UAE Nationals Can Now Renew Emirates ID Cards a Year Early
UAE nationals can now renew their Emirates ID cards up to 12 months before they expire, under a federal rule from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). This doubles the previous early-renewal window from six months to 12 months. The change took effect on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and applies nationwide, not to one emirate.
This 12-month window is specifically for UAE nationals. Residents (non-UAE nationals) keep the existing 6-month early-renewal window, confirmed directly on ICP’s own service page. If you’re a resident, see our Emirates ID renewal guide for the fees, documents and process that apply to you.
Where a citizen’s passport and Emirates ID expiry dates coincide, both can now be renewed in a single integrated transaction, rather than two separate processes. This complements ICP’s earlier move allowing UAE nationals to renew passports up to a year before expiry too.
ICP frames the change as part of the UAE’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, aimed at reducing procedural duplication and simplifying the renewal journey for citizens.
