Unified number (UID) in the UAE: what it is and how to find it

What is the unified number (UID) in the UAE?

Official sources use the term in two ways, and that's where most of the confusion starts.

• In residency services (the UID). GDRFA Dubai, which handles Dubai residence visas, runs a Find Unified Number service that it says lets customers find their UID. Its over-the-counter form asks for the unified number as a field of its own, and its service for individual sponsors to lift a ban on a file asks for the "sponsored person's unified number or Emirates identity card".
• In federal ID law. Federal Law No. 9 of 2006 on the population register and identity card defines the ID number as "the unified number" set out in Federal Decree-Law No. 2 of 2004. Every citizen or resident registered in the population register gets this fixed number, and ICP's overview says it issues Emirates ID cards "bearing a unified number".

Official pages don't define the UID further, so when a form asks for your unified number, check whether it means the residency UID or your Emirates ID number.

Unified number vs Emirates ID number, file number and passport number

Keep one more apart: ICP's glossary (last updated 22 August 2022) says the identity card number, printed on the back of the card, "is not the same as the Identity Number".

Unified number inquiry service: how to find your UID

• 1. Check your papers. If your residence or entry permit paperwork has a field labeled unified number or UID, that's the number. Official pages we checked show no sample, so we can't say which papers print it.
• 2. Dubai: use GDRFA Dubai's Find Unified Number. It's in the quick links on gdrfad.gov.ae. When we checked on 13 November 2026, the form showed "Form is under maintenance, please try again after a while", so we can't list the fields it asks for.
• 3. Other emirates: contact ICP. u.ae lists ICP for visas issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. We couldn't find a unified number lookup on ICP's website, so call 600522222 inside the UAE (+971600522222 from abroad) or visit a customer happiness center.
• 4. Still stuck in Dubai? Contact GDRFA Dubai. Call 800 5111 toll-free inside the UAE or +971 4 313 9999 from abroad, email amer@gdrfad.gov.ae, or visit an Amer center.

Is it on the Emirates ID card? ICP says Emirates ID cards bear "a unified number", meaning the 15-digit identity number. No official page we checked says GDRFA's residency UID is on the card, and ICP says the card number on the back is a different number again.

Use only gdrfad.gov.ae and icp.gov.ae: ICP warns about fake calls and websites that misuse its name to steal personal data. Never share your UAE PASS password or one-time codes with anyone, including us.

Why you need your unified number

• GDRFA Dubai requests. Its over-the-counter form asks for the applicant's unified number.
• Lifting a ban on a file. GDRFA Dubai's service for individual sponsors to lift a ban on a file lists the "sponsored person's unified number or Emirates identity card" as the first requirement.
• Your Emirates ID number. Federal Law No. 9 of 2006 requires the relevant bodies to record the ID number in their transactions and records for individuals, and u.ae says it opens government and some private services that need proof of identity.

For related checks, see how to check your visa status and check emirates id status, or our guides to emirates id renewal and how to change visa status.

More than one unified number, or can't find yours

GDRFA Dubai's over-the-counter service form, linked as Over the Counter Service on its homepage, has a request category for merging or overlapping unified numbers (in Arabic, دمج/تداخل في الأرقام الموحدة).

• 1. Open the form from GDRFA Dubai's homepage.
• 2. Choose the category for merging or overlapping unified numbers.
• 3. Fill in your details: name in English and Arabic and your unified number, then describe the request under Request details.
• 4. Verify your mobile number and add your email. The form has separate tabs for attachments and for fees and payment; it shows no fee amount.

The form's note says individuals can also use GDRFA Dubai's smart channels, the Dubai Now app or Amer centers. Outside Dubai, raise it with ICP through its call center or its Inquiries and Complaints Platform.

Global Sky PRO isn't GDRFA Dubai or ICP and can't see your government records. We help residents and employers prepare and follow up residence and PRO paperwork; see our pro services.