ICP Services in the UAE for individuals and companies

ICP Services in the UAE for Individuals and Companies

Instant PRO, based in Business Bay, Dubai, prepares and follows up ICP services on behalf of individuals and companies: entry visas, residence permits, the Emirates ID card and the establishment card with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). We start by reading the case before filling in any form: who the sponsor or host is, which category applies to you, whether the competent authority is the ICP or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, and what the file is missing. We then prepare the application, submit it through the competent channel, the government fees are paid at submission, and we follow up the application until the authority issues its decision.

An application may be returned for amendment or cancelled if it is submitted incomplete, under a category the applicant does not qualify for, to the wrong authority, or if it is not completed within the set period. That is why, before you start, we tell you what we will submit, to whom, with which documents, and what the government fees are, itemised separately from our own fees.

Send us a copy of your passport or trade licence, or describe what you need in one sentence, and we will confirm the type of transaction, its documents and its fees.

Where the ICP has jurisdiction and where GDRFA Dubai does

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security regulates the entry and residence of foreigners in the UAE and the population register and identity card, alongside customs and port security. Entry and residence are governed by Federal Decree-Law No. (29) of 2021 and its Executive Regulation issued by Cabinet Resolution No. (65) of 2022, together with the rules the ICP issues under them; the identity card is governed by Federal Law No. (9) of 2006 on the Population Register and Identity Card.

One detail is often overlooked and gets applications rejected at the outset: the ICP handles entry visas, residence permits and the establishment card in every emirate except Dubai, where these fall under the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai). The Emirates ID card, however, remains with the ICP for all residents of the UAE, including those living in Dubai. Residence is now electronic and linked to the Emirates ID rather than a sticker in the passport: outside Dubai, the residence and ID application is filed on a single form with the ICP; in Dubai, residence is filed with the GDRFA and the ID is then completed with the ICP. So the first thing we determine in any file is the competent authority, so that no application is filed in the wrong place.

Instant PRO is an independent office that prepares and follows up transactions. It is not a government body and is not affiliated with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.

The ICP services we handle

Visa services

An entry visa defines the purpose for which a foreigner enters the UAE. The Executive Regulation classifies visas by that purpose into several types, each with its own conditions; some are issued through a host, a sponsor or a licensed establishment, while others are applied for directly with no host. For individuals we handle family visit visas, their extension, change of status to residence where available, and cancellation. For companies we handle work entry visas for employees recruited from abroad, after the work permit is issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation for mainland establishments or approved by the free zone authority.

Visa services – details and documents →

Residence permit services

A residence permit is the status that grants a foreigner the right to reside in the UAE for the prescribed period under the applicable category and its conditions. In most categories residence is sponsored or hosted; in specific categories such as the Golden and Green residence it is self-sponsored. For individuals we handle residence for spouses, children, parents and domestic workers, its renewal and its cancellation on departure. For companies we handle employee residence permits and renewals, the procedure for moving to another establishment by cancelling the existing permit and issuing a new one or changing status as the case requires, amending residence data when the profession or passport changes, and cancellation at the end of service. For private-sector establishments regulated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the Work Bundle on the Work in UAE platform combines the work permit, residence, medical fitness test and Emirates ID in one unified application with a single payment; domestic-worker services were added to it in October 2025.

After a residence permit expires or is cancelled, a grace period applies that varies by residence category, does not exceed six months in total, and is stated in the cancellation notice; a daily fine then applies for each day of stay. Cancellation should be completed through the approved channel when employment ends or on final departure, so that no residence permit remains open on the resident’s or the sponsor’s file.

Residence permit services – details and documents →

Emirates ID services

The Emirates ID card is mandatory for every resident of the UAE. For expatriates its validity is tied to the residence permit, and cancelling the residence cancels the card in the same procedure. We handle first-time issuance, renewal, replacement of lost or damaged cards, data updates, and booking the biometrics appointment for first-time applicants and anyone aged fifteen or over. A resident’s card can be renewed once less than six months remain on it, and renewal requires a passport valid for at least three months. Late fees in these transactions accrue per day: after the card expires, the ICP allows thirty days, then a fine of AED 20 per day applies up to a maximum of AED 1,000; a lost card must be reported within seven days, and any change of data must be notified to the ICP within thirty days or the same fine applies.

Emirates ID services – details and documents →

Establishment services

The establishment card is the registration of a company with the ICP — or with the GDRFA in Dubai — as a sponsor entitled to recruit employees and sponsor their residence; no establishment can recruit an employee or sponsor a residence permit before its card is issued and valid. For companies we handle issuing and renewing the card, amending its data when the trade name, activity, manager or authorised signatory changes, and cancelling it on liquidation after the employees’ residence permits are cancelled. For mainland establishments the sequence is a condition, not a detail: the amendment is made first at the economic department, then on the establishment card, then on the establishment record with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which requires the establishment card as an attachment to its file. For free zone companies the amendment starts with the free zone authority, and the residence file is completed through the channel it adopts in coordination with the competent authority in that emirate. Reversing this order is a common reason for an application being returned.

Establishment services – details and documents →

Government fees and office fees

The cost of any transaction has three components, and we state each separately before you start: the government fee set by the authority as published on each service card on the ICP website; channel fees, such as the smart-services fee shown on the service card or typing-centre charges that vary by submission channel; and Instant PRO’s fees. Visa and residence permit fees vary by category, duration and emirate, so we do not quote a single figure for them. Emirates ID fees are published on the ICP service cards; for example, renewing a resident’s card costs AED 100 per year of residence. The full Emirates ID fee table is on the Emirates ID services page.

Note: The government fees referred to above are the authority’s fees only. They do not include Instant PRO’s fees, nor the medical test, health insurance, translation or attestation fees that a transaction may require with other bodies.

How we start and how the transaction proceeds

The final list of documents depends on the type of transaction, the category, the emirate, the competent authority and the applicant’s situation, so we do not publish a single list. To begin, individuals send a copy of the passport, the Emirates ID if any, and a description of the case; companies send a copy of the trade licence and the establishment card if any. After review we send you the exact document list for your transaction and check that the name and date of birth match across the passport, ID and licence before submission – a difference of even one letter may lead to a request for correction or completion.

Step 1 - Send the document

Send the passport or licence, or describe what you need, even if you do not know the name of the service.

Step 2 - Authority and category

We identify the competent authority, the eligible category and the sponsor or host, and set out the documents, government fees and our fees.

Step 3 - Preparing the file

We complete whatever is missing — translation, attestation, work permit or medical test — and check the data.

Step 4 - Submission

The application is submitted through the competent government channel for the emirate and transaction type, and the government fees are paid at submission.

Step 5 - Biometrics and follow-up

We book the biometrics appointment where required, follow up the application and respond to the authority’s remarks if it is returned for amendment.

Step 6 - Delivery

You receive the card or document in the manner set by the authority, and we tell you the deadlines that apply after delivery.

Why Instant PRO?

Authority and category before submission

We identify the competent authority and the eligible category before any fee is paid.

Experience with individuals and companies

We manage company files and their recurring transactions with the same care as a single family file.

Follow-up until the decision is issued

We prepare the file, respond to remarks and follow up the application until the authority issues its decision.

Balanced fees stated before you start

Government fees itemised separately from our fees - before we begin, not after.

Office in Business Bay

Office 805, Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, for those who prefer to visit.

Frequently asked questions

Which ICP services does the office handle?

Entry visas; residence permits – issuance, renewal, amendment and cancellation; the Emirates ID card in all its transactions; and the establishment card for companies.

Does the ICP handle residence in Dubai?

No. In Dubai, entry visas, residence permits and the establishment card fall under the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). The Emirates ID card is issued by the ICP for all UAE residents. We handle transactions with both authorities.

Can the transaction be completed remotely?

Most applications are submitted online with UAE PASS. Attendance in person is required for biometrics at first issuance and for anyone aged fifteen or over, for the medical fitness test, and for the urgent service.

How long does the Emirates ID take?

The ICP’s official service card states a completion time of five days for card renewal and replacement of a lost or damaged card; standard-service cards are delivered by the approved courier, and urgent-service cards within a maximum of 24 hours from ICP centres. These are the authority’s times, not a commitment by Instant PRO.

Is the “Fawri” urgent service available to all residents?

For residents who are not GCC nationals it is limited to replacement of a lost or damaged card and requires a visit to an ICP Customer Happiness Centre. Urgent first issuance and renewal are available to UAE and GCC nationals.

I don’t know which service I need — what should I do?

Send a copy of your passport or licence, or describe what you need in one sentence, and we will confirm the type of transaction, the authority, the documents and the fees before any fee is paid.

Next step

WhatsApp: +971 56 232 7778
Office 805, Opal Tower, Business Bay, Dubai — Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM