.gov.ae — the fastest route for renewals. Log in with UAE Pass, upload a recent photo meeting ICP specs (white background, no glasses), pay, and book biometrics if required.
2. ICP service centre or typing centre — for first-time issuance, lost passports, or children under 15. Bring the Emirates ID, Family Book, and the existing passport (or a police report if lost).
3. GDRFA Dubai (Amer) — Dubai-resident nationals can use GDRFA channels instead. Same fees, same documents.

Fees as published by ICP in 2024: AED 300 for adult issuance/renewal, AED 150 for under-21s, AED 50 urgent fee where offered, plus AED 50 knowledge and innovation fees.^[1] Add courier charges if you want it delivered.

Watch out: A lost passport of UAE requires a police report before ICP will issue a replacement, and the new passport number will change — update it with your bank, airlines, and any embassy holding a visa.

Processing is typically 2–5 working days. In practice, app renewals often arrive faster than that. First-time issuance for a newborn takes longer because you need the birth certificate attested and the Family Book updated first.

Validity, travel power, and common issues

Adult passports are valid for 5 years, not 10. Children's passports are also 5 years. Most countries require 6 months' validity from your date of entry, so renew early — don't wait until the month it expires.

On travel power: the passport of UAE consistently sits in the top 10 globally on the Henley and Arton indexes, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 180+ countries as of 2024, including the Schengen Area (90 days in any 180), the UK (6 months), Japan, South Korea, and most of Latin America.^[2] The US still requires a B1/B2 visa — no ESTA equivalent yet.

A few practical points clients ask about constantly:

• Dual nationality: The 2021 amendments to the Nationality Law permit Emiratis to hold a second nationality in limited cases with Cabinet approval, but most Emiratis remain single-nationality. Acquiring a foreign passport without approval can trigger loss of UAE citizenship under Article 16 of the Nationality Law.^[3]
• Travel ban check: Before flying, check for any travel ban on the MoI or ICP app. A pending civil case, unpaid bank debt, or family court order can stop you at immigration even with a valid passport.
• Damaged passport: Water damage, torn pages, or a detached cover means you'll be refused boarding. Replace it before travelling — same AED 300 fee.

What about residents and the "UAE passport" search confusion

A lot of people search "passport of UAE" hoping to find out how to get one as an expat. You can't. What you can do as a resident is hold a UAE residence visa stamped or linked digitally to your home-country passport, plus an Emirates ID. For long-term options, look at the Golden Visa (10 years) or Green Visa (5 years) — both administered by ICP and GDRFA.

For citizenship-by-investment style questions, the UAE doesn't run a CBI programme in the Caribbean sense. The 2021 naturalisation pathway is nomination-based, not application-based. You don't apply; you get nominated.

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Citations

^[1] Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), "Passport Services — Fees and Requirements," icp.gov.ae (accessed 2024). ^[2] Henley Passport Index 2024, henleyglobal.com; Arton Capital Passport Index 2024. ^[3] Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 concerning Nationality and Passports, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017 and the 2021 Cabinet amendments on naturalisation.