The Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship (ICP) expanded the VIP biometrics and Emirates ID pathway to four additional centres in Q1 2026: Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and a second Abu Dhabi location. Previously, the VIP pathway was concentrated in Dubai and the original Abu Dhabi centre.
Practical effect: applicants who can travel to any of these centres now access an Emirates ID issuance window of roughly 7 days from biometrics, against the standard 14–21 days. The fee differential is published on ICP's site.
What this means for our clients
We schedule VIP slots for clients on Golden Visa and certain investor-visa applications by default — the time saving compounds across visa, banking, and Tasheel registrations that depend on Emirates ID. With the expansion, Northern Emirates clients no longer need to drive to Dubai for the VIP slot.
Caveat: 'VIP' is a fee-bearing service tier. We never recommend it to clients on a tight budget unless the downstream timeline genuinely requires it. For a freelance visa where the founder is already in the UAE on a tourist permit, the standard pathway is fine.
ICP's announcement is linked below. The visa step is part of every formation engagement we run; if you are mid-application and want VIP scheduled in, message your handler.