You can renew your Emirates ID online through the ICP website or app, at a Customer Happiness Center, or through a typing center. Processing typically takes about 5 working days.
Renew within 30 days of expiry to avoid the AED 20/day late fee. UAE citizens can now start the process up to 12 months before their card expires.
How to Renew Your Emirates ID Online (Step-by-Step)
- Go to the ICP Smart Services portal or the UAEICP app.
- Log in with your email and password, or with UAE Pass. (UAE Pass itself isn’t where you submit the renewal — it’s just how you sign in and confirm your identity.)
- On the dashboard, select the ID Renewal Service.
- Fill out the application form with your current details.
- Upload the required documents — each photo should be under 100 KB and meet the size specification below.
- Pay the applicable fee (see the table below).
- Choose your delivery option: home delivery by courier, or pickup from a service center.
- You’ll get a confirmation SMS once your application is submitted. You can track your renewal status online while you wait.
- Once it’s ready, you’ll get a message to collect your card from your chosen delivery option.
Haven’t held an Emirates ID before? This renewal flow doesn’t apply to you yet. See how to apply for your first Emirates ID instead.
Renewing Together With Your Residence Visa
In every emirate except Dubai, ICP bundles the two together. Your Emirates ID renewal is submitted as part of the same unified residence-and-identity application as your visa renewal — not as a separate step.
In Dubai, the two are still handled separately, so renew your Emirates ID on its own timeline even if your visa isn’t due yet.
Emirates ID Renewal Fees (2026)
| Applicant Category | Card/Issuance Fee | Online Smart Services Fee | Urgent (Fawri) Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE National — under 21 (5-yr card) | AED 100 | — | AED 150 (eligible) |
| UAE National — 21+ (10-yr card) | AED 200 | — | AED 150 (eligible) |
| GCC National (5-yr card) | AED 100 | AED 100 | AED 150 (eligible) |
| Expat / Resident (per year of visa validity) | AED 100 × years | AED 100 | Not available for renewal — replacement of lost/damaged card only |
Renewing online adds a flat AED 100 Smart Services fee on top of the card fee — this replaces the old “service fee + printing fee” breakdown, which no longer appears on ICP’s current fee schedule.
Going through a typing center instead of applying online costs roughly AED 30–70 in typing/service charges, which can vary slightly by emirate and center. Confirm the exact add-on with your chosen center before applying in person.
Video Guide
How Early Can You Renew Your Emirates ID?
UAE citizens can renew up to 12 months before their card expires — double the previous 6-month window. This took effect 14 July 2026 as part of a government efficiency drive.
The same rule change lets citizens renew a passport and Emirates ID together in one transaction, if both are due around the same time.
Residents and GCC nationals still follow the standard window: renewal opens 6 months before expiry, and stays open any time after expiry too — just watch the late fee below if you wait more than 30 days past the date.
Documents Required to Renew Your Emirates ID
UAE Nationals
- Original Emirates ID photo
- Original passport photo
- Personal photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm) with a white background
- Agency certificate (optional)
GCC Nationals
- Original passport
- GCC ID card (applicants 21+); a parent’s GCC ID if you’re under 21
- Personal photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm) with a white background
- Proof of UAE residency — a valid working certificate, trade license, or property ownership document
Expats and Residents
- Original passport photo
- Valid residence permit
- Personal photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm) with a white background
- A parent’s passport, if you’re under 15
Note: an agency certificate or original work certificate is not part of the standard expat/resident checklist. Your residence permit already establishes your status — you don’t need a separate letter from your employer for a routine renewal.
Late Renewal Fine
Miss the 30-day window after your Emirates ID expires, and ICP charges AED 20 per day. The fine is capped at AED 1,000.
It accrues automatically and gets added to your renewal payment — there’s no separate step to pay it.
Can You Use Fawri (24-Hour) Service to Renew?
It depends on who you are. UAE and GCC nationals can use ICP’s Fawri urgent service to renew in as little as 24 hours, for an extra AED 150.
Expats and residents can’t. For this group, Fawri only covers replacing a lost or damaged card — first-time issuance and renewal are tied to residence-visa processing timelines and simply aren’t eligible for the 24-hour service, no matter how much you’re willing to pay.
Do You Need to Give Fingerprints to Renew?
ICP’s own renewal service page states that applicants aged 15 and over need to complete fingerprint and signature procedures in person at a service center. It doesn’t spell out an exemption for adults who already have biometrics on file from an earlier card.
Children under 15 don’t need biometrics — a parent can renew for them online with an updated photo.
In practice, many routine online renewals do go through without a center visit, so this may come down to your individual application. Since ICP’s own wording doesn’t confirm a blanket exemption for people renewing for the second time or later, budget for the possibility of an in-person visit rather than assuming you can skip it.
Other Ways to Renew: Typing Centers, Customer Happiness Centers & the UAEICP App
If you’d rather not handle the online application yourself, an ICP-approved typing center can submit your renewal on your behalf for the typing/service fee shown above.
You can also renew in person at one of ICP’s Customer Happiness Centers, or through the official UAEICP app (iOS / Android), which offers the same renewal service as the website with built-in photo capture.
While you wait for your renewed physical card to arrive, you can download a digital version of your Emirates ID through UAE Pass or the UAEICP app. It works the same as the physical card for most purposes.
How to Contact ICP
| Contact Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (UAE) | 600 522 222 |
| Phone (International) | +971 2 4955555 |
| [email protected] | |
| Fax | +971 2 4955550 |
FAQs
How much does it cost to renew an Emirates ID?
It depends on your category. UAE nationals pay AED 100 (5-year card, under 21) or AED 200 (10-year card, 21+). GCC nationals pay AED 100 for a 5-year card. Residents pay AED 100 per year of visa validity. GCC nationals and residents also pay a flat AED 100 Smart Services fee if renewing online.
Do I renew my Emirates ID through the UAE Pass app?
No. UAE Pass is only how you log in and verify your identity. You submit the actual renewal through the ICP Smart Services website or the UAEICP app.
How early can I renew my Emirates ID before it expires?
UAE citizens can renew up to 12 months before expiry, as of a July 2026 rule change. Residents and GCC nationals can renew as early as 6 months before expiry, or any time after expiry.
What’s the fine for renewing my Emirates ID late?
AED 20 per day after a 30-day grace period from your expiry date, capped at AED 1,000.
Do I need to submit a work certificate to renew my Emirates ID?
No, not for a standard expat or resident renewal. Your valid residence permit already covers that — an agency or work certificate isn’t part of the routine checklist.
Do I need to give fingerprints to renew my Emirates ID?
ICP’s own renewal page states applicants 15 and older need to complete fingerprint and signature procedures at a service center, without stating an exemption for adults who already have biometrics on file. Children under 15 can be renewed online by a parent with just an updated photo.
Can expats use the 24-hour Fawri service to renew their Emirates ID?
No. Fawri renewal (AED 150, 24-hour turnaround) is only available to UAE and GCC nationals. Expats can only use Fawri to replace a lost or damaged card, not to renew or apply for the first time.
Does renewing my Emirates ID also renew my residence visa?
In every emirate except Dubai, the two are submitted together as one unified application, so renewing one typically renews the other in the same step. In Dubai, they’re still handled separately.
How long does Emirates ID renewal take?
About 5 working days for standard processing. UAE and GCC nationals can pay extra for Fawri to get it in about 24 hours; this option isn’t available to expat residents for renewal.
