No establishment card, no visas. PROXPAT issues, renews and amends establishment cards so your company can keep sponsoring staff, partners and investors without fines or blocked applications.
Page last updated: . Requirements, government fees and processing times are set by the relevant UAE authority and can change.
Establishment Card Services in the UAE
The establishment card, often called the immigration card or company immigration file, is the immigration authority's record of your business. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) describes the electronic card as holding the establishment's registered data: trade name, licence number, partners and type of activity. Until it exists, a company cannot sponsor a single residence visa.
It is also one of the easiest documents to forget. The trade licence gets renewed, the card does not, and the next visa application stops at the first screen. A partner leaves, the licence is amended, but the card still shows the old ownership.
PROXPAT issues the card immediately after licensing, keeps it aligned with every licence change and renews it on time as part of our PRO services, alongside work permits and employment visas.
What the Establishment Card Unlocks
| Transaction | Why the card matters |
|---|---|
| Investor and partner residence visas | The company must be registered with immigration before it can sponsor its owners |
| Employee entry permits and residence visas | Every visa application is filed against the establishment's immigration record |
| Visa renewals and cancellations | An expired card holds up routine immigration transactions for existing staff |
| Family and dependant applications through the company | Sponsorship chains start from a valid company file |
Please note: free zone companies also hold establishment cards. Depending on the zone, some transactions are handled through the free zone authority's own platform.
Who Issues It
ICP handles establishment cards federally through its smart services, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) handles them for Dubai-registered establishments. GDRFA Dubai separates issuance into categories:
| Category | For |
|---|---|
| Private sector and free zone institutions | Mainland companies and free zone companies |
| Government sector institutions | Federal and local government entities |
| National companies (SME) | Businesses registered under national SME programmes |
ICP's related services cover issuing the card, renewing it, cancelling it and amending it, including changes to the trade name, transfer of ownership and adding or removing a partner.
Renewal Fees for Private Sector and Free Zone Companies
For private sector and free zone companies, ICP's renewal service lists the following fees:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Renewal fee | AED 100 for each year |
| Renewal of the establishment subscription in the Authority's electronic system | AED 1,000 |
| Smart service fee | AED 100 |
Please note: these figures are as published by ICP for renewal through its smart services and can change. Issuance fees, typing or service centre charges, and fees in emirates using a local channel may differ. We confirm the live amount before paying.
Fines: What Companies Actually Get Charged For
| Situation | Fine published by ICP |
|---|---|
| Renewing the card more than 30 days after expiry | AED 100 for each month of delay, up to AED 1,000 |
| Violating ICP instructions or decisions, or breaching the establishment's commitments | AED 2,000 |
| Entry permits issued for an establishment not conducting any business activity | AED 20,000 |
| Misuse of smart services | AED 2,000 |
The AED 20,000 line is the one to take seriously. A company set up mainly to sponsor visas, with no genuine operations, is exactly what that fine targets.
Documents Required for Renewal
ICP lists these documents for private sector and free zone companies, attached where the system cannot retrieve the data automatically:
Trade licence; for an LLC, a copy showing the relevant stakeholders
Signature authorisation letter
Memorandum of Association, in the case of a partnership
Any requirement of the local government authority in the emirate where the establishment is registered
Conditions before ICP will renew
- The trade licence must be valid.
- Any fines due on the establishment must be paid.
- If the application is returned for modification, the requested steps must be completed.
Timeline
ICP lists a service completion time of 2 days for renewal through its smart services, which require login with UAE Pass. The real bottleneck is almost always upstream: an expired trade licence, unpaid fines, or a licence amendment that has not yet reached the immigration record.
Keeping the Card in Step With Your Licence
The card mirrors the licence. When the licence changes, the card has to follow, or immigration applications start failing for reasons that are not obvious from the error message.
| Change on the licence | What to do on the card |
|---|---|
| New trade name | Amend the establishment card data |
| Partner added or removed | Amend the card to reflect the new partners |
| Transfer of ownership | Amend the card before new sponsorships are filed |
| Licence renewed | Renew the card if it expires in the same period |
| Company closing, or free zone establishment deregistering | Cancel visas first, then cancel the card |
See trade licence renewal and amendments and visa cancellation.
Common Establishment Card Problems
The licence was renewed but the card was not
Renewals often run on different dates. A company can hold a valid licence and an expired card, and discover it only when an employee's visa renewal is rejected.
A partner change never reached immigration
The licence shows the new shareholder, the card shows the old one, and the new partner's investor visa cannot be filed.
Fines sitting on the file
ICP will not renew until establishment fines are paid. Old fines from a previous PRO or typing centre are a frequent surprise when a company changes providers.
Dormant companies still issuing permits
A company that has stopped trading but continues to sponsor visas (see closing a company properly) risks the AED 20,000 fine for entry permits issued to an establishment not conducting business. If operations have stopped, plan the cancellation sequence properly.
Step-by-Step: How PROXPAT Handles It
Step 1: Check licence validity and pending fines
Step 2: Confirm the issuing channel for your emirate or free zone
Step 3: Prepare the signature authorisation and licence documents
Step 4: Submit issuance, renewal or amendment
Step 5: Pay fees and track approval
Step 6: Upload the updated card to your company file
Step 7: Set a renewal reminder ahead of expiry
Step 8: Align visas and work permits with the updated card
New establishment card after licensing
Annual renewal before expiry
Trade name, partner and ownership amendments
Fine checks and settlement
Cancellation when closing or relocating
Ongoing monitoring on a PRO retainer
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep your company's immigration file in order.
Explore connected PROXPAT services that support the same client journey.
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- PRO in Sharjah
- PRO in Ajman
- Establishment Card
- Work Permit & Labour Card
- Labour Law for Employers
- Compliance Calendar
- In-House vs Outsourced PRO
- How to Choose a PRO Company
- Absence From Work Report
- Labour Ban Rules
- Wage Protection System
- Trade Licence Services
- Customs Code
- Corporate Bank Account
- Company Liquidation
Establishment Card Due or Out of Date?
PROXPAT checks your licence and fines, then issues, renews or amends the establishment card so visas and renewals keep moving.