Emirates ID

Every UAE resident — citizen, expat employee, dependent, or investor — must hold a valid Emirates ID. It is the single most important identity document in the country and is requested in countless contexts: opening a bank account, signing an Ejari tenancy, paying for healthcare, accessing a government service portal.

Emirates IDs are issued by ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security). For residents, the fee is charged per year of residence and the card follows the residence permit. ICP allows renewal once the card has expired, or when less than one year (UAE nationals) or six months (everyone else) remains.

Fees on ICP's service cards: a new card or a renewal costs residents AED 100 per year of residence plus a AED 100 smart-service fee; UAE nationals pay AED 100 (5-year card, under 21) or AED 200 (10-year card, 21 and over), and urgent service at ICP centres adds AED 150 for nationals and GCC citizens; a replacement for a lost or damaged card is AED 300 plus the AED 100 smart-service fee. Renewing late is fined AED 20 per day, capped at AED 1,000; u.ae says the fee applies when the card is renewed more than one month after expiry. ZETUP PRO tracks every Emirates ID in your company and renews before that fine starts.

Official sources: ICP: New Identity Card Issuance (fees) · ICP: Identity Card Renewal (fees, late-renewal fine) · ICP: Replacement for a lost or damaged ID card · u.ae: Emirates ID (renewal and late fee)