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An establishment card in Dubai is the GDRFA immigration file of a company, and you need it before the company can sponsor a single residence visa. GDRFA lists an issuance fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT, with AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham and an AED 50 service fee on top, and states 48 hours to issue it.
Who needs one
Any Dubai company that will put people on its own visa: owners on partner residence, employees, and a company representative who holds a GDRFA representative's card. The GDRFA service is named "Establishment Card for Institutions in the Private Sector/ Free Zone", so it covers mainland and free zone companies. If the company will sponsor anyone, apply as soon as the licence is issued, because every visa waits for it.
The card is often called the immigration card or company immigration card. They all mean the same GDRFA record.
Two different cards: GDRFA and MOHRE
Mainland companies with staff end up with two "establishment cards".
| GDRFA establishment card | MOHRE establishment card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it opens | Immigration file | Labour file |
| What it allows | Entry permits and residence visas | Work permits and labour contracts |
| Where you apply | GDRFA app or website, Amer center | MOHRE app or website, Tasheel center |
| Main fee | AED 200 plus 5% VAT | Ta'qeem fee AED 406 |
| Stated time | 48 hours | 2 working days |
Guides report that the MOHRE side asks for a copy of the GDRFA card, which is why most companies open the GDRFA card first and the MOHRE file second; MOHRE's own page does not spell this out, so confirm when you file. The labour side has its own page: company labour file in Dubai.
GDRFA fees, line by line
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Issuance | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Service fee | AED 50 |
| Urgent service (optional) | AED 100 |
| Submission through an Amer center | AED 100 more |
Source: GDRFA establishment card service page, checked .
The same GDRFA page also says "the issuance or renewal fee is AED100 per year". That line does not match the AED 200 line above it, and GDRFA does not explain the difference. We publish both because both are on the page. Look at the amount the system shows before you pay, and keep the receipt.
Documents
For a private sector or free zone company:
- A copy of the appendix that lists the partners' names.
- Passport copies of every authorised signatory.
- A notarised authorisation when a manager applies instead of an owner.
For a national company in the SME programme, GDRFA asks for the sponsor's passport, the trade licence and a Small Projects Support Program letter if the company is supported. The fee is the same AED 200 plus VAT.
Have the licence details match the appendix exactly. A signatory who is missing from the appendix, or spelled differently from the passport, is the classic reason a file comes back.
Where to apply
GDRFA lists three channels:
- Online: the GDRFA website or smart app, logging in with UAE Pass or a username. No queue, and no Amer submission charge.
- GDRFA customer happiness centers: 9 of them in Dubai on GDRFA's list.
- Amer centers: 85 on the GDRFA list, useful when you want someone to check the papers in front of you. Find one on Amer centers near you.
Typing centers outside the Amer network cannot submit GDRFA files, though they can still type supporting letters.
After the card is issued
The company can now apply for entry permits, status changes and residence visas. The next jobs are usually the MOHRE labour file, then the first work permits. Our employee visa cost page lists every government item per hire so you can budget before you start.
Check the card's validity yourself on the GDRFA status inquiry, which has an establishment inquiry tab. GDRFA's page does not state a validity period. Market sources say the card normally runs one year and is renewed every year, so put the date in your calendar now. Renewal has its own page: establishment card renewal.
If you later change partners, managers or the trade name, the GDRFA card has to be updated too. One Dubai PRO firm quotes about AED 170 plus VAT at GDRFA for an amendment or replacement. That is a market figure, not one we found on a GDRFA page.
Cancelling the card
When a company closes, the card is cancelled near the end, not the start. GDRFA's conditions:
- No sponsored persons may still be on the card, so every employee and owner visa is cancelled first. See visa cancellation in Dubai.
- Documents: the trade licence and a letter from the sponsor asking for the cancellation.
- GDRFA lists no base cancellation fee, only collection commissions: AED 20 per transaction (Commercial Bank of Dubai), AED 50 for companies through Emaratec, and AED 100 through an Amer center.
What goes wrong
- Applying before the licence is final. The card follows the licence. Wait for the issued copy.
- Manager files without notarised authority. GDRFA asks for it, and an ordinary signed letter is not the same thing.
- Treating the card as a one-time job. It must stay valid while you sponsor staff, and renewal dates slip easily in a busy year.
- Assuming GDRFA's card covers MOHRE. It does not. Without the labour file, you cannot issue a work permit.
Doing it yourself or handing it over
An owner with UAE Pass, a clean partners appendix and an hour can file this online. If the signatory is abroad, a manager is applying, or you also need the MOHRE file and the first visas in the same week, that is when people pass it on. Published price lists of Dubai PRO firms show about AED 150 to AED 500 for a simple transaction like this, on top of government fees, checked . For a full picture of what else your company will need, see company services in Dubai.
Applying for the establishment card through the team
Send the trade licence, the partners appendix and the signatories' passports. The partner team checks that names match across all three, because a mismatch between the licence and the appendix is the usual reason a new card comes back. If a manager applies instead of the owner, they prepare the notarised authorisation. They file with GDRFA and follow the card to issue, then open the MOHRE labour file with the card copy so the first work permits are not held up. Nobody from the company has to visit an Amer center. One total price comes before filing, with GDRFA fees and the service charge set out separately.
