How to Get Your Emirates ID in the UAE?

United Arab Emirates ID: What It Is and How to Get One

If you're moving to the UAE or just landed your residency visa, the United Arab Emirates ID — usually called the Emirates ID — is the single document you'll use more than your passport. Honestly, most clients underestimate how central it is until they try to open a bank account without one.

Quick answer

The United Arab Emirates ID is the mandatory national identity card issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Every citizen and resident must hold one under Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2021. You apply through the ICP website or an authorised typing centre, give biometrics at an ICP service centre, and receive the card in 5 to 10 working days. Standard fees run AED 100 per year of validity, plus AED 70 service and typing charges. Carry it. Always.

What the United Arab Emirates ID actually does

The card carries a 15-digit ID number that's tied to your residency file, your health records, your SIM card, your Salik account, and your bank KYC. You'll need it to sign a tenancy contract, register a vehicle, sit a driving test, get a hospital appointment, or collect a parcel from Emirates Post.

It's not optional. Article 32 of Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2021 makes carrying and presenting the ID compulsory, and fines for not registering or renewing on time start at AED 20 per day, capped at AED 1,000.^[1]

For citizens the card is valid for 5 or 10 years. For residents it's tied to your residency visa — usually 2, 3, 5, or 10 years depending on your visa type.

How to apply

Two routes. Pick one.

Online via ICP. Go to icp.gov.ae, log in with UAE Pass, and submit the application under "Issue ID Card." Upload your passport and visa page, pay the fee, then book a biometrics slot. New residents must do biometrics in person — fingerprints and a photo. Renewals for adults over 15 can sometimes skip the visit if your biometrics are already on file.^[2]

Through a typing centre or Amer/Tas'heel office. Hand them your passport and entry permit, they file the application for you. Costs more (AED 30-50 service fee on top), saves you the form-filling headache.

Fees, as published by ICP in 2024:

• AED 100 per year of card validity
• AED 70 application and service fees
• AED 150 urgent (Fawri) service if you need it in 24 hours at a Fawri centre

So a 2-year resident card costs around AED 270 standard, or roughly AED 370 urgent.

Timing and what trips people up

Plan for 5 to 10 working days from biometrics to card delivery by Emirates Post. The Fawri service at select centres (Al Barsha in Dubai, Al Mamzar in Sharjah, a few others) hands you the card the same day or next day for an extra fee.

The bit clients get wrong: your Emirates ID application is bundled with your residency visa stamping. If you're a new resident, the ID application is filed automatically when your visa is issued — you don't apply separately. You just need to show up for biometrics within the window stated in your application SMS.

Renew within 30 days of expiry. Late renewal triggers the AED 20/day fine, and an expired ID will block bank transactions, Salik top-ups, and even some hospital admissions. Frankly, set a calendar reminder the day you receive the card.

If you lose it

Report the loss through the ICP app or at a service centre. Replacement costs AED 300 plus the AED 70 service fee, and you'll get a temporary certificate while the new card is printed. Don't ignore it — driving without your ID is a separate AED 300 traffic fine under the Federal Traffic Law.^[3]

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Citations

^[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2021 on the National Identity Card and Population Register, Articles 28-32. Available via the UAE Legislation portal, u.ae.

^[2] Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, "ID Card Services," icp.gov.ae (accessed 2024).

^[3] Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 1995 on Traffic (as amended) and the consolidated traffic fines schedule published by the Ministry of Interior, moi.gov.ae.