How to Get an Emirates ID in the UAE?

How to Get an Emirates ID in the UAE?

If you're moving here, starting a job, or trying to open a bank account, the Emirates ID is the document that runs your life in this country. 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 file the emirates id application 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. The cost of Emirates ID is AED 100 per year of validity plus AED 70 service charges at a typing centre (or AED 40 online), with AED 30 for biometrics. Residents must carry it. 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 — Golden Visa included.

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 people 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

Three routes for the emirates id application: the ICP smart app, the ICP website (icp.gov.ae), or an accredited typing centre. Typing centres are the path of least resistance if you're not comfortable with Arabic interfaces or your paperwork is messy.

You'll need:

• Original passport with valid residency entry stamp (or e-visa)
• Passport-sized emirates id photo (white background, recent, no glasses, no head covering unless religious)
• Existing Emirates ID if renewing or applying for an emirates id replacement
• Proof of medical fitness clearance (for first-time applicants 18+)

On the emirates id photo — the ICP is strict. Non-compliant photos get bounced and you'll redo the whole submission. Most typing centres take the shot on-site for AED 25–30, which honestly saves time.

Once 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 for emirates id dubai residents at Al Barsha, Al Jazeera and Karama centres 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 select Dubai emirates id centres — Al Barsha and Al Jazeera — delivers within 24 hours for an extra fee. Useful when your bank or employer is breathing down your neck.

Costs (2024 published rates): Emirates ID price is 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]

Lost Emirates ID or Emirates ID missing: what to do

If your Emirates ID is missing, you have 7 days to report it. Miss that window and the fine is AED 20 per day, capped at AED 1,000.^[3]

The replacement process for a lost emirates id is straightforward but unforgiving on timelines:

1. Log in to the ICP app or icp.gov.ae and select "Replace Lost/Damaged ID Card."
2. Pay AED 300 plus the standard service fees (AED 70 typing centre or AED 40 online).
3. Re-do biometrics if the system flags it — usually required for adults.
4. Collect the new card from Emirates Post in roughly 2–3 working days, or pay for Fawri to get it next-day.

Don't bother filing a police report unless your wallet was stolen and you need it for an insurance claim. ICP doesn't require one for a routine lost emirates id replacement. What they do require is that the cancellation is logged through their system — otherwise, if someone misuses the card, you're the one explaining yourself.

If the card is just damaged rather than missing, the fee structure is the same but biometrics may be skipped.

Your Emirates ID number explained

Your emirates id number — the 15-digit code on the front of the card, formatted 784-YYYY-XXXXXXX-X — is your permanent UAE identifier. Sometimes called the emirates id no on forms, the 784 prefix is the country code. The next four digits are your year of birth. The rest is a unique sequence plus a check digit.

Here's the part most people don't realise: even if you leave the UAE and come back years later on a new visa, you keep the same emirates id number. It follows you for life. The card changes, the number doesn't. A New Emirates ID card issued after renewal or replacement will carry the same 15 digits as the old one.

You'll need that number for MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) labour contracts, the Wages Protection System (WPS), DHA and SEHA health files, Ejari tenancy registration through the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), SIM registration with du or Etisalat, and every UAE Pass login. Memorise it, or at least keep a photo on your phone.

Where to check your Emirates ID status or find your number

Lost the card but need the emirates id number urgently? A few options:

• Log into the ICP app with your passport details — the number appears in your profile.
• Check any old MOHRE contract, tenancy contract, or SIM registration — the number is usually printed on it.
• UAE Pass shows it on your digital ID once verified.
• Your employer's PRO will have it on your labour file.

To track a pending application, use the "Application Status" tool on icp.gov.ae with your reference number. It updates in real time — from typing centre submission to biometrics to printing to Emirates Post dispatch.

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
• Open bank accounts and apply for credit
• Access DHA, SEHA, and MOH health services
• Clear immigration at UAE airports via the smart gates
• Sign documents digitally through UAE Pass

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

Renewals and fines

Renew within 30 days of expiry. Miss that window and the same AED 20/day fine kicks in, capped at AED 1,000.^[3] 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.

Sources

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