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The Emirates ID on a free zone visa is the identity card ICP issues once your residence visa is approved. You cannot skip it: every resident holds one, owner and employee alike. ICP charges AED 100 for each year of residence plus AED 100 for smart service. In most free zones you never see those two lines, because the zone bundles them into its visa price. Some do not, and that is where people pay twice or get surprised.
The ICP fee
ICP's own service page sets three numbers. The card costs AED 100 per year of residence, so the length of your visa decides the fee. A smart service fee of AED 100 is added. If you need it faster, the urgent service is AED 150 more. These are federal fees. A free zone or a typing centre adds its own handling on top.
Which free zone prices include the Emirates ID
| Free zone | Visa price | Emirates ID |
|---|---|---|
| SPC Free Zone | AED 2,530 investor visa | Included; medical AED 365 extra |
| RAKEZ | AED 3,800 employee visa | Included with entry permit, medical and residence |
| Innovation City | AED 4,400 per visa | Included with medical, insurance and status change |
| Meydan Free Zone | AED 4,000 investor visa | Not included; medical and Emirates ID AED 2,250 |
| Masdar City Free Zone | AED 3,050 employment visa package | Not included; medical listed at AED 350 |
| DMCC | AED 2,972.50 new 2 year visa from outside | Not included; medical and Emirates ID extra |
| DWTC Free Zone | AED 2,000 from outside the UAE | Normal medical included, Emirates ID not |
Source: SPC pay as you go page, RAKEZ visa page, Innovation City FAQ, Meydan home page, Masdar licence page, DMCC schedule of charges and the DWTC visa form and FAQ, checked .
Two zones need a closer read. KEZAD lists an ID card at AED 300 next to its AED 1,500 employment residence fee. Its tariff does not say whether that line is the Emirates ID or the zone's own card, so ask. ADGM's fee schedule prices the visa but does not list medical or Emirates ID at all.
The biometrics visit
This is the one step you cannot do from abroad. DMCC says its setup is digital, yet the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics need you in person. UAQ Free Trade Zone says the same: no presence needed for company formation, presence needed for stamping, biometrics and medical. Plan one trip that covers both.
How long the card takes
Shams Free Zone gives 7 to 10 working days after biometrics. RAKEZ splits its standard route into about 4 business days for the entry permit and 5 for Emirates ID and residence. Other zones do not publish a time, so ask the partner to put one in writing.
Renewal and cancellation
Because ICP prices the card per year of residence, its life matches the visa. When the visa is renewed, a new card term is due with it. Ask whether the zone's renewal price covers the card: RAKEZ quotes AED 3,500 to renew an employee visa, but its page lists the contents only for a new visa.
When someone leaves, the visa and the card close together. Owners closing a company should cancel employee visas first. RAKEZ, for one, puts visa cancellation before deregistration in its liquidation steps. Keep the establishment card valid through all of this, since the card is what lets the company sponsor and process visas.
How we help with Emirates ID files
You send the zone, the people who need residency and when they can be in the UAE. We pass it to a licensed partner who books the medical and biometrics around your dates and tracks the cards. They quote one total first, and you choose whether to proceed. We are an independent directory, not ICP, so we cannot issue or speed up an ID.
What to bring to biometrics
- Original passport with the entry permit or visa
- Application reference from the zone or PRO
- Medical result, if the centre asks for it
- Passport photo in the ICP format
Order of steps
- Entry permit approved through the zone.
- Enter the UAE or change status.
- Medical test.
- Emirates ID biometrics.
- Residence visa issued.
- Emirates ID card printed and delivered.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying a typing centre for the Emirates ID when your zone price already includes it.
- Booking a flight out before biometrics are done.
- Paying for urgent service when the standard time fits your plans.
- Forgetting to cancel the card with the visa when someone leaves.
The full cost of residency, card included, is on free zone visa cost. Owners start with investor visa UAE, staff with employee visas. Fill in the form on this page and we forward it to a licensed partner who replies with a price.
Sources
- https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=64afe3c1035448005bd52e5a : Emirates ID fees and urgent service
- https://www.spcfz.ae/pay-as-you-go/ : SPC investor visa with Emirates ID and medical
- https://eservices.rakez.com/apex/RAK_Employment_Visa : RAKEZ visa contents and timing
- https://innovationcity.com/faq : Innovation City visa contents
- https://www.meydanfz.ae/ : Meydan medical and Emirates ID fee
- https://masdarcityfreezone.com/explore/license-and-registration : Masdar visa package and medical fee
- https://dmcc.ae/members/support/schedule-charges : DMCC visa fee
- https://media.dwtc.com/visa-application.pdf : DWTC visa fee and what it covers
- https://www.kezadgroup.com/en/business-facilities/tariffs : KEZAD ID card and residence fees
- https://dmcc.ae/business/business-setup-packages : DMCC presence for medical and biometrics
- https://uaqftz.gov.ae/benefits : UAQ FTZ presence rules
- https://shamsfz.ae/knowledge-hub/faqs/ : Shams Emirates ID timing
- https://rakez.com/en/service-cards/company-services/liquidation : visa cancellation before deregistration
