What Amer Actually Handles (and What It Does Not)

You have been told to "go to Amer" to renew a residence visa, add a family member or sort out the company's immigration file. Before anyone queues, it helps to know which Dubai transactions an Amer centre lists, and which steps belong to another authority altogether.

Amer centres are GDRFA Dubai's service centres. GDRFA Dubai, the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, describes an "'Amer Center' that provides GDRFA services". Of the 15 GDRFA Dubai service cards we read on 20 September 2026, 13 list an Amer channel and two did not show one. Work permits appear on MOHRE's pages, Emirates ID fingerprints on ICP's and the Dubai medical fitness certificate on DHA's.

For the wider map of company transactions and the authorities behind them, see the overview of PRO services in Dubai. Below: what GDRFA Dubai says Amer is, what each card lists and charges, where other authorities come in, and how to plan a visit.

What GDRFA Dubai says an Amer centre is

GDRFA Dubai's own pages give three descriptions.

• Its page for investors, "Apply for new Amer center", states: "This service is dedicated to investors who want to open an 'Amer Center' that provides GDRFA services once the investor has fulfilled all the requirements of GDRFA."
• Its home page states: "Investors can open 'Amer Centers' offering GDRFA services after meeting all required guidelines".
• A GDRFA Dubai news item published on 4 February 2020 calls Amer centres "the approved-model for services centres in Dubai that allows residents to complete all visa and residency transactions under a single roof."

So an Amer centre is opened by an investor and offers GDRFA Dubai services once GDRFA Dubai's requirements are met.

The 2020 news item also lists the services then offered: "issuing entry permits, issuing or renewing residency visas, visa cancellation, changing the residence to a new passport, short and long visit visa, extending the validity of visa on arrival, along with the Establishment services and other related services." That list is six years old, so read the current card for your transaction before you go.

Finding a centre

GDRFA Dubai's "Customer Happiness Centers" page groups centres under "Amer Centers", "Customer Service Centers" and "Partner Service Centers". On 20 September 2026 only the headings and a search box loaded, so we give no count or list. Search that page, and confirm hours with the centre: the cards we read give no hours, only wording such as "the normal operating hours of AMER Centers".

What the service cards list, card by card

Each GDRFA Dubai service card has a "Service Availability Channels" section, and the lists differ. This is what each card listed on 20 September 2026.

The private-sector residence issuance and green visa cards were also read in a browser that day, with the same channel lists.

Three cards stand out.

• Sponsor file registration. Its only channel is "Amer Service Centers: The service is available during official working hours approved by the centre."
• Private-sector residence issuance. Its only channel is "Digital channels (website/smart application): The service is available 24/7". We did not see an Amer line on this card. The renewal card for the same category does list Amer.
• Establishment card issuance. It lists the main GDRFA Dubai building and Amer, with no digital channel.

The fine collection card's fee section reads: "No service fees (only the violation fines to be paid)". To check whether a file carries fines before you go, GDRFA Dubai's "Fines Inquiry Service" lets you "Check fines on your file or those under your sponsorship", searching by file number, UDB number, Emirates ID or passport number.

Where GDRFA Dubai's own pages differ

Two differences matter when you plan a route. We have not resolved either.

Digital-only or not. GDRFA Dubai's General Manager message states: "Now all our services are provided through smart digital channels, and the customer can get them anytime and anywhere." The sponsor file card, as read on 20 September 2026, lists only an Amer channel. The establishment card issuance card lists only the main building and Amer. Ask GDRFA Dubai on 8005111 whether a digital route exists for your transaction.

Establishment card cancellation. This card prints the line "If the application is submitted through Amer centres, a fee of AED100 will be added." Yet the only channel it returned was "Digital channels (website/smart application): This service is available 24/7". Ask GDRFA Dubai or the Amer centre whether the cancellation can be submitted there.

What other authorities handle

The GDRFA Dubai pages we read do not say that Amer centres cannot handle work permits, Emirates ID or medical fitness steps; they do not cover them. The pages that do belong to other authorities, and none mentions Amer.

How the steps connect. Some GDRFA Dubai cards expect another authority's output first.

• The work entry visa card lists as a condition "The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization's endorsement of the work permit for establishments under its umbrella."
• The green visa card lists "A permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation."
• The residence cancellation card asks for "An extract of work permit cancellation issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (if the employee works in the private sector)."
• The private-sector residence renewal card asks for "A decent medical examination approved by the concerned authorities if they are over (18) years old".

MOHRE's work permit services run through the channels on MOHRE's own cards. For what Tasheel is and when a visit applies, see the explainer on Tasheel centres. The employer's full hiring sequence is in the step-by-step employment visa process for employers.

Emirates ID. u.ae states: "You can apply for a new Emirates ID card through the website of ICP or through an accredited typing centre." It adds: "You might need to visit one of ICP's service centres to provide your biometric details." ICP's page for its Al Nahda customer happiness centre lists "Fingerprint capture", at a location in the Al Qusais area inside the Salem Medical Examination Center. ICP's Identity Card Renewal card, read in a browser, states that renewal is filed with the residence application through the unified residence and identity form "in all emirates of the country except the Emirate of Dubai". If you hold Dubai residence, ask ICP or GDRFA Dubai how the Emirates ID renewal is filed alongside it.

Medical fitness. DHA's catalogue carries the stamp "update 4-7-2022", and its Salem Smart Center journey includes the step "Results sent to GDRFA". A MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention) service card also describes a federal fitness examination that lets an expatriate "obtain a residence permit within the UAE or to renew his/her current residence." We could not confirm which Dubai centres the MOHAP card covers. Ask DHA which centre to use for your examination.

Fees: government charges, the Amer line and provider fees

Keep three costs apart: government charges printed on the card, third-party charges the card names, and any provider's own fee, which none of the GDRFA Dubai cards we read sets.

Government charges, as the cards print them.

• Work entry visa: "Work visa fee: AED200"; "In addition to the value-added tax (5%)."; and, if the person is inside the country, "Knowledge Dirham: AED10", "Innovation Dirham: AED10" and "Fee inside the country: AED500".
• Private-sector residence issuance: "Residence permit fee: AED200", "Knowledge Dirham: AED10", "Innovation Dirham: AED10", "Fee inside the country: AED500" and "Delivery: AED20". It adds: "The issuance fee increases by AED100 annually whenever the residency is over two years."
• Residence cancellation: "Residence permit cancellation: AED100", "Knowledge Dirham:AED10" and "Innovation Dirham: AED10".
• Sponsor file: "Fee for opening a file: AED200" and "In addition to the value added tax (5%)."
• Status amendment: "Registering Status Amendment fee: AED500".

The residence issuance and renewal cards did not print a VAT line when we read them. Family residence costs are covered in the guide to family visa costs in Dubai.

The Amer line. Two establishment card cards print an extra charge for applications made through Amer. The issuance card states: "If the application is submitted through Amer centres, a fee of AED100 will be added." The cancellation card carries the same sentence. We did not find this line on the other 13 cards reviewed on 20 September 2026, including the establishment card renewal card. Do not assume it applies elsewhere, and do not assume it is absent: ask the centre to show its charges line by line.

The establishment card issuance card also prints "Fee for issuing an establishment card: AED200", "Plus VAT (5%)", "Service fee: AED50" and "Urgent fee: AED100". It then states: "Note: The issuance or renewal fee is AED100 per year." The two statements sit on one page and we have not reconciled them. Ask GDRFA Dubai which applies to your card. What the establishment card is, and how the company file works, is covered in the guide to the establishment card and immigration file.

Third-party charges. The establishment card cancellation card names two collection charges: "A collection commission of AED20 is added to each transaction / Commercial Bank of Dubai." and "Add a collection commission of AED50 for companies and AED15 for individuals/Emaratec." The residence data amendment card lists "Printing fee AED 100 (in case of submission through (ZAJEL Courier Center)".

Provider fees. We did not find a GDRFA Dubai statement of a maximum or standard Amer service fee on the pages reviewed on 20 September 2026. MOHRE's overseas work permit card states: "The commission for Business Centers is capped at 72 dirhams per service provided as part of the permit package". That cap is on a MOHRE card, for that permit package; it is not a GDRFA Dubai figure.

Fees checked on 20 September 2026.

Contacting Amer and GDRFA Dubai

GDRFA Dubai's contact page lists "Toll free number 8005111", "International +971 4 313 9999" and "Email amer@gdrfad.gov.ae". Only the first is labelled toll free there. The 2020 news item gave a different email address, amer@dnrd.ae. Confirm with GDRFA Dubai which address is current.

If you are unsure which visa you need, the UAE Government Portal, updated 15 July 2026, states: "For Dubai visas, contact GDRFA on the toll-free number 800 5111 if you are in the UAE."

Routing table and pre-visit checklist

Practical asset: the Dubai transaction routing table and eight-point pre-visit checklist. Fill in the last column from the card as it reads on the day you apply. | Transaction | Authority whose page covers it | Channels the official page listed (20 September 2026) | Our route and date checked | |---|---|---|---| | Work entry permit linked to a job contract | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Residence issuance, private sector | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels only | ____ | | Residence renewal, private sector | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Residence cancellation, all types | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Family residence issuance or renewal | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Status amendment | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Sponsor file registration (resident) | GDRFA Dubai | Amer only | ____ | | Establishment card issuance | GDRFA Dubai | Main GDRFA Dubai building; Amer | ____ | | Establishment card renewal | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Establishment card cancellation | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels only (Amer fee line printed) | ____ | | Residency law fines | GDRFA Dubai | Digital channels; Amer | ____ | | Work permit | MOHRE | "Website, Service Center, Mobile Application" | ____ | | Emirates ID fingerprints (age 15 and over) | ICP | ICP service centres | ____ | | Medical fitness certificate (Dubai residence) | DHA | Read DHA's current service page | ____ | Before you visit an Amer centre 1. Have you opened the GDRFA Dubai card for your exact transaction, and does it list "Amer Service Centre"? [yes / no] 2. If it lists only digital channels, can you use the website or app instead? If not, ask GDRFA Dubai on 8005111. 3. Does the card need a MOHRE document first, such as the work permit endorsement or the work permit cancellation extract? [done / not needed] 4. For a residence renewal of anyone over 18, is the medical examination complete? [yes / no] 5. Does anyone aged 15 or over need to give fingerprints at an ICP service centre for the Emirates ID? [yes / no] 6. Have you checked fines on the file through GDRFA Dubai's Fines Inquiry Service? [yes / no] 7. For an establishment card issuance or cancellation, have you noted the card's line "a fee of AED100 will be added" for Amer submissions? 8. Has the centre shown the government charges, any Amer line and its own service fee as separate items?

Three worked examples

An HR officer renewing an employee's residence. The private-sector renewal card lists digital channels and Amer, with an expected completion time of "48.0 Hour(s)". Confirm the medical examination first if the employee is over 18, and ask ICP or GDRFA Dubai how the Emirates ID renewal is filed. How HR can support employees with their own and family visas is covered in the HR guide to employee and family visa support.

A resident sponsoring a spouse for the first time. The sponsor file card lists only Amer, so plan that step at a centre unless GDRFA Dubai confirms another route. The family residence card then lists digital channels and Amer. Which residence category applies is a question for GDRFA Dubai; the categories are outlined in the guide to UAE residence visa types.

A company cancelling a departing employee's residence. The cancellation card asks for the MOHRE work permit cancellation extract for private-sector staff, so obtain that through MOHRE first. The card then lists digital channels and Amer.

Who decides, what you prepare, what a provider can do

What the authority decides. GDRFA Dubai decides residence, entry, sponsor file and establishment card applications, whichever channel carries them. MOHRE decides the work permit applications on its own service cards, ICP handles the Emirates ID and DHA issues the medical fitness certificate for Dubai residence. An Amer centre provides GDRFA Dubai services; it does not decide the application.

What the company or person prepares. The documents on the card, any MOHRE, ICP or DHA output the card requires, a check of fines on the file, and a note of the card's fee lines on the day you apply.

What a provider can do. A provider, including an Amer centre, can prepare and submit an application through a channel the card names and track progress, within whatever its licence covers. It cannot change the card's requirements or the authority's decision. How document clearing firms fit in is explained in the explainer on document clearing services in Dubai.

Last verified: 20 September 2026. Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

If you are preparing a Dubai residence or establishment card transaction, contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority.

A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. GDRFA Dubai decides each residence and establishment card application, and no provider can promise the outcome.