New to DubaiUAE Pass: what it is and how to set it up
UAE Pass is the UAE's national digital identity. It's one app on your phone that signs you in to government services, and plenty of private ones, in every emirate. It also lets you sign documents and ask for digital copies of official papers. To set it up you need your Emirates ID and a UAE mobile number. You register in the app, pass a face check and set a PIN.
Once it's working, you'll use it all the time. The NTD Team uses UAE Pass for everything, and it's one of the most useful things you'll set up here. Below is how to get it running, what it's good for and what to do when it misbehaves.
What UAE Pass actually is
You don't need a separate username and password for every government website. You tap "Sign in with UAE Pass", then approve the request on your phone. That's it.
It's a national system, not just a Dubai one. It was launched at GITEX in 2018 by Digital Dubai, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement. The same account works in all seven emirates.
Some private companies accept it too. You'll start spotting the UAE Pass button when you sign up for things outside government.
What you need before you start
Have these ready and the setup takes a few minutes.
- A valid Emirates ID. This is what verification is built on.
- An active UAE mobile number.
- A smartphone you plan to keep, on iPhone or Android.
- An email address you actually check. You'll need it again if you ever move the app to a new phone.
Why UAE Pass comes after your Emirates ID
Visitors can open a basic account, but only Emirates ID holders can verify one, and most of the useful services need a verified account. So set up UAE Pass once your card has arrived. Still waiting? Start with how to get your Emirates ID and come back when it turns up.
How to register and verify, step by step
The app walks you through it, and the screens change now and then. If what you see differs slightly from this, follow the app.
- Download the UAE Pass app from the App Store or Google Play. Copycat apps exist, so the safest route is the download links on the official UAE Pass website.
- Choose to create an account and enter your Emirates ID number.
- Confirm your mobile number and email address with the one-time codes the app sends you.
- Do the face check. Hold the phone at eye level, stand in good light and take off sunglasses or anything covering your face. The app matches your face against your Emirates ID record.
- Set a security PIN. Keep it to yourself.
- Open your profile and check the account shows as verified.
If the face check keeps failing
Try again in daylight with a plain wall behind you. If it still won't pass, take your Emirates ID to a UAE Pass kiosk and verify there instead. The official UAE Pass website lists where the kiosks are. If you already have a verified SmartPass or Dubai ID account, you can also use that to upgrade.
The face check only works if your ID record matches the real you. One NTD Team member had her free zone visa photo rejected three times, so the agency handling it used AI to "enhance" the picture. It passed, but it threw off her biometrics (the face and fingerprint records government offices check you against). It was fixed before she went to the airport, but it shouldn't have happened. Use only real, unedited photos for any ID, and don't let anyone talk you into anything else.
Basic and verified accounts
There are two kinds of account. A basic account gets you into a limited set of services and can't sign documents. A verified account is linked to your Emirates ID and unlocks the lot, including digital signatures.
If a service won't let you in, check your account level first. It's the most common reason, and verifying fixes it.
What you can use UAE Pass for
The list keeps growing. These are the services newcomers tend to need in their first months.
- Your residence visa. GDRFA Dubai, which handles Dubai visas, supports UAE Pass. Our guide to using GDRFA Dubai explains what you can check and manage there.
- Electricity and water. DEWA asks individuals with an Emirates ID to sign in to their account with UAE Pass. See how to set up DEWA.
- Your tenancy. The Dubai REST app lets you log in with UAE Pass, and once your Ejari is registered, it and your tenancy contract show up there automatically. More on that in how to register your tenancy with Ejari.
- Signing documents. A verified account can sign documents digitally from your phone. UAE law (Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services) recognises electronic signatures, but some documents may still need a pen. If you're not sure, ask whoever sent you the document.
- Digital copies of official documents. You can request them in the app and use them when applying for services from UAE Pass partners.
Carry your Emirates ID anyway
Digital copies are handy, but they don't replace the card. Always carry your Emirates ID.
If you live in another emirate
UAE Pass works the same way everywhere, so you only ever need one account. What changes is the service behind the login.
Each emirate runs its own government apps and portals. In Sharjah, for example, electricity and water come from SEWA, not DEWA. If you live in Sharjah and work in Dubai, you'll deal with services from both emirates. Look for the UAE Pass button on each one rather than assuming a Dubai service covers you.
When UAE Pass stops working
Most problems start with something in your life changing, not with the app itself.
- New phone: install the app, tap "I have an account" on the first screen and sign in with your Emirates ID number, mobile number and email address.
- Lost or stolen phone: recover your account on a new device the same way and remove the old one. A UAE Pass kiosk can also delete the old device for you.
- New mobile number or renewed Emirates ID: check your profile details in the app. Sort out the number before you give up the old SIM if you can, because that's where the codes go.
- Login request not arriving: open the app directly, then check your phone's notification settings for UAE Pass.
Keep your account safe
Only approve a login request you started yourself. If one pops up and you weren't signing in to anything, reject it.
Never share your PIN, password or any access code. Government agencies won't ask for them over the phone. Your account can sign documents in your name, so treat it like your bank card.
Ask around, but double-check
Talk to people who have lived here and get their opinions. Just don't treat their advice as the final word. Things change quickly in Dubai, so always get a second opinion.
With UAE Pass, that means checking the official app and the service's own website before acting on a tip from a friend or a group chat. A step that was right last year may have moved.
Next step
UAE Pass is one piece of the paperwork. For the rest (residence visa, medical test and Emirates ID), read our guide to visas in Dubai.