DUBAI : From September 15, long queues for national ID cards will be a thing of the past - if the outsourcing of typing in Dubai and Sharjah happens as planned.
The Emirates ID Authority (EIDA) is rolling out a massive outsourcing scheme aimed to enrol hundreds of typing centres across the country to speed up registration.
The authority announced on July 15 that it will increase the number of authorised typing centres from 40 to 100 in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain by the third week of July, while more such centres will be announced for Dubai and the northern emirates by September.
This will free up staff at registration centres to focus on taking biometrics (pictures, signature and fingerprints) in six minutes flat, an EIDA official said.
Every citizen or resident must register, but children under 15 can register for free. Applicants who walk into a typing centre must bring their passport to have their details typed by a staff.
They then get a bar-coded application form to be presented to an EIDA registration centre where their picture, fingerprints and digital signature are taken.
EIDA has already named 11 typing centres in Umm Al Quwain.
From August 15, more typing centres will be accredited in Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, sources said.
Two months ago, the authority reduced the cost of typing from Dh40 to Dh30 with Taaheed Outsourcing Management, a private firm which has a joint-venture agreement with EIDA. Taaheed currently has branches in 13 EIDA registration centres across the country.
COST OF ID CARD
For expatriates:
Registration………….. Dh100 per year (based on period left on residency visa)
Service Fee……………... Dh20
Courier Fee…………..... Dh20
Typing fee…………........ Dh30
