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Emirates ID: renewal, late fine, lost card and your rights

Renew up to six months before expiry. Renewing more than a month after expiry costs AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000. Report a lost card within 7 days, and no employer may keep your card.

By MyGuide AE Editorial 2 min read

Every UAE citizen and resident must hold an Emirates ID and carry it at all times. You can renew it up to six months before it expires; renewing more than a month after expiry costs a late fee of AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000.

Renewing

  • When: after expiry, or as early as six months before it.
  • Late fee: the official wording is that if the card “is renewed after one month since expiry, a late fee of AED 20 per day will be charged, up to a maximum of AED 1,000”.
  • Fingerprints: anyone aged 15 or over completes fingerprints and signature at an ICP service centre.
  • Where: ICP customer happiness centres, the ICP website, or the UAEICP app.

Lost, stolen or damaged card

Request a replacement from ICP. A lost card must be reported within 7 days of the loss.

Can my employer keep my Emirates ID?

No. According to ICP, it is against the law to seize another person’s Emirates ID. Companies may not hold the ID cards of their employees, customers or visitors; they may only record the personal data on them. A cardholder whose card is withheld can take the case to the judicial authorities.

Changed your phone number or address?

Report any change in your personal details to ICP within one month.

Emirates ID in 24 hours

ICP runs an urgent 24-hour service for UAE nationals and GCC nationals living in the UAE, for a first card, a renewal or a replacement. Other residents can use it only to replace a card. It is requested in person at an ICP customer happiness centre.

Leaving the UAE for good

The Emirates ID is cancelled automatically with the residence visa. The sponsor — your employer or family sponsor — submits the cancellation: through GDRFA for Dubai visas, through ICP for the other emirates.

What the card is used for

  • Government services
  • Voting in Federal National Council elections
  • Travel within the GCC, for UAE citizens
  • The smart gates at UAE airports

Its identity number has 15 digits and stays with you for life.

Visas the card depends on: family visa, Golden Visa, remote work visa.

Checked against the UAE government portal (u.ae) on 24 September 2026. Fees and documents are on ICP’s service cards. See our editorial policy.

Sources we checked

The official bodies where these figures and rules are kept up to date. Where an official page disagrees with us, the official page is right.

Prices are what we last paid or last verified, in dirhams. Opening hours change on public holidays and during Ramadan — always confirm on the venue’s own site before you travel. Our editorial policy

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