ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security)

ICP is the federal authority for identity, residency, citizenship and ports in the UAE. The official site is icp.gov.ae. Wathim is an independent guide and is not ICP. Before you search for an office or a status, confirm that ICP is the right body, because Dubai-sponsored visas are handled by GDRFA instead.

The dividing line is the emirate that issued your visa, not where you live. Look at the issuing authority printed on your residence visa or ask your employer's HR team. Our ICP portal page collects the main links in one place.

Most people who search "ICP" want to know where their application is. The status check is online, and the official ICP site describes it as an inquiry service. Expect to enter one of the identifiers below.

Steps

1. Open icp.gov.ae or the ICP smart app. In some app stores it still appears under the older ICA UAE name.
2. Choose the visa, residency or Emirates ID inquiry service.
3. Enter your passport number with your nationality and date of birth, or the application number, or your Emirates ID number, depending on the option.
4. Read the status line and any message below it.
5. For services that need an account, sign in with UAE Pass or your registered credentials.

What number you need

Our guide to checking UAE visa status with a passport number shows the screens. If the status looks stuck on printing or delivery, read Emirates ID stuck under printing.

Renewals are mostly online. Start well before expiry, because a late renewal can add fines and block other services. Official fees change, so check the fee shown on icp.gov.ae at the payment step instead of trusting an old blog post. We do not quote a figure here because we could not confirm one on an official ICP page.

Steps for a residence visa in a non-Dubai emirate

1. Log in to the ICP site or app with UAE Pass or your registered account.
2. Choose the visa renewal service for your visa category.
3. Upload the passport, current visa and the sponsor document your category needs.
4. Complete the medical test and insurance if they are required for your case.
5. Pay the fees online, or through a typing centre if you use one.
6. Do the biometrics step if asked, then track the status until approval.

Which guide to open

If your Emirates ID is lost, follow the lost Emirates ID replacement guide. If the name on the ID does not match your passport, fix that first with the name mismatch guide. If you are outside the UAE with an expired ID, see renewing from abroad.

People search "ICP office near me" or "ICP centre Abu Dhabi" when an online step needs a person, for example fingerprints, a document check or a problem the app cannot solve. Our directory lists these ICP centres. Each page has the address and the hours we have on record. Hours and services change and some centres only take fingerprints, so check the official ICP directory or call before you go.

Working days differ between centres. Several run Monday to Friday with a shorter Friday, and some close on Saturday and Sunday, while Mussafah lists a Sunday opening. Open the centre page for the days we have recorded. If a centre is far away, a typing centre can submit the application for you. See typing centre fees for what they usually charge, and booking a biometrics appointment for fingerprint visits.

Dubai has its own immigration offices because visas there go through GDRFA. Do not travel to an ICP centre for a Dubai-sponsored visa.

Beyond renewals, ICP handles several services that people often start from a search for the authority. The list below says what each one involves and where to read more. Requirements for each service change, so treat the steps as a guide and confirm the final list on icp.gov.ae.

Family and dependents

A resident sponsor outside Dubai applies through ICP for a spouse, children or parents, subject to salary and housing rules. Dependants need their own medical test and Emirates ID. Our complete family visa guide and the family sponsorship eligibility checker show what you need. Related reading includes family visa renewal and the family sponsorship entry.

Golden Visa and long-term residence

ICP processes Golden Visa files for eligible applicants sponsored outside Dubai. Categories and thresholds are set by the government and updated from time to time. Start with the Golden Visa cost and application guide, and if you were turned down read why Golden Visa applications are rejected.

Cancelling a visa and leaving

When a job or sponsorship ends, the visa has to be cancelled before a new status can start. The order matters if you have dependants, so read cancel dependants first. After cancellation you have a limited period to leave or change status, explained in the grace period guide. If you worry that a case or fine could stop you at the airport, use the travel ban check guide.

Visitors and visa changes

Visit visas, extensions and changing from visit to employment status each have their own steps and costs. See how to apply for a visit visa and changing a visit visa to an employment visa before you pay a typing centre.

New residents

If you just arrived, the order of steps is usually entry permit, status change, medical test, Emirates ID application and visa stamping. Our first Emirates ID application guide and the medical fitness test guide take you through it.

The call centre number appears consistently across sources, but we could not open the official contact page to confirm it, so check it on icp.gov.ae before you rely on it. Older lists show a number with a missing digit, so do not copy a number from an old post. ICP will never ask you to pay by sending money to a personal account or to share an OTP. Use only the official site and the app, not links sent on messaging apps.

If your question is about a work permit or a salary dispute, ICP cannot help. That is MOHRE.

Searches such as "rejected to receive ICP" usually come from people who see a rejected or returned message on a visa or Emirates ID file. The cause is almost always printed on the status screen or sent by SMS, so read that text first. Do not pay for a new application until you know the reason.

If you are an employee, your employer or PRO may be the one holding the file. Ask for the transaction number and track it yourself. If the problem is the employer's establishment card, read E-Channel rejected because the card expired.

For a summary of what ICP replaced and how the old ICA name fits in, see the definition above. For the related terms, open E-Channel, entry permit and visa stamping.