Quick Answer
GDRFA — General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs — is the Dubai immigration authority responsible for residency visas, entry permits, Emirates ID issuance, and border control for the emirate.
GDRFA Dubai handles every step of the residency lifecycle for anyone living, working, or visiting through Dubai's borders: tourist visas, entry permits, residency-visa stamping, visa cancellation, family-sponsor permissions, and Emirates ID issuance for residents.
GDRFA's public-facing service-centre network is Amer. Most transactions go through an Amer typing centre that submits to GDRFA on your behalf. Some procedures (medical fitness, biometrics) require separate visits to ICP-affiliated centres.
Each emirate has its own residency authority — GDRFA Dubai, GDRFA Abu Dhabi, etc. — and the federal ICP coordinates standards across them. For most Dubai-based residency questions, GDRFA Dubai is the relevant authority.
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