Complete Guide to ICA Smart Services UAE (2024 Updated)

If you are living in the UAE, you have most likely heard of the ICA smart services. It is an online portal that makes visa services easy.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in Abu Dhabi has made this service available for convenient visa processing and payment.

Sometimes, you might be in a hurry and not have time to visit the government office. Or you may be outside of the country and unable to complete your process.

In these cases, you can complete the processes online with the help of the smart services of ICA UAE. Let’s see what ICA UAE can offer in the ICA smart services guide below.

What are ICA smart services?

ICA smart services provide facilities for passports, citizenships, entry fees, IDs, fines, etc., for individuals and families.

The ICA smart services are a great way to manage everything related to the UAE immigration and visa. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security runs this service. You can find everything you need to know on this portal.

These are some of the things you can do using ICA smart services:

• Extend entry permits
• Check visa validity
• Pay fines
• Request golden visa nomination
• Update personal information
• Register arrivals

Individuals, as well as businesses, can use these services.

See also: Check this Dbd guide on – How to check UAE visa status online, where we have shared a detailed step-by-step guide with images.

How to register for ICA smart services?

You can do many things on ICA smart services by registering an application for a specific activity. The registration processes for most activities follow a similar process.

Generally, you should provide the information, review the info you entered and make payments if required. But there may be slightly altered steps in some processes.

Let’s take a look at a more detailed breakdown of how to register for different ICA smart services:

1. ICA smart services for entry permits

Nationals of some countries can get a visa on arrival in the United Arab Emirates. But those who need a prior permit must apply for one through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

The ICA smart offer e-services for those who need to apply for an entry permit into the UAE. Multiple entries for long-term tourism or business purposes can also be requested, and fees may all be paid online.

To get entry permits online, you need to fill out their forms for the respective purpose. You may need to provide personal information and legal documents to complete the application.

If you are from a visa-exempt country, visitors can apply for entry permits online by following these steps:

1. Go to this ICA service portal.
2. Fill in your arrival information details. These include the country you’re coming from, the emirate you are entering, arrival port, trip number, cities you visited in the last 14 days, and visit reason. You also need to inform whether you took a medical test or not.
3. In the ‘Personal Information’ section, provide your personal details. These details include your name, date & place of birth, passport number, email, religion, etc.
4. Provide a detailed address in the UAE where you’ll be going. Also, provide your office’s phone number if you have one.
5. Enter details of a person, UAE residents, with who you are in contact.
6. Enter your address outside the UAE.
7. Solve the captcha and press the ‘Next’ button.
8. You’ll be taken to the next page. Here, attach any files it asks for. It will ask for your vaccination certificate, passport image, photograph, etc. Make sure to meet the file size and type requirements. Then go to the next page.
9. Review the ICA registration and declare that all of your information is correctly entered.
10. Pay the application fees. You can make payment via your bank’s credit card.

ICA e-services are quick and convenient, and applicants can expect to receive their approved entry permit within a few days. By availing of these services, you will be able to save time and avoid the hassle of having to queue at an ICA office just to get a permit for entry.

For entry permit applications, you need to pay AED 100 for application fees, AED 500 for issuance fees, AED 50 for electronic services, and AED 100 for urgent fees if requested.^[1] ICA smart service, “Issuance of a Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa, https://icp.gov.ae/en/service/issuance-of-a-multiple-entry-tourist-visa/#:~:text=Service%20Requirements%20and%20Fees”

See also: Latest update on ICA approval for UAE residents – Check if you are planning to travel soon!

2. ICA smart services for visa status check

If you are in the UAE and wondered how you could check your current visa status, you will need the ICA smart services. All you need to do to check the validity of your visa is to visit this site and provide the necessary details.

1. Go to the ‘File Validity‘ page of ICA.
2. If you are a GCC citizen, then check the box labeled ‘GCC Citizen.’
3. GCC citizens must enter their passport number & expiry date, and nationality and hit the search button. Non-GCC citizens must choose between file number or passport, then fill in the details.
4. Solve the captcha and click on search.

After you hit the search button, you will see the details of your visa status.

There aren’t a lot of details you need to provide. All you need are your passport number, expiry date, and nationality. This way, with just your passport in hand, you can see the validity of your visa.

Learn more: If you are concerned about your overstay in the UAE, take a look at our Dbd guide on – How to check the overstay fine in UAE, where we have shared all the latest information.

3. ICA smart services for visa extension

You can extend your visa for a further six months if you need time to process your golden visa. The authority for identity and citizenship has made it possible to do so at the ICA smart services portal.

To extend your visa validity from ICA smart services, your visa needs to have been valid for at least six months. ^[2]ICP, “Extend Entry Permit, https://icp.gov.ae/en/service/extend-entry-permit/”

These are the steps that you will have to follow:

1. Go to this application page.
2. Scroll down and fill in the applicant information. Enter your name, number, email, and preferred language.
3. Input your identification information.
4. Enter all personal details from your name, occupation, and passport number to your email, mother’s name, religion, etc.
5. Enter the address of the UAE residence where you are staying and other info.
6. Enter your address outside of UAE. This is where you live inside the country whose citizenship you hold.
7. Solve the captcha and click ‘Next.’
8. Attach the documents it asks for on the next page. Meet the format and file size requirements.
9. Review the application once more and declare that the information you provided is accurate.
10. Pay the application fees. Use the credit card of your bank to complete the payment.

The fees you must pay are:

• AED 100 as the request fee (AED 200 for GCC residents and AED 50 for their companions)
• AED 500 as issuance fee
• AED 10 as an e-services fee

Once the application is submitted, it takes around 48 hours for your entry permit to be issued.

Residents of GCC countries can only extend the visa by 30 days once. You can also extend your visa by 30 days each for two times if you hold a tourist or visit visa. For this, contact your tourism company or call 600522222 for assistance.

Similarly, you can choose to extend your visa for treatment and studies for up to 90 days. The companions of GCC citizens can only extend their visas by 60 days.

See also: GDRFA return permit requirement for UAE residents & expats

4. ICA smart services for fine payment

There are many reasons why someone may incur fines. It might be because they violated the entry permit terms and conditions or overstayed their visas.

Regardless of the reason why they were fined, if it is a federal offense, the fines can be paid using ICA smart services. You need to provide your ID information or file number to see the details of your fine and proceed to pay.

This is how you pay your fines using ICA smart services in three main steps:

First step:

1. Go to the Fines payment page of the ICA smart services website.
2. Select ‘File Number’ or ‘Citizens of certain countries’ options on the’ Select the module’ field.
3. For file number, enter the department, year, service, and sequence accurately, then enter your date of birth. For ‘Citizens of certain countries, enter your passport number & type, date of birth, and nationality.
4. Check the box that says “I’m not a robot” and solve the captcha.
5. Hit the Next button.

Second step:

In this step, you can review the application. In this step, you will see all of the necessary fines that need to be paid.

You will see the amount of fine you need to pay as well.

Third step:

In the final stage, you will have to make the payment. You can use smart services to make payments after entering your bank account details.

For this, you must provide your bank details and a mobile number to get an OTP.

See also: Willing to apply for a tourist visa in UAE, check out this Dbd guide on – How to apply for a UAE tourist visa, where we have shared the detailed information.

5. ICA smart services for arrival and vaccination registration

ICA smart services system enables residents and visitors to register their details for arrival in the UAE with vaccination status. You are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before you register on the ICA smart services.

Before starting the application process, ensure that your vaccine certificate contains a valid QR code. If it doesn’t, you should contact the health center you vaccinated in and explain your situation.

The UAE government has approved these vaccinations: ^[3]ICA, “Register Arrivals and Vaccination certificates Attestation, https://smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#:~:text=Approved%20vaccines%20in%20the%20UAE%20are”

• 3 Oxford-Astrazeneca
• Johnson & Johnson
• Moderna
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Sinopharm
• Sputnik vaccine
• Jamalika/Sputnik V

Here is how you can register your arrival and vaccination certificates:

1. Go to ICA’s arrival registration portal.
2. In the ‘Applicant information’ section, enter your name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, phone number, and email.
3. Enter passport number, issue date, expiry date, and passport type in the ‘Passport information’ section.
4. Input your arrival information and address inside the UAE.
5. In the vaccine information section, give accurate details on the vaccination country, vaccine type, and vaccination dates of all three doses you had.
6. Attach all necessary files it asks for, such as your passport image, your photo, PCR test result, and vaccination card. The maximum size of each attachment should not exceed 6MB, and only .jpg, .jped, and .pdf files are accepted.
7. Declare that the information you have provided in the above steps is all accurate by ticking the box in the ‘Declarations’ field.
8. Solve the captcha by clicking the “I’m not a robot” box and then press Send.

You have to be very careful when entering all the information. If your email is incorrect, you will not receive the QR code to proceed with the process.

See also: Check out this Dbd guide on – How to apply for a freelance visa in Dubai, where we have shared the detailed process involved, including requirements and fees.

6. ICA Golden Visa services

The UAE offers a Golden Visa for those who want to live and work in the country long-term. The visa is valid for up to 10 years and can be renewed.

The Golden Visa is intended to provide a positive business environment and facilitate the UAE’s economic growth. The visa holder and their dependents are eligible for long-term residency.

To apply for the golden visa, you must follow this procedure:

1. Go to this ICA smart services page of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
2. Choose the Person category and sub-category.
3. Fill out the personal details carefully.
4. Provide your contact information. The email you provide here will be sent a confirmation mail, so you must be careful when you enter the email.
5. Solve the captcha and click ‘Next.’
6. On the next page, provide all necessary attachments. Make sure to follow the guidelines on the screen when choosing file size and format.
7. Review the application and verify that all of your information is correct.
8. Pay the application fees. The fees will be displayed on the screen, and you can pay them using your bank’s credit card.

See also: List of visa-free countries for UAE residents

Who should register for ICA smart services?

Any resident or business can use ICA smart services in the UAE. Anyone who needs to apply for or renew a passport, or UAE residence visa, pay fines, update personal information, or request government certificates can register for ICA smart services.

The service is also available to businesses who need to or must register a company, obtain a trade license, or renew their trade license. To use the services, residents and businesses simply need to create an account on the website and then log in to complete the desired action.

You can sign up for the ICA services from this portal. You must sign up using an active email address or a UAE pass.

See also: Check out this Dbd guide on – How to apply USA visit visa from Dubai and UAE, where we have shared the detailed process involved, including requirements and fees.

How can I get ICA UAE approval?

Getting ICA approval basically means registering your arrival in the UAE. If you are a legal UAE resident, you can follow these simple steps to confirm the registration of your arrival: ^[4]ICA smart services, “Other services, https://smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#/residents-entry-confirmation”

1. Visit this webpage of the ICA smart services.
2. Enter your emirates ID number.
3. Type in your passport number accurately.
4. Select your passport type from the dropdown menu.
5. Choose your Nationality from the dropdown menu.
6. On the bottom right, checkmark the box that says “I’m not a robot” and solve the captcha.
7. Hit the Check button.

See also: Check out this Dbd guide on – How to apply for Canada visa from Dubai and UAE, where we have shared the detailed process involved, including requirements and fees.

How to get ICA QR code?

You will receive your ICA QR code in your email when you register your arrival and give proof of vaccination. This is the webpage you can go to if you want to register.

The ‘ICA smart services for arrival and vaccination registration’ section explains the registration steps. To obtain the QR code of your Emirates ID, follow these steps:

First, go to this link and select either the mobile number or personal information to verify.

If you chose the mobile number option:

1. Select either UAE unified number or Emirates identity number to enter.
2. Enter the UAE unified number or Emirates identity number based on your choice in step 1.
3. Hit the search button.

If you chose the personal information option:

1. Choose your nationality from the dropdown menu.
2. Select your passport type.
3. Enter your correct passport number.
4. Enter your date of birth. You can click the calendar and select the year, month and date.
5. Select your gender.
6. Input your sponsored number.
7. Hit the search button.

FAQs on ICA smart services UAE

Final thoughts

The ICA smart services provide a convenient and efficient way to complete various government-related tasks from your home.

They are beneficial for both individuals and businesses in the UAE. So if you ever face any issue regarding your visa or passport, you can use the ICA smart services.

ICA smart services website and apps are official online portals of the Federal Authority for Identity and citizenship. So, you can trust them to handle your information privately.

If you found this Dbd guide for ICA UAE Smart Services helpful, share it with others who are in the UAE and need help with mandatory legal documents.