Dubai: The Emirates ID is proof of your residency in the UAE, and your gateway to access a host of services, from banking to travel to healthcare and government transactions. So, it’s vital to ensure it’s not expired.
Below, we explain what happens if you don’t renew your Emirates ID on time, how to check its expiry date, and outline ID renewal steps to get you back on track.
Why do I need to renew my Emirates ID?
The Emirates ID is legally required for UAE citizens, GCC nationals and expatriates, so that they can maintain a valid ID at all times.
Your Emirates ID is linked to your residency type, so when your visa is renewed, your Emirates ID must be renewed as well. UAE citizens must renew their Emirates ID every five or 10 years, GCC nationals every five years, and expatriate residents must renew it every one or two years, depending on the duration of their residence visa.
The renewal process for the Emirates ID must ideally be initiated before the card expires. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) requires individuals to apply for renewal within 30 days of the expiry date. You can also apply for renewal up to six months in advance, to ensure continuity of services.
How do I check if my Emirates ID has expired?
If you are unsure when your Emirates ID expires, you can check the validity of your ID and visa through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA) website (if you are based in Dubai), or through the ICP Smart Services website (for all emirates), or via the UAEICP mobile app.
Follow the steps below to check your Emirates ID validity via ICP Smart Services portal:
- Visit smartservices.icp.gov.ae. Log in with your UAE PASS.
- Click on ‘Public Services’ and head to ‘File Validity’.
- Enter your details, including your nationality, date of birth, and Unified ID (UID) number – a 9- to 15-digit immigration identifier that can be found on your visa page and is securely stored in your Emirates ID.
- Select ‘Verify’. You will be able to see when your visa and Emirates ID is set to expire.
What happens if I don’t renew my Emirates ID in time?
Once you cross the expiry date, the authorities grant you a grace period of 30 days within which, you must renew your Emirates ID. After this period, a series of actions occur that affect your daily life and routines in the UAE:
- Fines: The ICP applies a fine of Dh20 per day for every day you do not renew the ID card, up to a maximum of Dh1,000.
- Service interruptions: An expired ID card is invalid, and causes your access to key services to be revoked. This means you cannot use government services, banking, healthcare, telecommunications, utilities, or even travel, until your ID card is renewed. To avoid this disruption of essential services, ensure you begin the renewal process well in advance of the expiry date.
- Legal complications: Failure to renew the Emirates ID can also lead to legal consequences, especially in cases where you are required to show valid identification, such as when interacting with government authorities or law enforcement.
Steps to renew the Emirates ID
In order to renew your Emirates ID, follow these steps:
Step 1: Initiate residence visa renewal
Ensure your residence visa renewal process has been initiated. Read our residence visa renewal guide on how to go about doing so.
Step 2: Apply for ID card renewal
You can renew the Emirates ID online via the ICP portal or the UAEICP smart app, or in-person at an ICP Customer Happiness Centre in all emirates, or an authorised Amer Centre in Dubai. The required documents for renewing the Emirates ID, according to the ICP, are:
- Passport
- Passport-sized photograph, taken in the last three months
- Current Emirates ID
- Medical fitness certificate with a ‘fit’ result.
You will need scanned or digital versions of the above documents, if you are applying online, since you will be asked to upload them during the application process.
Here are the steps to renew your Emirates ID on the official ICP portal:
- Visit ICP’s website, smartservices.icp.gov.ae. Log in with your UAE PASS.
- Select ‘Services’ and choose ‘Interactive Services’. Then head to ‘Identity Card Renewal’.
- Review the application form and make the necessary adjustments to the retrieved data, if required.
- Attach the documents.
- Pay the required fees and complete the process at an ICP Customer Happiness Centre if your biometric details are required. If not, your Emirates ID renewal process is complete. The new ID will be delivered to you via courier service.
Step 3: Biometric data collection (in some cases)
In order to receive an Emirates ID, individuals over the age of 15 years old are required to complete biometric collection procedures at an authorised service centre. However, in the Emirates ID renewal process, your fingerprints and photograph are already on file, so the process can continue without the need for an in-person visit for biometric data collection.
You will only need to provide new biometrics for Emirates ID renewal if you receive a notification from the authorities stating that your existing biometric data requires an update.
How much does Emirates ID renewal cost?
The cost of renewing an Emirates ID depends on the applicant’s status and the card’s validity. For UAE citizens, the cost is Dh100 for five years, or Dh200 for 10 years. For GCC nationals, the cost is Dh100 for a five-year ID card. In the case of expatriate residents, they must pay Dh100 per year, depending on the length of their residence visa. For instance, a two-year visa would require an Emirates ID to be valid for the same duration, and it would cost between Dh200 to Dh250, inclusive of any service fee or expedited fee charges.
How long does the renewal take?
The Emirates ID renewal duration ranges from 24 hours to five working days, once documents are submitted through ICP. If new biometric data is required, it may take further processing time.