The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) announced on 10 January the launch of an online residence-permit service for infants born in the UAE to parents employed in the private sector or free zones. Parents can now obtain a two-year residency sticker for a newborn entirely through the ICP smart app or web portal for a fee of AED 350, eliminating multiple physical visits to immigration centres.
Applicants log in with their UAE Pass digital ID, upload required documents—passport copy, birth certificate, Emirates IDs, tenancy contract and health-insurance proof—and receive an e-residence within 48 hours, officials said. The application must be submitted within 120 days of birth to avoid fines.
If families need additional assistance compiling documents or planning future travel requirements, VisaHQ offers a streamlined online service for UAE visa and passport matters, giving users step-by-step guidance, document pre-checks and status tracking through its secure portal: https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
![UAE offers fully digital residence-permit service for newborns, setting a new benchmark for family immigration]()
For expatriate families, the upgrade removes a long-standing administrative pain-point that often required queuing at typing centres and couriering documents between emirate-level authorities. HR managers in industries with sizeable foreign workforces—construction, healthcare, hospitality—should update onboarding handbooks and remind staff of the 120-day deadline.
Law firms say the move signals the UAE’s broader shift toward life-cycle digital immigration, where every stage—from entry visa to Emirates ID renewal—can be completed via smart channels. It also dovetails with the government’s target of reducing paper transactions by 80 percent by 2031.
Practical tip: parents should ensure the newborn’s passport is valid for at least six months and that the sponsor’s own residency visa has more than 90 days’ validity remaining when the application is filed, otherwise the system will reject the request.
Applicants log in with their UAE Pass digital ID, upload required documents—passport copy, birth certificate, Emirates IDs, tenancy contract and health-insurance proof—and receive an e-residence within 48 hours, officials said. The application must be submitted within 120 days of birth to avoid fines.
If families need additional assistance compiling documents or planning future travel requirements, VisaHQ offers a streamlined online service for UAE visa and passport matters, giving users step-by-step guidance, document pre-checks and status tracking through its secure portal: https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
For expatriate families, the upgrade removes a long-standing administrative pain-point that often required queuing at typing centres and couriering documents between emirate-level authorities. HR managers in industries with sizeable foreign workforces—construction, healthcare, hospitality—should update onboarding handbooks and remind staff of the 120-day deadline.
Law firms say the move signals the UAE’s broader shift toward life-cycle digital immigration, where every stage—from entry visa to Emirates ID renewal—can be completed via smart channels. It also dovetails with the government’s target of reducing paper transactions by 80 percent by 2031.
Practical tip: parents should ensure the newborn’s passport is valid for at least six months and that the sponsor’s own residency visa has more than 90 days’ validity remaining when the application is filed, otherwise the system will reject the request.
