Establishment card in the UAE: how to get it and renew it

What is an establishment card?

An establishment card is the record your company holds with the UAE's residency authorities, and it is what allows the company to act as a visa sponsor. ICP describes it as an electronic card carrying the registered establishment data, such as the trade name, license number, partners and type of activity.

You will hear it called by several names: immigration card, immigration establishment card or company immigration file. The UAE government portal u.ae describes the same step as opening a company file with GDRFA. All of these refer to one record, which is separate from your trade license and from your registration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

The people your company sponsors are linked to this file. GDRFA Dubai will not cancel an establishment card while any sponsored persons remain on it, which shows how closely the card and your visas are tied together.

Why you need it before sponsoring residence visas

Your company needs an establishment card before it can apply for entry permits and residence visas for the people it sponsors. The u.ae guide to recruiting on the mainland sets out the order: register the establishment with MOHRE, then open a company file with GDRFA, which allows the company to apply for work entry permits for new employees.

That makes the card one of the first PRO tasks after your trade license is issued. If you plan to bring in staff on an employment visa, apply for the card as soon as the license is ready rather than waiting for your first hire. Owners who want residence through their business should also check which route fits them, such as a partner or investor visa.

If you are still choosing a jurisdiction or legal form, our business setup team can build the establishment card into your setup timeline, so the visa stage does not stall waiting for it.

Who issues it: GDRFA Dubai, ICP or your free zone

Which authority issues your establishment card depends on where your company is licensed. The same split applies to visas: u.ae directs Dubai cases to GDRFA Dubai, and cases in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah to ICP.

Government entities, national SMEs and special categories such as hotels, boats, stables and charities have their own document lists on GDRFA Dubai's service page. If your business falls into one of these groups, check the extra documents before you apply.

• Dubai mainland companies: GDRFA Dubai issues the card through its website and smart app, at Amer centres or at its main building.
• Mainland companies in the other six emirates: ICP issues the card through its Smart Services website and app, with UAE PASS login.
• Free zone companies: ICP states that the request must be submitted through the free zone authority the establishment belongs to, and DMCC, for example, lists establishment card renewals among the services it handles for members.

Documents you need for a new establishment card

For a standard private sector or free zone company, the document list is short and mostly comes from your license file. GDRFA Dubai asks for:

ICP's list for private sector and free zone companies covers the trade license (for a limited liability company (LLC), a copy showing the relevant stakeholders), a signature authorisation letter, the memorandum of association (MOA) for partnerships and any requirements of the local emirate authority. ICP also requires a valid Emirates ID or Unified Number for at least one of the authorised signatories.

ICP's platform retrieves some company data through integration with other government systems and asks you to attach documents where that retrieval fails. Either way, the names and numbers you enter should match your trade license exactly.

• A copy of the appendix listing the partners' names.
• Passport copies of the authorised signatories.
• A notarised copy of the authorisation for authorised persons, where a manager signs for the company.

How to apply for an establishment card in Dubai

In Dubai, you apply to GDRFA Dubai online or at a service centre, and GDRFA Dubai lists an expected completion time of 48 hours. The online route works like this:

At the time of writing, GDRFA Dubai lists an issuance fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT, a Knowledge Dirham and an Innovation Dirham of AED 10 each and a service fee of AED 50, with AED 100 more for urgent processing and AED 100 more for applying through an Amer centre. The same page also notes that the issuance or renewal fee is AED 100 per year, so check the total the system shows before you pay.

Outside Dubai, ICP's Issuing an Establishment Card service runs on the ICP Smart Services website and app with UAE PASS login, and ICP states that applications go through its authorised service providers. ICP lists a completion time of 2 days. At the time of writing, its fees include an application fee of AED 100, an issuance fee of AED 100 per year, a smart services fee of AED 100 and AED 2,000 for subscription to its electronic system for establishments, plus further security amounts that depend on the type of establishment.

• Log in to the GDRFA Dubai website or smart app with UAE PASS or your username.
• Search for the establishment card service for the private sector or free zone.
• Enter the company and signatory details exactly as they appear on your trade license.
• Upload the partners' appendix, the signatories' passport copies and any notarised authorisation.
• Pay the fees and keep the application number for follow-up.

Establishment card renewal: timing, steps and costs

Establishment card renewal follows the same route as the first issue, and it depends on a valid trade license. ICP's renewal service is granted only if a valid trade license is available and any fines on the establishment have been paid, so renew your license and settle fines before you apply.

Neither GDRFA Dubai nor ICP states a fixed validity period on its service page, but both price the card per year. Check the expiry date shown for your card and track it next to your trade license expiry, so the two renewals run back to back.

In Dubai, GDRFA Dubai's Renewal of Establishment Card service uses the same documents as a new card and lists 48 hours to complete. At the time of writing, it shows a renewal fee of AED 200 plus 5% VAT, with the same Knowledge Dirham, Innovation Dirham, service and urgent fees as issuance. The same page also states a fee of AED 100 per year, so check the total the system shows before you pay.

Through ICP, renewal takes 2 days and, at the time of writing, costs an application fee of AED 100, a renewal fee of AED 100 per year, AED 1,000 to renew the establishment's subscription to ICP's electronic system and a smart services fee of AED 100. A practical renewal sequence looks like this:

• Renew the trade license and note its new expiry date.
• Check for unpaid fines on the establishment and settle them.
• Update partner and signatory documents if anything has changed.
• Submit the renewal on the GDRFA Dubai or ICP platform and pay the fees.
• Confirm the renewed card in the system before starting any new visa application.

What happens if the card expires or your details change

A late renewal carries a fine. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 89 of 2022 on administrative fines for ICP services, delaying the renewal of an establishment card beyond 30 days from its expiry costs AED 100 for each month of delay, up to AED 1,000, at the time of writing.

The same resolution fines an establishment AED 1,000 for changing its data without notifying ICP, and AED 20,000 for issuing entry visas for an establishment that does not carry out any activity. When your trade name, partners or ownership change, update the card through ICP's Amend/Add To Establishment Card service or GDRFA Dubai's service for modifying establishment card data.

GDRFA Dubai's establishment card pages do not list late renewal fines. If your company is licensed in Dubai, check the establishment's fines on the platform before you renew, rather than assuming the balance is clear.

Establishment card vs MOHRE establishment registration

A mainland company deals with two separate establishment records: the immigration establishment card, and its labour registration with MOHRE, which MOHRE also calls an establishment card. They serve different purposes, and one does not replace the other.

MOHRE's Issuance of Establishment Card service registers your company with the Ministry, including the owners, the authorised signatories with their signature specimens, the business activity and the location. It is the labour file behind work permits for mainland staff. MOHRE requires a valid trade license, a MOHRE personal identification number for owners, partners and authorised signatories, and a licensee or service agent aged at least 21.

MOHRE lists 2 working days for this service. It is free through the MOHRE website and app, where only government fees apply, and business service centres may charge a commission of up to AED 72 at the time of writing. MOHRE also requires the signatory authorised with the Ministry to be authorised to sign with ICP, which is one more reason to keep both records consistent.

Free zone companies usually sit outside the MOHRE step. u.ae says free zone employers apply for work permits and residence visas for their staff through the relevant free zone authority, so follow your free zone's own process.

Common mistakes that stall an establishment card

Most delays come from paperwork that does not line up, not from the rules themselves. Watch for these before you submit:

Closing a company has its own trap. GDRFA Dubai will only cancel an establishment card when no sponsored persons remain on it, so every residence visa under the company has to be cancelled or transferred first.

• Applying before the trade license is issued, or renewing after it has expired.
• Signatory names or passport numbers that differ from the trade license or MOA.
• A manager signing without a notarised authorisation.
• No authorised signatory with a valid Emirates ID or Unified Number, which ICP requires.
• Unpaid fines on the establishment, which hold up an ICP renewal.
• Changing partners or the trade name without amending the card.
• A free zone company applying directly instead of through its free zone authority.
• Assuming the MOHRE registration also covers immigration.

How Global Sky PRO helps

Global Sky PRO prepares your establishment card file, checks every name and number against your trade license and MOA, submits the application through the right channel and follows up until the authority decides. We also track the expiry date, so renewal starts as soon as your trade license is renewed.

GDRFA Dubai, ICP, MOHRE and the free zone authorities make every decision. Government fees are paid at cost and shown separately from our service fee, which we confirm in writing before work starts. See our corporate PRO services for the full range, or read what a PRO does in the UAE if you are weighing in-house against outsourced support.