Original Emirates ID plus one supporting document. Here is the accepted list, what the AED 2,500 salary figure really applies to, and the routes that work if a salary certificate is not an option for you.
What do you need to get an Etisalat postpaid SIM in the UAE? Your original Emirates ID, plus one supporting document from e&'s accepted list. The supporting document can be a stamped salary certificate, a Ministry of Labour contract, a vehicle licence, a three month bank statement, last month's utility bill showing your physical address, or a tenancy or ownership contract. Where a salary is used as the proof, the stated minimum is AED 2,500.
Almost everything written about this online is guesswork. The list below is e&'s own published requirement for subscribing to a postpaid mobile plan, not a summary of what someone remembers happening at a store.
Not a photocopy, not a photo on your phone at the counter. The original. It has to be valid, not expired. If your Emirates ID is still being processed, your residency file is not complete yet and a postpaid line cannot be opened against it.
| Accepted document | Condition | Best if |
|---|---|---|
| Stamped salary certificate | Minimum salary AED 2,500 | You are employed and HR turns these around quickly |
| Ministry of Labour contract | Minimum salary AED 2,500 | You have your labour contract to hand and no salary certificate |
| Three month bank statement, branch or online | Three months of history | You are self employed, freelance, or your salary is under the line |
| Tenancy or ownership contract | In your name | You rent or own and the tenancy is registered to you |
| Last month's utility bill | Must show your physical address | Your DEWA, SEWA or similar bill is in your name |
| Vehicle licence | In your name | You own a car in the UAE, this is the fastest one to produce |
You supply one of the six, not all six. Which one you pick makes no difference to the plan or the price.
The AED 2,500 figure is attached to the two salary based documents, the stamped salary certificate and the Ministry of Labour contract. It is a condition on those documents, not a blanket eligibility test on you. The other four accepted documents carry no salary condition at all. So if your salary sits below the line, or you are paid in a way that a certificate does not capture cleanly, use one of these instead:
This is the single most useful thing on this page and it is the part people get wrong. Being under AED 2,500 does not disqualify you from postpaid. It only closes off two of the six proof routes.
Postpaid subscription is built around holding a valid Emirates ID, which means residency. If you are in the UAE on a visit or tourist visa and do not hold an Emirates ID, postpaid is not the product for you. Prepaid on a passport is, and you can convert that line to postpaid later once your residency and Emirates ID are issued, keeping the same number. See how the prepaid to postpaid switch works.
Postpaid accounts carry a monthly cap, sometimes called a credit limit, and it is set once your account has been verified during the purchase. It is not a fixed number published in advance and it is not a deposit you pay up front. If your usage pattern later justifies a higher cap you can ask for it to be reviewed.
You do not have to accept a new number. Three situations, three answers:
The document requirement is identical. What changes is everything around it:
Document requirements stated here are e&'s published subscription requirements, checked 24 July 2026 against e&'s own subscription requirements page. Operator policy can change and individual cases can vary, so treat this as the starting point and confirm on WhatsApp before you order.
Your original Emirates ID plus one supporting document. The accepted supporting documents are a stamped salary certificate, a Ministry of Labour contract, a vehicle licence, a three month bank or online bank statement, last month's utility bill showing your physical address, or a tenancy or ownership contract.
AED 2,500 is the minimum stated where a stamped salary certificate or a Ministry of Labour contract is used as the supporting document. It is a condition on those two documents, not a blanket rule. The other four accepted documents carry no salary condition.
Yes. Use one of the other accepted documents instead: a three month bank statement, a tenancy or ownership contract, last month's utility bill in your name, or a vehicle licence. Any one of them satisfies the requirement on its own.
No. Postpaid subscription requires a valid original Emirates ID, which means residency. On a visit or tourist visa, take a prepaid line on your passport. Once your Emirates ID is issued you can convert that same number to postpaid.
e&'s published subscription requirements do not list a deposit. Postpaid accounts carry a monthly cap that is set after your account is verified during the purchase, rather than an upfront payment.
Yes. An existing Etisalat prepaid line can be converted to postpaid with the number intact, and a number on another UAE operator can be brought across through mobile number portability. Bring the same documents either way.
No. Through an authorized dealer you send your Emirates ID and one supporting document on WhatsApp, choose your number, and the SIM is delivered. Same day in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for orders before 4 PM.
The requirement specifies the original Emirates ID. For a dealer order you send a clear image of it for the application and the original is verified at delivery.
Send one WhatsApp message. We confirm the plan, you pick a free number, the SIM comes to you. Same day in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah on orders before 4 PM.