Amer Center Dubai: services, timings, fees & locations
An Amer center (or Amer centre) is a private, government-authorised service centre for Dubai visa and residency work. It is not a government office: the centre types and submits your application, and GDRFA Dubai decides.
What is an Amer center?
Amer (آمر) is the customer-service brand of GDRFA Dubai, the authority that issues and renews visas in the emirate of Dubai. An Amer centre is a walk-in service centre that carries that brand.
At an Amer centre, trained staff check your documents, type your application into GDRFA’s system, take the payment and hand you a receipt with your application number. Entry permits, residence visas, renewals, cancellations, changes of status, family and Golden visa files — if it is a Dubai visa transaction, an Amer centre can submit it. Many centres also handle paperwork for other departments under the same roof, such as Emirates ID and medical fitness applications.
Why do Amer centres exist? Until 2017 this work was spread across hundreds of small typing centres, each working in its own way. GDRFA opened the first Amer centre in Al Muhaisnah 4 in May 2017 to replace them with one-stop centres that follow a single standard, and in November 2017 it stopped ordinary typing centres in Dubai from processing visa applications. By mid-2024 the network had grown to 75 branches — including five lounges and two branches at Dubai Airports — and handled more than 4.9 million transactions in 2023.
One thing surprises most people: an Amer centre is not a government office.
- May 2017First Amer centre opens in Al Muhaisnah 4.
- November 2017Ordinary typing centres in Dubai stop processing visa applications.
- 2022GDRFA reports that Amer centres are staffed entirely by UAE nationals.
- 202475 branches across Dubai, including lounges and airport branches.
Is an Amer center a government office? No.
Amer centres are private businesses. GDRFA Dubai licenses them, supervises them and lets them work on its system — but it does not own them. The simplest way to think of an Amer centre: a government-authorised typing centre.
- Bring correct, valid documents
- Check every name, number and date before it is submitted
- Pay the fees and complete the next steps
- Checks your documents
- Types and submits the application to GDRFA
- Collects the government fees plus its own service charge
- Cannot approve a visa, promise a result or change a government fee
- Sets the rules and the government fees
- Reviews every application
- Approves, rejects or asks for more documents
- Issues the entry permit or residence visa
Amer center services: what you can do there.
Almost every Dubai visa and residency transaction: visa applications, residency renewal, Emirates ID and document typing, family sponsorship and change of status. These are the ones people visit for most.
What an Amer centre does not do
- Decide your visa. Only GDRFA can approve or reject an application.
- Work permits and labour contracts. Those belong to the labour ministry, MOHRE, and are handled at Tasheel centres.
- The medical test or Emirates ID fingerprints. The centre only types the application — you still visit a medical fitness or Emirates ID centre.
- Visas issued by other emirates. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and the northern emirates use the federal authority, ICP — see below.
- Attest your certificates. Marriage and birth certificates must already be attested before you apply.
Find your nearest Amer center.
Our free finder lists the Amer centres in Dubai that we track — 75+ of them — sorted by distance from you, each with one-tap Google Maps directions. Choose the most convenient branch before you leave home.
Amer centres by area
Tap an area to open the finder with the closest centres first.
More areas
Centre names come from the public GDRFA directory and are kept up to date in our Amer near me directory. Centres open, move and close — always check the map listing before you travel. FamilyVisa.ae is not affiliated with any centre listed.
Amer center timings.
There is no single timetable: every centre is a separate business and sets its own hours. This is the usual pattern.
Amer center fees: what you actually pay.
Every receipt from an Amer centre is made of two parts. Knowing which is which makes it easy to compare.
The government fee
Set by the authorities. It is the same at every Amer centre — and the same if you apply online yourself. It changes with the type of visa, how long it runs, whether the applicant is inside or outside the UAE, and any urgent option you choose.
The centre’s service charge
Added by the centre for typing and handling your file. It differs from centre to centre and from service to service, and lounge or VIP counters cost more. Ask for an itemised receipt before you pay.
See the government fees for your case.
Our calculator itemises the official fees for family, Golden, property, newborn and other visas — no signup. For a family visa it can also compare them with typical Amer-centre prices for the same steps.
What to carry to an Amer center.
Keep your passport, Emirates ID, visa copy, passport photo and supporting documents ready. The exact list depends on the service, so confirm it with the centre before you go.
- 1 PassportsThe sponsor’s original passport and a clear copy of the applicant’s passport, valid for at least six months.
- 2 Emirates IDThe sponsor’s original Emirates ID — and the applicant’s, if they already have one.
- 3 Visa copyThe applicant’s current visa, e-visa or entry permit — if they already have one.
- 4 PhotoA recent passport-size photo with a white background.
- 5 Proof of relationshipFor family visas: marriage certificate for a spouse, birth certificate for each child — attested in the home country and by UAE MOFA.
- 6 Salary proofFor sponsors: your labour contract or salary certificate, showing that you meet the salary rule for sponsoring.
- 7 Company papersFor company files: trade licence, establishment card and the authorised signatory’s documents.
Before you visit an Amer center.
Check the required documents, the service type, the fees and the branch timing before you go. A little preparation avoids a second trip. Here is how a visit works, in six steps.
Check what your transaction needs
Confirm the documents and whether certificates must be attested first. A missing paper usually means a second trip.
Choose a centre and walk in
Most centres need no appointment: take a token and wait for a counter. Some have a lounge or VIP desk for a higher charge.
The application is typed
The staff check your documents and enter the details into GDRFA’s system. Read the screen or the draft carefully — a wrong letter in a name or a passport number causes real delays later.
Pay and keep the receipt
You pay the government fees plus the centre’s service charge and receive a receipt with your application number.
GDRFA reviews and decides
The result arrives by SMS or email. You can also follow it on GDRFA’s website or app, by calling Amer on 800 5111, or with our guide to checking your UAE visa status.
Finish the remaining steps
A residence visa also needs a medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics. Find medical and Emirates ID centres near you.
Amer vs Tasheel vs typing centre vs doing it online.
Four names that get mixed up all the time. Here is what each one really is.
Amer centre
- Works for
- GDRFA Dubai — immigration
- Handles
- Dubai entry permits, residence visas, renewals, cancellations, change of status
- Where
- Dubai only
- Run by
- Private companies licensed by GDRFA
- You pay
- Government fee + service charge
Tasheel centre
- Works for
- MOHRE — the labour ministry
- Handles
- Work permits, labour contracts and other labour transactions for companies
- Where
- All emirates
- Run by
- Private companies licensed by MOHRE
- You pay
- Government fee + service charge
Ordinary typing centre
- Works for
- No single authority — a general private office
- Handles
- Forms, letters, translations and applications for many departments
- Where
- Everywhere in the UAE
- Good to know
- Since November 2017 Dubai visa applications are no longer processed at ordinary typing centres
- You pay
- Any government fee + typing charge
GDRFA website & app
- Works for
- GDRFA Dubai — its own digital channels
- Handles
- The same GDRFA services, as self-service with UAE Pass
- Where
- Online, 24/7
- Good to know
- You type everything yourself, so every detail is your responsibility
- You pay
- Government fee only
Is there an Amer centre in Sharjah, Ajman or Abu Dhabi?
No. Amer belongs to GDRFA Dubai, and its official directory lists Amer centres in the emirate of Dubai only.
What matters is where your visa was issued, not where you live. If your residence visa is a Dubai visa, your file is with GDRFA Dubai and you use an Amer centre in Dubai — even if you live in Sharjah or Ajman. The centres in Al Qusais and Al Twar are close to the Sharjah border.
If your visa was issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah, your file is with the federal authority, ICP. You apply through the ICP website or the UAEICP app, an ICP customer happiness centre, or a typing office registered with ICP.
Websites that call themselves “Amer centre Sharjah” are usually private typing offices, or Dubai centres advertising to Sharjah residents — not a separate branch of Amer.
Amer contact number and official channels.
These are GDRFA Dubai’s own contacts — they are not FamilyVisa.ae numbers.
Three ways to get an Amer service done.
The application and the government fee are the same. What changes is who does the typing — and where you spend your afternoon.
Visit an Amer centre
The traditional route.
- Staff type the application for you
- Face-to-face answers at the counter
- Travel, parking, token and waiting time
- Government fee + the centre’s service charge
Apply online with GDRFA
On the official website or app.
- Open 24/7, from anywhere
- You pay the government fee only
- You need UAE Pass and clear scans
- Every detail you type is your responsibility
Let FamilyVisa.ae handle it
A private PRO service, on WhatsApp.
- Send your documents from your phone
- We check everything, then prepare and submit it through the official channels
- Updates on WhatsApp at every stage
- Our service fee is separate — quoted before you commit
Amer center guides & articles.
Practical guides from our PRO desk. New Amer articles appear here as soon as they are published.
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What is an Amer center?
Is an Amer center a government office?
What services can I get at an Amer center?
What are Amer center timings?
Is there a 24-hour Amer centre in Dubai?
Do I need an appointment to visit an Amer center?
How much does an Amer center charge?
What documents should I take to an Amer center?
Is there an Amer centre in Sharjah, Ajman or Abu Dhabi?
What is the difference between Amer and Tasheel?
Amer center vs typing center: what is the difference?
Can I apply online instead of visiting an Amer center?
What is the Amer contact number?
How do I find the nearest Amer center?
Is FamilyVisa.ae an Amer center?
Who wrote this, and where the facts come from.
Sources
- GDRFA Dubai — Apply for new Amer centre (service for investors).
- GDRFA Dubai — Contact information and customer happiness centres directory; service pages list the digital channels and Amer centres as the two ways to apply.
- GDRFA Dubai — official working hours during Ramadan (March 2024): Terminal 3 centre and Amer call centre 24/7.
- Gulf News — Amer centre network expands to 75 branches in Dubai (June 2024).
- Khaleej Times — Dubai stops typing centres from processing visa applications (November 2017).
- Gulf News — first Amer centre opened in Al Muhaisnah 4 in May 2017; one-stop centres for government transactions (April 2019).
- Government of Dubai Media Office — Amer call centre services (March 2020).
Ready to sort out your visa?
Find the closest Amer centre, check the government fees for your case, or ask our PRO team a question — whichever suits you.