Lost a passport, Emirates ID, driving licence or another important document in Dubai? The order of operations is always the same: secure anything that can be misused, get a Dubai Police lost-item report or certificate, and only then apply for the replacement from the authority that issued it. This guide walks through the sequence and then points you to the right replacement channel for each common document.
Step 1: Secure What Can Be Misused — Immediately
Before any paperwork, limit the damage:
- Bank cards: freeze or block them in your banking app or by calling your bank the moment you notice — do not wait for the police report.
- Phone/SIM: if your phone is lost, contact your provider (du or Etisalat by e&) to suspend the line, and use your device’s find-my-phone service.
- Cheques and documents with signatures: notify your bank if a cheque book is lost.
Retrace your steps too — call the taxi company, mall, restaurant or venue; Dubai’s lost-and-found culture is strong and a great many items are handed in. RTA and Dubai Police both run lost-property channels for items left in taxis and public transport.
Step 2: Get the Dubai Police Lost Report/Certificate
For official documents, the replacement authorities will generally ask for a police lost certificate first. Dubai Police issues lost-item/document certificates through:
- The Dubai Police smart app and website — the lost certificate service can be completed electronically in many cases.
- Smart Police Stations (SPS) — the unmanned smart stations around the city.
- Any Dubai Police station in person.
You will typically need your Emirates ID details (or passport details, if the Emirates ID itself is the lost item) and the details of what was lost and where. Fees, where they apply, and exact requirements change — check the current service details on the official Dubai Police app or website before you apply. Keep the certificate safe: you will present it at the next step, and sometimes to insurers, employers and embassies too.
Step 3: Replace Each Document With Its Own Authority
With the police certificate in hand, go to the issuer:
- Emirates ID — replaced through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), via the ICP app/website or an authorised typing/service centre. A replacement card is issued with the same ID number; report a lost ID promptly because it is your master key to life in the UAE.
- Passport — replaced by your own country’s embassy or consulate in Dubai (or the UAE mission your country directs you to). Consulates will usually ask for the police lost certificate; if you must travel urgently, ask the consulate about emergency travel documents. If the lost passport contained your UAE residence visa, the residence record itself is electronic these days — your consulate and the ICP/GDRFA channels can advise on the current position.
- Driving licence — replaced through the RTA (app, website or customer happiness centres); a police lost report may be requested depending on the case.
- Vehicle registration (Mulkiya) — replaced through the RTA; see our separate guide on replacing a lost Mulkiya, including when the digital version in the RTA/DubaiNow ecosystem may be enough.
- Labour card / work permit — handled through your employer and MOHRE channels; see our lost labour card guide.
- Bank cards and cheque books — your bank reissues these directly once you have blocked the originals.
- University certificates and personal documents — the issuing institution or your consulate (for attested documents) is the route; a police certificate is commonly requested.
Lost Items (Not Documents)
For lost property — bags, phones, jewellery, the child’s beloved toy left in a taxi — the police certificate route is for claiming and proof rather than replacement. File the loss with Dubai Police if the item is valuable, check the RTA lost-and-found for transport losses, and ask venues directly. If you later claim on insurance (home contents or travel), the police report is usually the document the insurer wants.
After It’s Sorted: Make Next Time Easier
- Keep clear scans/photos of your passport, Emirates ID, licence and key documents in a secure cloud folder.
- Save your Makani numbers and important document numbers in your phone — a photo of the document is often enough to start a report.
- Note expiry dates somewhere you will see them; replacing a lost document is also the moment people discover it had nearly expired.
Losing a document in Dubai is an errand, not a disaster — secure, report, replace, in that order, and each authority you visit will simply ask for the paper the previous step gave you.
If You Find Someone Else’s Document
The system works both ways. If you find a passport, Emirates ID or wallet in Dubai, hand it in at the nearest police station or Smart Police Station, or to the venue’s lost and found if you are in a mall, taxi or Metro station — RTA and venue teams log items into the same ecosystem the owner will be checking. Do not post photos of found ID documents on social media to “find the owner”: it exposes their personal data, and the official channels reunite documents with owners every day.
How Long Does It All Take?
Honest answer: it depends on the document. The police lost certificate itself can often be obtained the same day through the smart channels. An Emirates ID replacement is usually a matter of days through ICP. A driving licence or Mulkiya replacement through the RTA is typically among the fastest. A passport depends entirely on your consulate — some issue replacements quickly, others take weeks and offer emergency travel documents in the meantime. The one variable fully in your control is how fast you start: every replacement clock begins with that police certificate, so file it the day you are sure the document is gone, not the day you need to travel.
