Emirates ID Biometrics: Who Needs Fingerprints
Emirates ID biometrics means giving your fingerprints and photograph at an ICP customer happiness centre. Anyone aged 15 and over must do it, for a first card and usually for renewals too. Children under 15 are exempt from fingerprinting but still need a photo. The appointment takes minutes, and your application does not move forward until it is done.
- Check whether your case needs biometrics at all.
- Book the appointment once your application is submitted.
- Bring your passport and application receipt.
Who needs Emirates ID biometrics?
Every one of our Emirates ID guides mentions the fingerprint step, because it sits inside almost every application. This page covers that step on its own: who has to do it, what actually happens, and why it holds people up.
The rule turns on age. Once you are 15 or over, fingerprints and a signature are part of the process. Below that age, the fingerprint requirement does not apply.
| Who | Biometrics needed |
|---|---|
| Residents aged 15 and over, first card | Yes, fingerprints and photo |
| Residents aged 15 and over, renewing | Usually yes, unless ICP already holds current prints |
| Children under 15 | No fingerprints, but a photograph is still required |
| Anyone unable to give prints | Exempt, the card is issued using other biometric data |
One point that saves a wasted trip: you are not expected to turn up at a centre just in case. ICP notifies you when your file needs prints. If nothing has been requested and your application is progressing, there is nothing to book.
What happens at the appointment?
The visit itself is short and routine. Biometric capture is done in person at an ICP customer happiness centre, because fingerprints cannot be collected online.
- Submit your Emirates ID application first, online or through a typing centre, and keep the receipt.
- Attend the centre when notified, taking your passport and the application receipt with the PRAN on it.
- All ten fingerprints are scanned, and your photograph and signature are captured.
- Your file updates, printing follows, and the card is delivered.
Bring the right paperwork and it is a few minutes of work. Once prints are captured, you can watch the application move through the remaining stages using our Emirates ID status check guide.
Worth knowing about the photograph: ICP expects a recent image, and for a renewal it must not be the same photo already on your current card. That rule catches people who assume the old image can simply be reused.
Exemptions and special cases
Two groups do not give fingerprints. The first is children under 15, who are covered in our guide to the Emirates ID for children. They still need a photograph and a full application, so being exempt from prints does not mean skipping the process.
The second is anyone whose fingerprints cannot physically be captured, for example because of a disability or an injury affecting the hands. In that case the card is still issued, using the other biometric data held on file. Nobody is refused an Emirates ID because prints could not be taken.
Renewals sit in between. If ICP already holds current fingerprints for you, a fresh capture may not be requested at all, and the renewal can run entirely online. The renewal process itself is in our Emirates ID renewal guide.
Why biometrics delay applications?
If your Emirates ID has been sitting at the same status for a while, biometrics is the first thing to check. An application cannot progress past the review stage until the required prints are on file, so an unbooked or missed appointment quietly stalls everything behind it.
This is the single most common reason a card appears stuck under process. ICP lists about five days for the service overall, but that clock assumes the biometric step is done promptly. Leave it a fortnight and the whole application waits a fortnight.
The fix is simple: complete the appointment as soon as you are notified, then check your status again a day or two later. For everything else ID related, see our Emirates ID guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs biometrics for an Emirates ID?
Anyone aged 15 and over gives fingerprints and a signature as part of the application, for a first card and usually for renewals. Children under 15 are exempt from fingerprinting but still need a photograph. Anyone physically unable to give prints is also exempt.
Can Emirates ID biometrics be done online?
No. Fingerprints have to be captured in person at an ICP customer happiness centre, so this is the one step of the process that cannot be completed from home. The application itself, and the payment, can still be done online beforehand.
Do I need biometrics again when I renew?
Often yes, if you are 15 or over. If ICP already holds current fingerprints for you, a fresh capture may not be requested and the renewal can run fully online. You will be notified if you need to attend a centre, so there is no need to go unprompted.
What should I bring to the appointment?
Take your original passport and the application receipt showing your PRAN number. All ten fingerprints are scanned and your photograph and signature are captured. The visit itself usually takes only a few minutes once you are seen.
Last verified: August 2026
Written by Roman Shah ยท Reviewed by the UAEexplained editorial team
Source: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
