Lost Emirates ID? How to Report It and Get a Replacement

Direct answer. If you have lost your Emirates ID, tell the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and apply for a replacement card. The UAE government portal says to report the loss to ICP within 7 days. If you are a foreign resident, a second rule applies: the executive regulations of the entry and residence law say you must report a lost identity card to the nearest police station within three days. ICP's own replacement service does not list a police report among its documents, but that does not cancel the police duty for residents. The replacement is ICP's "Issue Replacement for lost / damaged ID Card" service. It lists a fee of AED 300, a completion time of 5 days, and a new card with the same validity period as the one you lost.

What to do in the first few days

Work through these steps in this order.

1. Look properly first. Check your car, your workplace and the last counters you used. A replacement card keeps the old card's validity, so there is no benefit in replacing a card you can still find.
2. Report it to the police (foreign residents, within three days). This is the duty in the executive regulations. Report to the nearest police station, which is the regulation's wording, or use that emirate's online lost-item service.
3. Tell ICP (within 7 days). The UAE government portal sets this deadline, and for a lost card it points you to ICP's replacement service. If you are unsure whether applying counts as notice, call ICP on 600 522222.
4. Apply for the replacement card. Use the ICP website or app with UAE Pass, or a Customer Happiness Centre.
5. If it was stolen, file a criminal report instead of a lost-item report, and watch for misuse of your identity.

The sections below explain each step and the rules behind it.

The legal duties, and who they apply to

Two instruments set three duties for a lost Emirates ID. They are easy to blur, so here they are side by side.

Article 11 of the identity card law says that if the card is lost, damaged or its data changes, the holder must notify the authority "within the time limits and pursuant to the procedures determined by the Board decision". You can read the full text of the law. The law itself sets no number of days. The UAE government portal fills that gap: "If you have lost your Emirates ID card, report the loss to ICP within 7 days from the date of loss."

The police duty comes from a different instrument, the executive regulations of the entry and residence law. Article 6 of the executive regulations lists the obligations of the foreigner. Item 3 says that a foreigner who loses or damages a passport or identity card "shall report this to the nearest police station within (3) three days of the loss or damage". The same article lets the ICP Chairman set the procedures for that loss. Article 6 appears twice on that page; the one you need is headed "Obligations of the Foreigner and the Recruitment Agency".

Item 6 of the same article adds that a foreigner must show an identity card or proof of identity whenever asked. That is one more reason not to leave the replacement for later.

Do these rules apply to UAE nationals?

The three-day police rule sits in the regulations of the entry and residence law, which governs foreigners. It does not, on its own terms, bind UAE nationals. The duty to notify ICP under Article 11 of the identity card law applies to every holder, citizen or resident. GCC citizens are "foreigners" under the law's definition, but the law excludes people exempted by international agreements, so whether the three-day police duty binds a GCC citizen is for ICP to confirm. If you are an Emirati and your card was stolen, a police report is still the right step for the theft itself.

What happens if you report late?

We found no article that sets a penalty aimed at a late lost-card report. Article 16 of the identity card law lets the Cabinet set fines of up to AED 1,000, but it names Articles 6 and 10 of that law, not Article 11. ICP's service card lists a fine of AED 20 for each day of delay in reporting "any change or modification" in personal data beyond 30 days, capped at AED 1,000. The card words that fine for data changes, not for a loss.

For foreign residents, the three-day police duty is part of the executive regulations. On its face, Article 30 of the entry and residence law sets a general penalty for breaching the law or its regulations (imprisonment of at least one month and/or a fine of at least AED 10,000). Article 34 also lets the Cabinet set administrative violations and sanctions for breaches of the law and its executive regulations. We found no source showing how either applies to a late lost-card report. If you are already past a deadline, report anyway, and ask ICP or a licensed UAE lawyer where you stand.

Do you need a police report?

It depends on who is asking.

• ICP's replacement service: its list of required documents does not include a police report, for UAE citizens, residents or GCC citizens alike.
• The law, for foreign residents: yes. The three-day police duty applies whether or not ICP asks to see the report.
• Theft: yes, and it should be a criminal report, not a lost-item report.

So if you are a resident, report the loss to the police even though ICP will not ask to see the report. Keep the reference number. It is your proof that you met the deadline.

Where to report

Each emirate's police run their own lost-item service. Dubai Police has a Report Lost Item service. Abu Dhabi Police runs Reporting Lost Items through TAMM. In Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the Ministry of Interior issues a certificate for lost documents on the back of an existing police report.

Fees, timings and conditions differ by emirate and change from time to time. Our lost passport guide sets out the per-emirate police services and the fees they listed when it was written. Check the live service page before you pay.

Lost or stolen?

A lost-item report records that something went missing. A criminal report records a crime. If your wallet was taken from your bag or your car was broken into, report a theft. The Crimes and Penalties Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, makes theft a criminal offence, so the police treat it as a crime, not a missing item.

A stolen Emirates ID can be used to try to open accounts or pass identity checks in your name. If you see signs of that, our guide to fraud under UAE law explains how to report it. It is also sensible to tell your bank and your mobile provider that the card is gone.

How to apply for a replacement Emirates ID

ICP's service is called "Issue Replacement for lost / damaged ID Card". The service card describes six digital steps:

1. Submit the application through an approved channel.
2. Review the application details and update them if needed.
3. Attach the required documents, if ICP cannot already pull them through its links with other bodies.
4. Pay the fees.
5. Complete any remaining steps, such as fingerprinting.
6. Receive the new card by authorised courier (standard service), or collect it from an ICP centre (urgent service).

Where to apply

You can apply on the ICP Smart Services website or the ICP app, both of which need a UAE Pass login and run 24/7. You can also go to a Customer Happiness Centre during working hours. The service card lists centres at Khalifa, Al Ain, Al Jazira, Al Barsha, Al Rashidiya, Al Ghazal, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. It also lists the Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department in Al Dhafra and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreign Affairs in Umm Al Quwain.

The urgent service is only available at a centre. You must start it there with a service officer.

Documents

The documents depend on your category:

The photo must meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Terms worth knowing

• Same validity. The new card carries the same validity period as the lost or damaged one. A replacement does not extend your card.
• Fingerprints at 15. Anyone aged 15 or over must complete fingerprinting and signature at an ICP centre.
• Who can apply. The head of the family, a legally authorised representative, a guardian, or the holder if of legal age. For a child, that is usually the head of the family or the child's guardian.
• Unfinished applications lapse. ICP cancels an application if the steps are not completed, or if requested changes are not made within the set period.

Replacement fees and timing

ICP's service card lists these fees. They are the same for UAE citizens, residents and GCC citizens:

The card lists these as separate lines and does not give a total. For example, the replacement and smart-services lines together come to AED 400. The payment screen shows the lines that apply to you. The service completion time listed is 5 days. Fees and times can change, so check the live service card before you pay.

The last line, a replacement for a data update, is a different situation. It is for changing the details printed on a card you still have. A lost card is a replacement for loss.

Replacement or renewal?

Because a replacement keeps the old expiry date, timing matters. ICP's renewal service is open when a card has expired, or when less than six months remain for non-UAE nationals, or less than one year for UAE nationals. If your lost card was inside that window, a replacement could leave you renewing again within weeks.

Which application ICP accepts for a lost card that is already eligible for renewal is set by ICP and can change. Ask ICP on 600 522222 before you pay for both. Renewal fees and late-renewal fines are a separate topic and are not covered here.

If your residence visa has been cancelled, the card question is different again. See what happens to your Emirates ID when your visa is cancelled, and how to check your visa cancellation status.

If you lost your passport too

Residents need a passport for the replacement application. If both went missing together, sort the passport first. Our lost passport guide covers the police report, the 24-hour duty to inform ICP about a passport, the replacement from your embassy, and updating your residence record. Then apply for the Emirates ID replacement with the new passport.

If you lose your card outside the UAE

We found no ICP procedure for a card lost abroad. The replacement service runs through the ICP website and app, and the fingerprint step needs an ICP centre for anyone aged 15 or over. How that works while you are outside the country is set by ICP and can change. Confirm with ICP before you travel back.

Mistakes that cost people time

• Skipping the police report because ICP did not ask for it. For foreign residents the three-day duty is in the regulations, not on the ICP form.
• Expecting a fresh expiry date. A replacement keeps the old validity. Check whether renewal suits you better.
• Filing a lost-item report for a stolen card. A theft needs a criminal report, which also helps if the card is later misused.
• Leaving an application half done. ICP cancels applications that are not completed in time.
• Booking the urgent service online. The urgent service starts only at an ICP centre.
• Forgetting other fines. If you are unsure whether fines sit on your residence file, check them first so a visit to a centre is not wasted.

When to get legal help

Most lost cards end with a replacement and nothing more. A lawyer is worth it when the card is tied to a wider problem: identity fraud using your card, a theft that turns into a dispute, a residence file problem, or a late report that has led to a fine or a case. You can find an immigration lawyer on LEXAI and contact them directly. For a quick first answer to a specific question, you can also ask the LEXAI AI assistant. For the term itself, see the Emirates ID entry in our dictionary.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Confirm current procedure with ICP or a licensed UAE lawyer.