How to find your UAE unified number (UID) and where you are asked for it, from the official sources: GDRFA Dubai's Unified Number Inquiry Service (passport number, nationality, date of birth and gender), ICP's File Validity search, how the UID is kept apart from the Emirates ID and file numbers, and when employers are asked for it.
The unified number (UID) is the number GDRFA Dubai's "Find my Unified Number" service lets you retrieve "for smooth handling of administrative and legal procedures", and ICP's work permit forms ask for it when an employee has visited the country before. The official pages we read do not define it further. This guide is built from GDRFA Dubai's Unified Number Inquiry Service, ICP's smart-services portal (its File Validity guest service and the text of its application forms), ICP's service card for issuing an establishment card and GDRFA Dubai's service cards, read on 25 October 2026.
How to find your UID number
Quick answer: use GDRFA Dubai's Unified Number Inquiry Service, which GDRFA describes as a "Service that allows customer to find their UID". It searches by passport details:
| Field on GDRFA's form | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| Passport Number | "Enter the passport number" |
| Nationality | Choose a country from the list |
| Date of Birth | Day, month and year |
| Gender | Male or Female |
| Security check | Then Submit |
The page lists no fee, and it does not say whether it covers people whose files were issued outside Dubai. GDRFA's homepage lists the same service as "Find my Unified Number".
ICP's File Validity. ICP's File Validity guest service searches by File No. or Passport Information. Under the File No. search, Unified Number is one of the file types you can search by, and the results template can show a Unified Number field when one is returned (not in every result view). For a visa issued in Dubai, u.ae points to GDRFA Dubai rather than ICP: see our UAE visa status check guide. How the passport search works on ICP is covered in our ICP smart services guide.
The official pages we read do not show where the unified number appears on a visa, entry permit or card (ICP's one line on Emirates ID cards is quoted below), so we don't guess. The services above are the official pages we found that retrieve a unified number or can show one.
UID vs Emirates ID number vs file number
ICP's File Validity keeps them apart:
| What ICP's File Validity shows | |
|---|---|
| UID vs Emirates ID number | Unified Number is its own search option, and the results template keeps the unified number and the Emirates ID number in separate fields. ICP's service card for issuing an establishment card also accepts a unified number "for visitors who have not yet been issued an Emirates ID". |
| UID vs file number | Unified Number and File No. are separate search options. |
Error texts among the portal's strings also mention "Identity number or person unified number is wrong" and a "Mismatch unified Number Or File Number Between Requests". ICP's English overview says it issues "Emirates ID cards bearing a unified number, readable data and data stored on an electronic chip", without saying which number on the card that is. On File Validity, the unified-number field accepts numbers only, up to 12 digits; the official pages we read do not state a fixed length. For the Emirates ID number and its status, see our Emirates ID guide.
Where you are asked for your UID
- Establishment card (ICP): "A valid Emirates ID card or a Unified Number (for visitors who have not yet been issued an Emirates ID) must be provided for one of the authorized signatories, as the establishment card issuance process cannot begin without it."
- Lifting a ban on a file (GDRFA Dubai): the service card lists "Sponsored person's unified number or Emirates identity card" as its first requirement.
- Fines (GDRFA Dubai): the Fines Inquiry Service searches by File Number, UDB Number, Emirates ID or Passport Number; on GDRFA's Arabic page the UDB Number option is labelled الرقم الموحد, the unified number.
- Checking for cases (Abu Dhabi Judicial Department): u.ae says Estafser takes the unified number: see our travel ban check guide.
- Some ICP application forms: "Please enter the unified number in case the applicant has previously visited UAE".
For employers: hiring someone who has visited the UAE before
ICP's portal text for work permit applications says: "If the employee has a unified number as a result of having visited the country before, please enter the following information to retrieve data from the system." It adds a warning: "if you enter incorrect identification data 3 times in a row, your account will be suspended as a result of possible incorrect use of the service until its activation is confirmed again by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security." Its work package text says: "If the user has entered UAE before and has Unified Number, please fill it here to ease the processing phase."
So ask a new hire who has visited the UAE before for their unified number before the application, or retrieve it with the services above. For a new establishment card, at least one authorised signatory needs an Emirates ID or, for a visitor, a unified number. See what our visa services cover.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a UID number in the UAE? A: The official pages we read do not define it. GDRFA Dubai's service lets you retrieve your unified number "for smooth handling of administrative and legal procedures", and ICP's work permit text asks for the unified number of an employee who has visited the country before.
Q: How do I find my UID number? A: Use GDRFA Dubai's Unified Number Inquiry Service: enter your passport number, nationality, date of birth and gender, complete the security check and submit. ICP's File Validity also accepts a unified number as a search option and can show one in some result views.
Q: Can I find my UID number with my passport number? A: Yes, with more details: GDRFA's form asks for the passport number together with nationality, date of birth and gender, plus a security check.
Q: Is the UID number the same as the Emirates ID number? A: ICP's File Validity treats them separately: the unified number is its own search option, and the results template keeps the unified number and the Emirates ID number in separate fields. ICP's service card for issuing an establishment card accepts a unified number for visitors "who have not yet been issued an Emirates ID".
Q: Is the UID number the same as the visa file number? A: ICP's File Validity treats them as separate search options: Unified Number and File No.
Q: What is a UDB number? A: On GDRFA Dubai's Fines Inquiry Service, the English "UDB Number" search option is labelled الرقم الموحد (the unified number) on the Arabic page.
Q: How many digits is a UID number? A: The official pages we read do not state a fixed length. ICP's File Validity form accepts a unified number of up to 12 digits, numbers only.
Q: Why does an employer need my UID? A: ICP's work permit text asks for the unified number of an employee who has visited the UAE before, to retrieve their data from the system, and ICP's service card for issuing an establishment card needs an Emirates ID or a unified number for one of the company's authorised signatories.
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