Free tool · Authority
Type your residence file number and see which emirate and authority hold your file, the helpline and where to apply.
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Every UAE residence is held by one of two immigration authorities. GDRFA Dubai holds residences issued in Dubai; ICP, the federal authority, holds residences issued in the other six emirates. The first digit of your residence file number tells you which emirate issued yours, and so where every renewal, cancellation, status change and return permit is filed.
| First digit | Emirate | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abu Dhabi | ICP |
| 2 | Dubai | GDRFA Dubai |
| 3 | Sharjah | ICP |
| 4 | Ajman | ICP |
| 5 | Umm Al Quwain | ICP |
| 6 | Ras Al Khaimah | ICP |
| 7 | Fujairah | ICP |
Your Emirates ID is always issued by ICP, wherever you live. Your work permit sits with MOHRE on the mainland or with your free zone authority. And the emirate that counts is where the residence was issued, not where you live today.
Look at the first digit of your residence file number: 2 means Dubai (GDRFA); 1 and 3 to 7 mean one of the other emirates (ICP). The place of issue also appears on your eVisa and in the ICP and GDRFA apps.
GDRFA Dubai: 800 5111 in the UAE, or +971 4 313 9999 from abroad. ICP: 600 522222 in the UAE, or +971 600 522222 from abroad.
No. The check runs in your browser and only reads the first digit.
Numbers are one thing
A calculator works from what you type. We work from what is actually recorded against your file — which is frequently different, and always the number that matters.
Grace period by emirate and category, chargeable days at AED 50 a day per person, and the figure in 30 days.
Open calculator → EmploymentArticle 51 by dates or years, unpaid leave excluded, the two-year cap and the 14-day payment deadline.
Open calculator → CostLine-by-line government fees from the published GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE cards, before anyone quotes you.
Open calculator → FamilySalary, housing and who you can sponsor, checked against the official rules, with the cost per dependant.
Open calculator → Golden VisaProperty, salary and entrepreneur routes against the official thresholds, with the Green Visa fallback.
Open calculator → CancellationEmployer not answering, company closed or sponsor deceased? Find your exact MOHRE, GDRFA or ICP route in six questions.
Open calculator → Re-entryOutside the UAE for months? Check if you can board, whether you need a return permit, the fee and your entry deadline.
Open calculator → DeadlinesOne date in, every deadline out: grace period, overstay, ILOE, gratuity, Emirates ID and newborn deadlines, straight into your calendar.
Open calculator → Business setupPrice a Dubai mainland company line by line from the published DET schedule, and compare four free zones on their own published prices.
Open calculator → ComplianceExpired licence, establishment card or work permits, late WPS or corporate tax? See the fines building today and what each lapse blocks.
Open calculator → HiringVisa fees by MOHRE category, worker protection, insurance, salary and gratuity accrual over a two-year visa cycle.
Open calculator → Status changeCompare the published status change fee with the real cost of a border run, and check whether your file is ready.
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