Establishment Card vs Labour File vs Immigration Card in the UAE
Establishment card vs labour file: they are two different registrations, with two different authorities, and a third name — immigration card — that usually means the first one. The card comes from immigration, the file from the labour ministry, and each one is a condition of using the other.
That dependency is the part people discover late, usually when one has lapsed and the other will not move. This guide separates the three names, quotes what each authority publishes about its own registration, and shows where two authorities publish different fees for the same card. Our PRO services desk maintains both; our guide to establishment card renewal covers the renewal itself in detail.
The three names, and which authority owns each
| What it is called | Who issues it | What it is for | Also called |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment card | ICP federally, or GDRFA in Dubai | Registers the company with immigration so it can sponsor residence visas | Immigration card, firm card, company card, battaqat al-munsha’a |
| Labour file | MOHRE | Registers the company with the labour ministry so it can hold work permits and employment contracts | Establishment file, MOHRE file, company labour card file |
| Immigration card | — | In ordinary use this is the establishment card, not a separate document | See the first row |
If you take one thing from this page: “immigration card” is almost always the establishment card under another name. The two registrations that genuinely differ are the establishment card and the labour file.
The order they are obtained in
The federal portal sets out the sequence for hiring on the mainland on its page about recruiting on the mainland, dated 11 June 2025.
- The trade licence first. Nothing below exists without it.
- An eSignature card from MOHRE. “The employer must first approach the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation” for it, and the ministry issues it “only after inspecting the premises and verifying there are no violations”. It is “a prerequisite for any application submitted by the employer.”
- Pre-approval for the work permit. “After the issuance of the card, the employer can apply for pre-approval work permit for its employees.”
- The firm card from immigration. “The employer must request a firm card also from the respective General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.” And then: “Once the card is issued, the employer/company will have a file with the immigration authorities”.
Two things worth noticing in that sequence. The premises inspection happens at step two, before anything else moves. And the portal uses “firm card” where the authorities themselves say “establishment card” — a fourth name for the same thing.
The establishment card: two authorities, two different answers
This is the part no one publishes side by side, so here it is.
| GDRFA Dubai | ICP | |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal fee published | AED 200 plus 5% VAT — and, on the same page, “Note: The issuance or renewal fee is AED100 per year.” | Application AED 100, annual renewal AED 100, electronic system subscription renewal AED 1,000, smart service fee AED 100. No total is published. |
| Other charges | Knowledge Dirham AED 10, Innovation Dirham AED 10, service fee AED 50, urgent fee AED 100 | Not published beyond the four above |
| Late fine | Not published | More than 30 days past expiry: AED 100 per month, capped at AED 1,000 |
| Other fines published | None on the page | AED 1,000 for changing establishment information without notifying the Authority; AED 2,000 for violating Authority instructions; AED 2,000 for misusing smart services; AED 20,000 where entry permits are issued to an establishment not conducting business |
| Service time | 48 hours | 2 days |
| Validity published | Not published | Not published |
Both read 14 October 2026, from GDRFA’s renewal service page and ICP’s renewal service page, the latter published and last updated 11 December 2024.
We are not going to reconcile GDRFA’s two figures for you. The page carries AED 200 plus VAT in its fee list and AED 100 per year in a note, and it does not say which governs. Ask GDRFA before you pay, and treat anyone who quotes you one of them with certainty as guessing.
ICP publishes one condition worth lifting out, because it catches companies between renewals: “The service is granted only if a valid trade license is available.” And a standing obligation: “The establishment must notify the Authority of any changes to its information.” The AED 1,000 fine above is the price of not doing it.
The labour file: what MOHRE requires to touch it
MOHRE’s own service for updating the establishment file describes itself plainly: “The Ministry offers this service to establishments wishing to amend or change their details.”
Its conditions are where the two registrations visibly lock together:
- “A valid trade license.”
- “The Economic Department must register the required amendments” — so the licensing authority moves first.
- An establishment card is required for the licensee or service agent.
- The applicant must be authorised as a signatory by the Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Customs and Port Security — that is ICP, the immigration side.
- “The licensee or a service agent shall be at least 21 years of age.”
Read that list again. To change your MOHRE file you need a valid trade licence, a registered amendment at the economic department, a current establishment card, and an ICP-authorised signatory. The labour file is downstream of all three.
The documents MOHRE asks for say the same thing in paperwork: a copy of the trade licence, “a clear copy of both sides of the establishment card”, a lease contract with updated information and rental amount, with virtual establishments excluded, a clear copy of both sides of the Emirates ID or a residence visa copy showing the unified number, and the Partners’ Addendum for incorporated establishments.
Fees are the pleasant surprise: “The service is provided free of charge through MOHRE website and App.” Business centres “charge a maximum commission of AED72”, Ta’qeem fees are “406 dirhams”, and “the fees shown above do not include tax and collection charges.” Service time is “2 working days”.
Why this matters more than it sounds
Because the dependency runs both ways and neither authority warns you about the other.
Let the establishment card lapse and MOHRE has no valid card to accept for a file amendment. Let the trade licence lapse and both of them stop. Change a partner at the economic department and forget to tell ICP, and that is the AED 1,000 fine above, quietly accruing. Our guide to free zone licence renewal covers the licence at the top of that chain, and trade licence renewal in Dubai covers the mainland version.
The quota sits on top of all of it. The same federal page states: “The number of employees a company can hire depends on the quota approved by the ministry”, and “The ministry will determine the quota according to the legal form of the company, the area of the premises”. It adds that “This quota can be changed on request from the employer and the approval of the Ministry.”
What is not published anywhere official
- A validity period for the establishment card, by either GDRFA or ICP. Neither page states how long a renewed card lasts.
- Which of GDRFA’s two renewal figures — AED 200 plus VAT, or AED 100 per year — actually applies.
- Any late fine for a Dubai establishment card. GDRFA publishes none; ICP’s AED 100 per month is ICP’s.
- A published total for ICP renewal. The four fees are listed separately and no sum is given.
- Whether the labour file has a separate expiry of its own, or simply follows the trade licence and establishment card.
- What the Ta’qeem fee of AED 406 covers, or when it applies rather than the free online route.
- Any official statement that “immigration card” is or is not a distinct document from the establishment card. The equivalence in this guide is drawn from the authorities each using their own term for the same registration.
Our advice — practical guidance, not a rule
Marked as advice because no official page prescribes it.
- Keep one calendar with three dates on it: trade licence, establishment card, and anything MOHRE has given you an expiry for. They fall due separately and they fail together.
- Renew upwards, not downwards. Trade licence first, then the establishment card, then anything at MOHRE. Each one is a published condition of the next.
- Tell ICP when something changes, the same week it changes. It is a published obligation with a published AED 1,000 fine, and it is the easiest one to forget.
- Check which authority you are actually under. A Dubai company deals with GDRFA; the figures on ICP’s page are not yours, and the reverse is equally true.
- Use the free channel. MOHRE publishes that the file update is free through its website and app. A fee you are quoted for it is somebody’s service charge, not the ministry’s.
- Ask before you pay the establishment card renewal. Two published figures on one page is a reason to get the number in writing, not a reason to pick the lower one.
If you would rather have one desk watching all three, our PRO services team tracks the dates, files the amendments in the right order, and tells you plainly when an authority has published two numbers instead of one.
The labour file is also where the hiring ceiling lives: our guide to the company visa quota sets out the four factors the ministry publishes and the inspection visit that precedes the e-signature card.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an establishment card and a labour file?
The establishment card is your company’s registration with immigration — ICP federally, GDRFA in Dubai — and it is what lets you sponsor residence visas. The labour file is your registration with MOHRE, the labour ministry, and it is what holds work permits and employment contracts. Different authorities, different purposes.
Is the immigration card the same as the establishment card?
In ordinary use, yes. Immigration card, firm card and company card all refer to the establishment card issued by ICP or GDRFA. The federal portal itself calls it a “firm card” on one page. No authority publishes a separate document called an immigration card.
How much does it cost to renew an establishment card?
It depends which authority you are under, and GDRFA publishes two different figures. GDRFA Dubai lists AED 200 plus 5% VAT and, in a note on the same page, AED 100 per year. ICP lists AED 100 application, AED 100 annual renewal, AED 1,000 system subscription and AED 100 smart service fee, with no published total.
What is the fine for renewing an establishment card late?
ICP publishes AED 100 per month, capped at AED 1,000, for a delay of more than 30 days past expiry. GDRFA Dubai publishes no late fine on its renewal service page.
Do I need an establishment card to update my MOHRE file?
Yes. MOHRE’s own conditions require an establishment card for the licensee or service agent, a valid trade licence, the amendment already registered at the economic department, and a signatory authorised by ICP.
How long does an establishment card last?
Neither GDRFA nor ICP publishes a validity period on its renewal service page. ICP’s fee list includes an annual renewal fee, which implies a yearly cycle, but no page we read states the term.
Which comes first, the labour file or the establishment card?
On the federal portal’s mainland hiring sequence, MOHRE comes first for the eSignature card and work permit pre-approval, then immigration issues the firm card, after which “the employer/company will have a file with the immigration authorities”. For later amendments, the establishment card is a condition of touching the MOHRE file.