Guide
UAE visa and Emirates ID fees: who sets them and where to check
Updated
The fee your PRO charges for a visa is not the fee the government charges for it. Knowing which is which is most of what protects you in this market.
Who issues what
Emirates ID cards are issued, renewed and cancelled by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, usually shortened to ICP. Applications go through the ICP website or an accredited typing centre, and biometrics are captured at an ICP service centre. The UAE Government portal directs applicants to the ICP website for the application process, the documents required and the fees to be paid (u.ae).
Residence visas are processed by the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs for Dubai visa holders and by ICP for the other emirates. Free zone companies run employee files through their own free zone authority as well.
The deadlines that cost money
- Emirates ID renewal
- Can be done as early as six months before expiry. Renewed more than one month after expiry, a late fee of AED 20 per day applies, up to a maximum of AED 1,000.
- Lost or stolen card
- Report the loss to ICP within seven days of the date of loss.
- Change of personal details
- The card holder must report any change to ICP within one month of the change.
- Cancellation
- Emirates ID cancellation is linked to residence visa cancellation and happens automatically as part of it. The sponsor, whether employer or family sponsor, submits the cancellation request.
All four come from the UAE Government's own guidance. They matter for pricing because most of what a good PRO sells is not paperwork, it is not missing these dates.
Why no fee table appears here
Government fees for visas and Emirates ID vary by card validity, visa duration, employee category, emirate, free zone and whether an urgent service is used. The authorities publish them on their own service pages, and they are updated without notice. Quoting a single figure here would be wrong for most readers within months, so we do not. Check the current fee on the ICP service card for the exact service you need, then ask your provider to show you the government receipt.
The urgent service
ICP provides an urgent service issuing an Emirates ID within 24 hours. For UAE nationals and GCC nationals residing in the UAE it covers first-time registration, renewal of expired cards and lost or damaged cards. Expatriate residents other than GCC nationals are entitled to the urgent service only for card replacement. If a provider offers you a 24-hour turnaround on a first issue for an expatriate resident, ask them to explain how.
Everything on this page is drawn from the UAE Government portal at u.ae. Confirm the current position on the ICP service pages before relying on a deadline.