UAE | General

Eida urges summer sign-up for ID card

According to Dr Ali Al Khoury, Acting General Manager of the Emirates Identity Authority, about six million UAE residents have not registered for ID cards yet.

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 August 2, 2010
  • Gulf News

People waiting for their national ID card registration at the Eida centre in Mussafah
  • Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
  • People waiting for their national ID card registration at the Emirates Identity Authority centre in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, in this fle photo.

Abu Dhabi: Officials are calling upon residents to register for their national ID card during the summer, a lean period.

According to Dr Ali Al Khoury, Acting General Manager of the Emirates Identity Authority, about six million UAE residents have not registered for ID cards yet.

"But all of them can complete the registration smoothly thanks to a new hassle-free system", Dr Al Khoury said.

More details on Eida website

With the pre-registration process being done at typing centres and the opening of new registration centres, the daily registration capacity across the country will increase up to 20,000 from the previous 7,500, he said.

"The latest figures suggest that the UAE population is 8.2 million [both Emiratis and expatriates] and more than two million residents out of them have already registered for ID cards," the official said.

But he did not reveal the number of Emiratis and expatriates who have already registered for ID cards.

However, the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) earlier revealed that more than 90 per cent of Emiratis had already registered for ID cards.

The rest of them were students, diplomats, business persons or professionals living abroad, patients and elderly people living in remote areas, etc, the authority said.
 
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So it is understood the number of Emiratis among the (approximate) 6 million non-registered residents is likely to be very small and most of them would be expatriates. As per the law, the deadline for expatriates is December 31, 2010.The deadline for Emiratis expired on March 31, 2009.

Al Khoury said the residents not having ID cards would be denied access to some government services gradually.

Mandatory

As Gulf News reported on July 28, the authority had written to the Ministry of Interior to make the ID card mandatory for obtaining traffic services in Abu Dhabi emirate soon and subsequently in Dubai and Sharjah.

It was already made mandatory in four northern emirates — Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain — in November 2009.

Although the centre has a daily registration capacity of 3,000, only about 1,000 people turn up during this [summer] lean period, according to Eida.

Martin Dunning, 55, from New Zealand, said he had visited the centre without an appointment on Tuesday and registered within a few minutes.

New system: Application procedure

1. Do the pre-registration process (PRP) at a certified typing centre. No need to visit in person for this purpose but a representative or company PRO can do it by submitting the original passport of the applicant.

2. Typing centre will fill out the application and give it to the applicant with a bar code, after receiving the fee. (Dh 100 per annum for the card for expatriates and Dh70 service charge, including typing and courier charges)

3. Within 48 hours of completing the PRP, you will receive an appointment by SMS.

4. Visit the Eida centre on the given time to complete the registration with signature, fingerprinting and taking photograph.

5. You will receive the ID card by Empost courier.

To contact Eida, phone: 600 523432 Web: www.emiratesid.ae

Have you registered for your ID card? If not, why? What are the issues being faced?

Comments (11)

  1. Added 10:49 August 26, 2010

    My husband has been holding the id card for almost more than a year now and he is just carrying it in his wallet for no apparent reason. His identity upon being ever asked, is almost always the driving license or the labour card!! People do not want to take the risk, I presume, of accepting a card which is not being used anywhere lest it is declared invalid at some future point of transaction! So they stick to the same old tried and tested and ofcourse accepted ids. My husband and I finally decided to go in for the card for the family either when it becomes a do it situation or atleast if he ends up using it atleast ONCE.

    Labeeba, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 05:40 August 26, 2010

    In dubai now u can go to Al barsha center becoz it will be easier nv......ur process will be completed with in minutes... only to do is go with ur documents.......

    Anonymous, Dubai, Afghanistan

  3. Added 20:02 August 2, 2010

    For visitors to Jebel Ali Free Zone, a gate pass is required. The ID card is not accepted by the security as an identity proof. What is the use of having EIDA id card?

    indrajit, dubai, India

  4. Added 18:21 August 2, 2010

    Getting a token for EIDA registration is an herculean task. I have visited the Tawun Mall center atleast 6 times and the answr i got was "Sorry come tomorrow morning". They stopped working on Saturday's also, which adds preassure on a person to take the card on week days which is not possible for a working person. The last day i went the security informed that tokens would be issued both morning and afternoon. When i went the next day afternoon the security informed that no tokens would be issued in the afternoon. I work in Jebel Ali which. About 150000 to 200000 employees work there. However the nearest center for registration is Al Barsha. I believe that opening more centers in Dubai and Sharjah and resuming work on saturday's would help..

    Anonymous, Sharjah, India

  5. Added 17:52 August 2, 2010

    Hi, Maybe someone should suggest to EID to issue the ID card in conjunction with the residency visa. This way one won't have to go through the hassle twice especially that both documents serve the same purpose. As for the existing residency visa holders, these would issue the EID upon renewal of their residency.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 13:36 August 2, 2010

    its not the way as written above,when i visited for my renewal they said come back next day,a normal working man will not get the luxury to take leave like that,and that too just to renew card.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 13:33 August 2, 2010

    If EIDA keeps changing Rules every time It will be very difficult for us to Apply for an ID Card. I have heard some of my friends telling me that inspite of EIDA enforcing Us to apply for an ID CARd certain Services do not even Ask for an EIDA card so whats the use. if things are streamlined in a proper manner i am sure many of us would not find it inconvienent. There should be more Staff and more centers set up with timings being extended so that more people can be accomodated .I still have the bar code Copy with me as i have applied for this 2 years back but until now i have not yet finished the transaction completely.

    Mathew Litty, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  8. Added 10:44 August 2, 2010

    i been to karama post office on 29th july 2010 for my emirates ID at around 1:30pm, the person at counter said i have to come next day and he can't give us coupen 'coz there was a party happening in the office.after 15mins other person told us to wait for the coupon which we got at 2:53pm.we waited till 7pm to get photographed and fingerprint 'coz only 2-3 counters were available for service. i request EIDA to make sure that there is enough counters and staff available to serve the visitors 'coz everyday there is a huge crowd and people have to take off from their jobs to get their cards done.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  9. Added 10:05 August 2, 2010

    Today I visited Eida office near Carrefour abu dhabi at 8.00am in morning to renew my card. But I am denied to do so for today. The person at counter informed me to come tomorrow and collect the coupen early in morning. What Eida is claiming in newpaper is surprising.

    Anonymous, abu dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  10. Added 10:03 August 2, 2010

    I have applied for Emirates ID card on July 8th 2010, but I have not received my card yet, every time i follow up with Eida people-thier reply is that we will take your complaint, but no result yet. I request the concerned authorities to look into the matter and solve it accordingly.

    Anonymous, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

  11. View more comments

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