ICP Smart Services is the official online platform of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security — the UAE federal body known as ICP — and it is where you apply for and manage Emirates ID cards, entry permits, residence visas, passports and establishment cards. It runs at smartservices.icp.gov.ae and through the UAEICP smart app, and you can use it either as an individual or as a registered company.
The one thing to understand before you start is that ICP does not handle every emirate’s residency work. For Dubai applications you deal with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs instead. Everything below explains which is which, what you can actually do on the platform, and the quirks of a portal that has changed its name more than once.
Who is ICP, and why does the name keep changing?
The authority behind the platform has been renamed twice, which is the single biggest source of confusion for anyone searching for it.
It was established on 29 September 2004 under Federal Law No. 2 of 2004 as the Emirates Identity Authority, to create the Population Register and the Emirates Identity Card programme. Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2017 renamed it the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship — ICA — and transferred nationality, passports, and the entry and residence of foreigners to it from the Ministry of Interior. Then, on 25 August 2021, Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2021 was promulgated to replace that authority and the Federal Customs Authority with the body that exists today: the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, abbreviated ICP.
This history is still visible in the plumbing. ICP’s own website serves files from paths containing ica_files, older press releases refer to “ICA”, and the smart services application sits at a URL containing /echannels/. So if you have seen the same system called ICA Smart Services or the eChannels portal, you were not mistaken. They are the same platform under earlier names.
ICP or GDRFA? Check before you apply
This is the practical fork in the road, and the UAE Government portal u.ae sets it out clearly. ICP handles entry permit and visa applications for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Dubai applications go through GDRFA Dubai and its own channels, including the GDRFA website and Amer centres. Emirates ID is federal and sits with ICP regardless of emirate.
Apply in the wrong place and you do not get a faster answer. You get a rejection, or a payment to chase.
What you can do on ICP Smart Services
ICP’s published services guide and its interactive services listing cover a wide catalogue. The main groups are these.
Emirates ID
- New identity card issuance — obtaining a card for the first time
- Identity card renewal
- Replacement for a lost or damaged card, which ICP states carries the same validity period as the original
- Data update — changing phone number, email and address
- Refund of fees where a service was not completed
- Request for exemption from delay fees, subject to approved exemption decisions
On renewal timing, ICP’s interactive services pages state that a card can be renewed when expired or nearing expiry, with under one year remaining for UAE nationals and under six months for non-UAE nationals.
Entry permits and visas
- Issuance of a visa — entry permits for tourism, visiting, medical treatment, or to complete work or family residency procedures
- Amendment of visa data on an issued entry permit
- Visa extension for eligible categories
- Issuing and renewing residency permits, including employment residence, Green Residence and residence without work for students, retirees, property owners, family members and virtual-work holders
Passports, family data and nationality
For UAE citizens, the platform covers new passports, renewals including for citizens abroad, replacement of a lost or damaged passport, and Family Data.
Company and sponsorship services
Registered establishments can issue, renew, modify and cancel establishment cards, manage sponsored individuals, and use follow-up services such as absconding reports and departure permits.
Setting up an account
There are two routes in, and which one you need depends on whether you are acting for yourself or for a company.
As an individual
ICP’s app page states that users log in through UAE PASS, the UAE’s national digital identity, which gives you one login across government and private-sector services plus a digital signature and a document vault. ICP’s own user manual for the smart app also documents a username-and-password login with optional biometric sign-in.
If you already have UAE PASS, use it. It is the route ICP points to, and it saves maintaining a second set of credentials.
As an establishment
ICP’s official establishment services guide sets out the registration sequence:
- Open the smart services link and select Establishments Registration.
- Enter an email address and select Continue.
- Select Complete Registration in the activation email. ICP’s guide warns that this link is valid for only 15 minutes.
- Enter the establishment details and a mobile number.
- Enter the one-time password sent to that number.
- Complete the user registration fields and select Register.
- Log in, review the general information, then select a payment method and pay to activate the account.
Once active, the account supports user management for additional users on the same establishment, and adding a child establishment under a main company.
Tracking an application and paying fees
ICP’s FAQ explains that you can track a request from inside your account under My Applications, or use the application tracking option on the smart services website. It also notes that the application number starts with 010 — useful if you hold a reference and are unsure what it is.
The tracking tool for guests sits at smartservices.icp.gov.ae under application tracking, and ICP separately publishes a file validity check for entry permit and residence visa holders in the emirates it serves. Emirates ID applications have their own status page at icp.gov.ae/en/id-card-status, which takes a PRAN, an identity number or a request number.
Establishment accounts have an e-wallet and can view payments and financial transactions. ICP’s FAQ also describes instalment options through participating banks and Tabby, and an Easy Payment arrangement for customers with outstanding obligations. Fees and terms change, so confirm the current position on ICP’s own pages rather than a figure quoted elsewhere.
Other ways to reach ICP
ICP’s services guide lists its call centre as 600522222, alongside Customer Happiness Centres, the website, the ICPUAE smart application, the Ask Hamad chatbot and accredited typing offices. Registered typing offices remain a legitimate offline route if you would rather not file yourself.
Common questions
What is ICP Smart Services?
ICP Smart Services is the online platform of the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, reachable at smartservices.icp.gov.ae and through the UAEICP smart app. It is used to apply for and manage Emirates ID cards, entry permits, residence visas, passports and establishment cards. Both individuals and registered companies can hold accounts on it.
Is ICP Smart Services the same as ICA Smart Services?
Yes. ICA stood for the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, the authority’s name between 2017 and 2021. Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2021, promulgated on 25 August 2021, replaced that authority and the Federal Customs Authority with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, or ICP. The platform is the same system under a newer name.
Can I use ICP Smart Services for a Dubai visa?
No. According to the UAE Government portal u.ae, ICP handles entry permits and visas for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, while Dubai applications go through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Emirates ID is federal and is handled by ICP in every emirate.
Do I need UAE PASS to log in to ICP Smart Services?
ICP’s smart app page states that the app relies on UAE PASS, the UAE’s national digital identity, for login. ICP’s own user manual also documents a username-and-password sign-in with optional biometric login. UAE PASS is the route ICP promotes and it works across other government services too.
How do I check the status of an ICP application?
Sign in and open My Applications in your account, or use the application tracking option on the smart services website without signing in. ICP notes that its application numbers begin with 010. Emirates ID applications have a separate status page on icp.gov.ae that accepts a PRAN, an identity number or a request number.
Getting help with ICP applications
Most ICP problems are not really portal problems. They are applications filed in the wrong emirate, establishment accounts set up against the wrong licence, or sponsored-employee records that do not match the documents behind them.
Worldwide Formations has spent 20+ years setting up companies and processing residence visas across the UAE mainland and free zones, including the ICP and GDRFA filings that sit behind them. If an application has stalled and you cannot tell why, speak to our team.
