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To download your Emirates ID, sign in to ICP's UAEICP app with UAE PASS and open the Emirates ID section, where the digital card can be viewed and saved. The second route is the UAE PASS app itself: its digital vault lets you request digital versions of official documents. Either way you need a valid card and a verified UAE PASS account. We found no fee for the digital copy.
DubaiTypingCenters.com does not issue Emirates IDs and offers no Emirates ID service. This guide explains the two official apps and what to do when they will not show your card.
Two ways to get the digital card
| Route | Run by | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| UAEICP app | ICP | Your digital Emirates ID, a PDF to save, and an option to add it to a phone wallet according to Gulf News guides |
| UAE PASS app, documents vault | UAE PASS (national digital identity) | A digital version of the Emirates ID stored with your other official documents |
Sources: u.ae Emirates ID page and UAE PASS app page, ICP UAE PASS page, checked . Step names in the apps come from Gulf News guides and change with app updates.
ICP's UAE PASS page describes UAE PASS as the national digital identity for citizens, residents and visitors, and lists storing and sharing digital documents among its uses.
Before you start: a verified UAE PASS
Both routes sign you in with UAE PASS, so set it up first:
- Install UAE PASS from the Apple or Google store.
- Scan your Emirates ID when asked. ICP says you can also register at a service outlet with your card.
- Verify your email and phone with a one-time code.
- Complete face verification and set a PIN.
An account that skipped face verification may let you log in to some services but not pull official documents. If the vault refuses your request, finish verification first.
Route 1: the UAEICP app
The UAEICP app is ICP's own app, also used to renew the card. After you sign in with UAE PASS:
- Open the Emirates ID section from the home screen.
- Tap your name to see the digital card.
- Save the PDF so you have it without a connection.
Gulf News reports that sponsors can see the cards of family members under their sponsorship in the same app, and that iPhone users can add the card to Apple Wallet with a QR code that ICP's website can verify.
Route 2: the UAE PASS documents vault
Inside UAE PASS, go to the documents area and request the Emirates ID. u.ae describes the vault as a place to request digital versions of official documents and use them for services. Once added, the card sits next to other documents you pull in, such as a driving licence.
When the download fails
Most failures come back to the card itself, not the app:
- The card has expired. A resident's Emirates ID expires with the residence visa. Renew the visa and card first: see Emirates ID renewal.
- The visa was cancelled. The card is cancelled automatically with it.
- Your details changed. A new passport or other change must be reported to ICP within 30 days. Unreported changes cost AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000, and a mismatch can block the digital copy.
- A new card is still being made. The digital copy shows once ICP issues the card. Track it on ICP with the 010 number, as our Emirates ID status guide explains.
- You lost the physical card. Report it within 7 days and apply for a replacement; see lost Emirates ID.
Where the digital copy is enough
Government services that work with UAE PASS read the digital card directly, which is the point of it. Some private counters may still ask to see or scan the physical card, so keep it with you for anything official. A first-time resident does not have a digital card until ICP issues the first one, covered in our Emirates ID application guide.
Downloading a copy for an application
Typing centers and employers often ask for "a copy of your Emirates ID". A saved PDF from the UAEICP app is the cleanest version to send: it is sharp, complete and current. If they need both sides of the physical card instead, a flat scan works. For what a new, renewed or replacement card costs, see Emirates ID cost.
