UAE onboarding, explained from both sides.

ICP, GDRFA and the UAE Residence & Entry Permit System: An Employer's Guide

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) is the UAE's federal body for identity, citizenship, entry permits, residence and the Emirates ID, and it processes visa files for every emirate except Dubai. In Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) runs its own portal, apps and Amer centres. Both connect employers to immigration through the online e-channel, and both follow the same core flow: entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, then residence-visa stamping.

1. 1Understand who handles your file: ICP or GDRFA. ICP is the federal authority (established under Federal Law No. 2 of 2004, expanded by Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2017) responsible for identity, citizenship, passports, entry, residence and the Emirates ID. It processes visa and residence files for all emirates EXCEPT Dubai. In Dubai, GDRFA is the emirate-level authority for entry permits, residence permits and identity services. Apply through the ICP website/ICP UAE Smart Services app for the northern emirates and Abu Dhabi, or through GDRFA (smart.gdrfad.gov.ae, the GDRFA/Dubai Now apps and Amer centres) for Dubai.
2. 2Register your establishment on the e-channel / smart services. Before you can sponsor staff, your company must be registered in the immigration system. For non-Dubai emirates this is ICP Smart Services (the e-channel); for Dubai it is the GDRFA system via Amer. Registration links your trade licence and authorised signatories so you can lodge entry permits, residence visas and cancellations digitally rather than at a counter. (Note: this sits alongside the MOHRE work-permit process, which is a separate MOHRE step for private-sector staff.)
3. 3Apply for the entry permit. The sponsor applies for an electronic entry permit through ICP or GDRFA. This is the document that lets the worker legally enter the UAE. The employee must enter within the entry permit's validity window. Fees are jurisdiction- and category-specific - GDRFA Dubai, for example, lists an individual residence entry permit at AED 1,035 when the sponsored person is inside the UAE and AED 365 when outside.
4. 4Complete the medical fitness test. After entry, applicants aged 18+ must pass a medical fitness test at a government-approved centre (DHA in Dubai, DOH/SEHA in Abu Dhabi, MOHAP in the northern emirates). Standard screening covers communicable diseases; results feed directly into the immigration file. Fees vary by emirate and by standard vs. express service - confirm the current fee with the approved centre.
5. 5Register the Emirates ID (biometrics). The Emirates ID application is submitted to ICP and the worker attends an ICP-accredited centre for biometrics (fingerprints, photo, signature). The Emirates ID is issued by ICP nationwide, including for Dubai residents, and the card is printed and dispatched after the residence permit is granted.

Fees and timelines vary by emirate, free zone and nationality - confirm the current figure with the regulator before you rely on it.