Emirates ID for new employees: what UAE employers need to know

Steps

• Start the Emirates ID application with the residence visa - The Emirates ID is issued as part of the residency file, not as a standalone errand. Apply through the ICP website (login via UAE Pass) or an accredited typing centre once the residence-visa application is underway. ICP is the sole issuing authority (source: u.ae Emirates ID page; icp.gov.ae New Identity Card Issuance service).
• Submit documents and pay ICP fees - Required: a passport valid for the residency, an ICAO-standard personal photo, and category proof - for employees, the work contract. Fees are paid at this stage (see cost note).
• Complete biometrics at an ICP service centre - Anyone aged 15 or over must complete fingerprint and signature capture at an ICP Customer Happiness / service centre. This is typically combined with the medical fitness test in the residency process, so the employee attends once. (source: icp.gov.ae; u.ae)
• ICP processes and issues the card - Standard processing is stated as 5 days on the ICP service page. ICP's urgent (Fawri) 24-hour service is not available for a new expatriate employee's first Emirates ID - per u.ae it applies to UAE and GCC nationals, and to expat residents only for replacing a lost or damaged card - so budget for standard processing on a first issuance. The physical card is delivered by the approved courier to the address given, or collected at a centre. (source: icp.gov.ae; u.ae)
• Use the Emirates ID to open the WPS salary account - The employee opens a UAE bank account using the Emirates ID and residence visa; the employer then registers/pays them through the Wage Protection System, which routes salaries to that account via a Central Bank-authorised agent. No valid Emirates ID means no compliant salary account, which blocks clean WPS payroll for that hire. (source: MOHRE Wages Protection System; icp.gov.ae)

Timeline

ICP states standard processing of 5 days once all requirements (including biometrics) are met; the urgent/Fawri 24-hour service does not apply to a new expat employee's first Emirates ID (it is for UAE and GCC nationals, and for expat residents only when replacing a lost or damaged card). In practice the Emirates ID timeline is tied to the residence-visa and medical-fitness steps, so total onboarding-to-card time depends on how quickly those complete and varies by emirate and free zone.

Cost & fees

Per the ICP 'New Identity Card Issuance' service page, residents pay AED 100 per year of residence for the card, plus a smart service fee of AED 100; the urgent (Fawri) service is an extra AED 150, but Fawri is not available for a new expat employee's first Emirates ID (it applies to UAE and GCC nationals, and to expat residents only for lost/damaged-card replacement). So a 2-year residence card is AED 200 (card) + AED 100 (smart service). Accredited typing centres add their own service/typing charges on top, which are not fixed by ICP. UAE and GCC citizen fees differ by age under ICP's rule: under-21 citizens pay AED 100 for a 5-year card, while over-21 citizens pay AED 200 for a 10-year card. Always confirm the live figure on icp.gov.ae at time of application.

Your task slice

4 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.

Sources

• The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae) - Emirates ID
• ICP (icp.gov.ae) - New Identity Card Issuance service (fees, biometrics, 5-day processing, urgent 24h)
• ICP (icp.gov.ae) - Emirates ID FAQ (AED 20/day late fine, max AED 1,000, after 30-day grace)
• MOHRE (mohre.gov.ae) - Wages Protection System (WPS): wages paid via banks and Central Bank-authorised agents

Frequently asked

Related

• Medical fitness test→
• WPS payroll→
• Gratuity (EOSB)→
• Probation→
• Emiratisation (Nitaqat)→
• UAE onboarding guide→
• VoxxArrive overview→