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An Emirates ID application for a new resident goes to ICP as part of the unified application for the Emirates ID and residence permit. ICP charges AED 100 for each year of residence plus a AED 100 smart service fee, and lists 5 days once the file is complete. Applicants aged 15 and over give fingerprints at an ICP center. A typing center can fill in the form for you.
DubaiTypingCenters.com is a guide and directory. We do not issue Emirates ID cards and offer no Emirates ID service. What follows is what ICP publishes on its new card page, checked , put in the order you will meet it.
Which application you need
ICP runs separate services for each card situation, and picking the wrong one is the most common reason a form comes back.
| Your situation | ICP service | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| You have never had an Emirates ID number | New identity card issuance | This page |
| Your card is expiring or has expired | Identity card renewal | Emirates ID renewal |
| Your card is lost or damaged | Replacement card | Lost Emirates ID |
| You applied and want to know where it stands | Application tracking | Emirates ID status |
A first card for a new resident
If you moved to Dubai on an employment, family or investor visa, you do not usually file the card as a separate job. ICP's page says the resident card is completed through the unified application for the Emirates ID and the residence permit. The sponsor submits it on behalf of family members, because it is linked to the residence permit.
Two things have to be in place before the card can be finished: the residence approvals and a medical examination with a Fit result. So the real order is entry permit, then medical test, then residence and card together. Our medical test guide covers the Dubai Health fee levels and timings.
In Dubai the residence part is a GDRFA file, handled at an Amer center or on the GDRFA app. When you book the residence, ask the counter whether the Emirates ID application is in the same file or whether you need a typing center to submit it separately. If nobody submitted it, there is no 010 number to track and nothing arrives.
The card length follows the permit. A two year residence means AED 300 in ICP fees for the card, and a three year permit AED 400.
A newborn's first card
A baby born in Dubai to resident parents needs a birth certificate, a passport from the parents' embassy and a residence permit before the card can be issued. The ICP page sets the deadline: for a foreigner whose child is born in the UAE, a fine of AED 20 per day starts four months after the birth, up to AED 1,000. Federal law gives the same four months to get the baby's passport and confirm residence.
Embassy timings vary, so start the passport as soon as the birth certificate is ready. The residence side is explained in our newborn visa guide. Babies do not give fingerprints, since biometrics apply from age 15.
What a new card costs
| Applicant | ICP fee | Smart service fee |
|---|---|---|
| Resident (expat) | AED 100 per year of residence | AED 100 |
| UAE citizen under 21 (5 year card) | AED 100 | Not listed |
| UAE citizen 21 and over (10 year card) | AED 200 | Not listed |
Source: ICP service page "New Identity Card Issuance", checked . ICP also lists an urgent service at AED 150, available only at its service centers, where the card is collected in person.
If a typing center fills in the form, its charge is on top. Published price lists of Dubai typing centers, PRO firms and free zones show an Emirates ID form at about AED 40 to 100, checked . Ask for the ICP fees and the typing charge as two separate figures. Every other card charge, from replacement to late fines, is on our Emirates ID cost page.
Documents and the photo
ICP asks for a personal photo and your passport, plus proof of residence in the UAE. The passport needs at least 3 months of validity. The photo must meet ICAO standards: white background, face fully visible, recent. Typing centers and photo shops print these, and a photo that fails the rules sends the application back to you.
Fingerprints and signature
Applicants aged 15 and over complete fingerprints and signature at an ICP service center. In Dubai, ICP lists centers at Al Rashidiya and Al Barsha. Go on the date you booked. ICP cancels the application if biometrics or requested changes are not done within the set period, and then you start again and pay again.
Where to apply
- ICP smart services or the ICP app, open around the clock with a UAE Pass login, using the link at the top of this page.
- A typing center, which types the form, uploads the photo and takes the payment. Our page on what typing centers do explains which jobs they kept.
- An Amer center, as part of the residence file, if the counter includes the card.
- An ICP customer happiness center, for urgent cards and biometrics.
After you apply
Keep the application number, which starts with 010. You can follow it on ICP's tracking page, as shown in our Emirates ID status check guide. ICP lists 5 days from a complete file. The standard card comes by courier to the phone number on your file, so make sure the number is right on the form.
From then on the card follows your visa. It expires when the residence expires and is cancelled when the visa is cancelled, so your next card will come through a renewal, not a new application.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the Amer file included the card. Ask, and get the 010 number.
- Booking biometrics and missing the slot. A cancelled application means paying the fees twice.
- A passport close to expiry. Under 3 months left, renew the passport first.
- Waiting on the baby's passport. The four month count runs from the birth, not from when the passport arrives.
