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If you lose your Emirates ID, report it within 7 days and apply to ICP for a replacement card. The fee is AED 300 plus a AED 100 smart service fee, and ICP lists 5 days to issue it. You need an ICAO standard photo, your passport and proof of residence. An urgent card costs AED 150 more at a service center.
DubaiTypingCenters.com does not replace or issue Emirates ID cards and offers no Emirates ID service. Below is what ICP and u.ae publish, laid out so you can do it yourself.
Replacement fees
| Case | ICP fee | Smart service fee |
|---|---|---|
| Lost card | AED 300 | AED 100 |
| Damaged card | AED 300 | AED 100 |
| Urgent card (service centers only) | AED 150 extra | |
| New card after a data update | AED 150 |
Source: ICP service page for lost and damaged Emirates ID replacement, checked .
A typing center charges its own fee to fill in the form. Ask for that figure first. It is separate from the ICP fees above.
What to do first
Report it within 7 days. The u.ae guidance gives 7 days from the loss. In practice you report it to ICP by applying for the replacement, on the ICP app or website with UAE Pass or at an ICP customer happiness center, which records the old card as lost. If you think the card was stolen, ask ICP whether it also wants a police report. Do not wait until you need the card for a bank or a tenancy contract.
Check your visa date. Look at the expiry of your residence permit. The card runs on the visa:
- If the visa has many months left, a replacement is the right route.
- If the visa is close to expiry, residents can renew the card in its final six months. In that case a renewal with the residence visa may make more sense than paying for a replacement that expires soon after. Ask ICP which applies to you before you pay.
- If the visa has been cancelled, the card was cancelled with it. There is nothing to replace. A new card comes with your next residence permit, for example a new employment visa or family visa. Our Emirates ID application guide explains how a first card is filed with a residence permit.
Documents for the replacement
ICP lists three things:
- A personal photo that meets ICAO standards (white background, face fully visible).
- Your passport.
- Proof of residence.
Keep a scan of the passport page with your residence details on your phone. If you have the old card number or a photo of the card, it helps the typist find your file faster.
Where to apply
- ICP smart services online. You fill in the replacement request, upload the photo and pay the fees yourself.
- A typing center. The typist fills in the form, uploads the photo and takes payment. Most typing centers in Dubai still handle Emirates ID forms. See what typing centers do.
- An ICP customer happiness center. Needed if you want the urgent card, which is collected at the center.
Amer centers work on GDRFA residence files. They are the place for visa jobs, not for a stand-alone card replacement.
After you apply
ICP lists 5 days to complete the replacement. Note the application number on your receipt or confirmation message: ICP numbers start with 010. You use it on ICP's application tracking page, which our Emirates ID status guide walks through.
If ICP asks for biometrics, you go to an ICP center for fingerprints and signature. This applies to holders aged 15 and over and only when ICP requests it.
Lost card abroad
Losing the card on a trip does not cancel your residence. The permit is a separate record with GDRFA or ICP, and you can check it any time with the tools in our visa status check guide. What does cancel it is time away: a residence visa is nullified automatically when the holder stays outside the UAE for more than 180 days in a row, with some exceptions. Ask ICP how to report the loss from abroad before you travel back.
Mistakes that cost money
- Paying the urgent fee when you do not need it. The standard 5 day card is enough for most people.
- Using an old photo. A photo that does not meet ICAO rules gets the application returned.
- Replacing a card that is about to expire. Check the visa date first, as above, and read our Emirates ID renewal guide to compare the fees.
- Forgetting other changes. If your passport changed too, report the new details. ICP can fine AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000, when a data change is not reported within 30 days.
