Key takeaways
- A UAE establishment card is an electronic card issued through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) that shows a company's registered data, such as trade name, licence number, partners and activity; ICP lists the issuing service at 2 days (checked October 2026).
- A UAE company needs an establishment card before it can sponsor employees, because the u.ae employment guidance says an employer must request a firm card from the immigration authority of its emirate as part of the hiring process (u.ae, checked October 2026).
- A mainland company deals with two authorities: MOHRE, which registers the establishment and sets its work permit quota, and the immigration authority, which issues the establishment card; a free zone company applies for the card through its own free zone authority.
- ICP's published renewal fees add up to AED 100 per year for the card itself plus an application fee and smart service fee of AED 100 each, and renewing more than 30 days after expiry costs AED 100 per month of delay, capped at AED 1,000 (ICP, checked October 2026).
- An establishment card can't be issued without a valid trade licence and an authorised signatory with a valid Emirates ID or Unified Number, so an expired licence blocks the card application and renewal.
What is an establishment card in the UAE?
An establishment card is the immigration authority's electronic record of your company: it shows registered data such as trade name, licence number, partners and type of activity. ICP describes it as the card that reflects the registered establishment data, and it is issued per company, not per person.
Providers often call it an immigration card; in Dubai the issuing body is the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai), which publishes its own establishment card service for private sector and free zone entities.
Why do you need an establishment card?
You need it because the official hiring path runs through it: u.ae lists the firm card as a step an employer must complete, and ICP's own amendment service lists issuing an establishment card as a dependency.
For a mainland company the u.ae guidance sets out a two-step path: the employer first approaches MOHRE, which determines the work permit quota by the company's legal form, and then requests a firm card from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs of the relevant emirate (u.ae, checked October 2026). For a free zone company, u.ae says work permits and residence visas are applied for with the respective free zone authority, and that the number of visas depends on the package the business signed up for (u.ae, updated 28 September 2026).
Qawi's reading of the u.ae process is that the card should be in place before the first offer letter is signed.
Is there more than one establishment card?
Yes: a mainland company typically holds an establishment file with MOHRE and an establishment card with the immigration authority, and the two serve different purposes. The table sets out who does what.
| MOHRE establishment file | ICP or GDRFA establishment card | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) | ICP, or GDRFA Dubai for Dubai establishments; free zone companies apply through their free zone authority |
| What it records | Owners, authorised signatories, signature specimens, activity and location | Trade name, licence number, partners and activity |
| What it unlocks | Work permits and the quota for hiring | Entry permits, residence visas and immigration services |
| Published processing time | 2 working days | 2 days (ICP); 48 hours (GDRFA Dubai) |
| Key requirement | Valid trade licence; owners and signatories need a Ministry-issued personal number | Valid trade licence; authorised signatory with Emirates ID or Unified Number |
Accurate as of 17 October 2026. Ask your free zone which files apply to your licence; DIFC and ADGM follow their own employment frameworks, according to u.ae.
How much does an establishment card cost and how long does it take?
ICP lists a processing time of 2 days and a set of small fees, with a larger subscription fee for the electronic establishment system. GDRFA Dubai's page carries different and partly inconsistent figures, so confirm those before you pay.
| Item | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | AED 100 | ICP |
| Card issuance or renewal | AED 100 per year | ICP |
| Smart service fee | AED 100 | ICP |
| Electronic system subscription (issuance) | AED 2,000 | ICP |
| Electronic system subscription (renewal) | AED 1,000 | ICP |
| Amending the card | AED 200 application fee | ICP |
| Business centre commission (MOHRE services) | Maximum AED 72 | MOHRE |
Accurate as of 17 October 2026. ICP's issuance page was last updated on 11 December 2024 according to the page itself, and it doesn't label which fee set applies to which category of applicant; some categories carry extra guarantee deposits, so ask for an itemised quote. MOHRE says applying through its website or app is free apart from government fees, and its fees exclude tax and collection charges.
How do you get or renew an establishment card?
Apply through the ICP Smart Services website or app with UAE Pass, or at a Customer Happiness Centre; free zone companies go through their free zone authority instead. ICP's digital steps for issuance and renewal are the same five.
- Log in to ICP Smart Services (website or app) with UAE Pass, or visit a Customer Happiness Centre. Free zone companies submit through their free zone authority.
- Submit the application and check the company data the system retrieves from the licensing authority.
- Attach the trade licence (for an LLC, the copy showing the partners), the signature authorisation letter and, for a partnership, the Memorandum of Association, if the system couldn't retrieve them.
- Pay the fees listed above.
- Wait for approval; the electronic card is issued in the system.
For a mainland company, MOHRE comes first. Its establishment registration requires a valid trade licence, the owners' and signatories' Ministry-issued personal numbers, and an authorised signatory who is also authorised with the federal identity authority. The licensee or service agent must be at least 21.
If you'd rather not track these renewal dates by hand, the free UAE compliance calendar lists them for your company.
What happens if your establishment card lapses?
Renewing late costs money once 30 days have passed, and other breaches carry their own fines. ICP's renewal page lists the following penalties.
| Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Renewing more than 30 days after expiry | AED 100 per month of delay, capped at AED 1,000 |
| Changing establishment information without notifying ICP | AED 1,000 |
| Violating ICP instructions or decisions | AED 2,000 |
| Entry permits issued to an establishment not conducting any business | AED 20,000 |
| Misusing smart services | AED 2,000 |
Accurate as of 17 October 2026. Renewal requires a valid trade licence and payment of any fines on the establishment; amending the card requires fines paid and workers cleared.
AED 1,000: the maximum ICP late-renewal fine for an establishment card renewed more than 30 days after expiry (AED 100 per month of delay). Source: ICP, Renewal of Establishment Card, checked 17 October 2026.
What most guides don't tell you
- The fines for changing company details are bigger than the late-renewal fine. ICP lists AED 1,000 for changing establishment information without notifying it, the same as the maximum late-renewal fine. ICP's amendment service asks for preliminary approval when you add a partner or change the activity, so change the licence first, then the card.
- Your licence is the real deadline. ICP and MOHRE both require a valid trade licence, so renew the licence first, then the card.
- Fees on different pages don't agree. GDRFA Dubai's own page lists an AED 200 issuance fee in one place and an AED 100 per year issuance or renewal fee in another, and MOHRE's page lists a "Ta'qeem" fee of AED 406 without saying what triggers it. Ask your PRO or free zone for an itemised quote and the date it was taken, and don't compare quotes without it.
- A free zone card isn't a mainland card. u.ae says a free zone's visa numbers depend on the package you signed up for, while a mainland quota is set by MOHRE according to legal form. Which files you need follows the licence, so check it before you buy a package that assumes otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get an employment visa for a new hire in the UAE? The employer needs a valid establishment card and work permit quota first, then issues a job offer, applies for the work permit and entry permit, and completes the medical test and Emirates ID after the employee arrives (u.ae, checked October 2026). A free zone company runs the same steps through its free zone authority.
How long does a UAE employment visa take to process? The establishment card itself takes 2 days at ICP and 2 working days at MOHRE for the work permit service, but the full visa has several more stages with their own published times. Get the card in place before you make the offer, because the employer's firm card is part of the hiring path.
What is an immigration card for free zone companies? It's the establishment card issued by the immigration authority, which ICP says free zone companies must apply for through the free zone authority they belong to. In Dubai, GDRFA Dubai publishes the same service for private sector and free zone entities.
How much does a UAE employee visa cost in 2026? MOHRE lists an AED 50 application fee plus AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 for the two-year work permit, depending on the employer's category, excluding tax and collection charges (checked October 2026). ICP and medical fees are charged separately, so ask for an itemised quote.
What is MOHRE and when does my company need to register with it? MOHRE is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and a mainland employer approaches it first to register the establishment and set its work permit quota (u.ae, checked October 2026). A free zone company usually deals with its free zone authority instead, so check which applies to your licence.
About Qawi · Qawi is a corporate services firm licensed in the Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) free zone, handling company formation, visas and PRO, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax for UAE businesses. Guides are researched from FTA, Ministry of Finance and free zone sources. Qawi on LinkedIn
Which deadlines apply to your company?
An establishment card, a trade licence and each visa have their own renewal dates, and they sit with different authorities. The free UAE compliance calendar is a free calendar of your company's UAE tax and compliance deadlines, personalised from a few questions, as a PDF and calendar file.
Sources
- ICP: Issuing an Establishment Card
- ICP: Renewal of Establishment Card
- ICP: Amend/Add To Establishment Card
- MOHRE: Issuance of Establishment Card
- MOHRE: Updating the Establishment File
- MOHRE: Recruiting a worker from overseas
- GDRFA Dubai: Establishment Card for Institutions in the Private Sector / Free Zone
- u.ae: Recruiting in free zones
- u.ae: Recruiting on the mainland
Last checked: 17 October 2026
This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.