UAE | General

People abandoned 'wait and watch' policy for ID cards

Emirates identity authority has started imposing penalties

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 December 26, 2011
  • Gulf News

The National ID registration centre at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi
  • Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
  • The National ID registration centre at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi. The ID card is required to access many government services, including traffic department services in most emirates and many more services are added to this list every day.

Abu Dhabi: People who adopted a ‘wait and watch policy' on national ID cards had enough reasons to change their mind in 2011.

The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) started fining people who did not renew their existing cards or apply for new cards.

The visa application process and ID card registration were linked across the country except in Dubai, making the ID card mandatory for applying and renewing residence visas.

The ID card is required to access many government services, including traffic department services in most emirates, and many more services are added to this list every day.

Eida's September 14 announcement on fines for Emiratis and expatriates was an unexpected move for many people as the authority had extended its announced deadlines for Emiratis several times since 2008. It had also taken a soft stance on the announced deadline for expatriate professionals in 2008.

Although a Federal Law stipulated December 31, 2010 as the deadline for expatriates, it was extended, considering its 2010-2013 strategy which envisaged enrolling all expatriates by the end of 2013.

The authority's new announcement on fines followed the Ministerial Decision No. 25 for 2011 on ID cards.

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Failing to meet the new deadlines would attract a Dh20 day fine up to a maximum of Dh1,000. Children are exempt from fines until October 1, 2012.

Legal obligation

Emiratis were supposed to pay fines from November 1 and expatriates in four northern emirates (Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman), and all expatriates working in government sector across the country from December 1.

But the authority did not reveal the number of people who had paid the fine or any related information.

"We don't want to talk about the fines. Because we don't want to scare people but prefer to encourage people to fulfil the legal obligation," an official spokesman of the authority told Gulf News yesterday.

The fine will be applicable for expatriates in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai from February 1, 2012, April 1, 2012 and June 1, 2012 respectively.

October 31, 2011 was the deadline for renewing all identity cards expiring up to that date. Any cardholder across the UAE, with the exception of children under 15 years, has 30 days to renew the card from the date of expiry.

A delay in registration, renewal of ID card and reporting changes will attract a fine of up to Dh20 per day, up to Dh1,000. Any change in the personal data of cardholders, except children under 15 years of age, and incidents that bring about changes in personal data should be reported to Eida within 30 days from the date of change.

ID card registration will be mandatory to apply for or renew residence visas in Dubai from April next year.

Comments (10)

  1. Added 19:57 December 26, 2011

    Residence visa renewal needs EID.. EID renewal needs residence visa! EID expires on the same date with the visa. so which goes first? your old EID to renew the visa and then afterwards renew the EID when you get the new visa or the other way around?

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 17:43 December 26, 2011

    i have done my ID card in March 2011... still waiting to receive it. Every time i call the center for information, the answer is the same: it's ready, you'll receive it within 2 weeks.

    Anonymous, abu dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 17:31 December 26, 2011

    can somebody tell me, from when fines are starting for abu dhabi expatriaes?

    p.a, abu dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  4. Added 16:32 December 26, 2011

    The most complicated and confusing process. They should open many counters in Malls, different areas.

    Anonymous, dubai, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 16:28 December 26, 2011

    No one in the last 1.5 years asked me for Emirates ID where ever we show our Emirates ID people say keep it we don`t need it. i still don`t understand the purpose of it. Just posing some extra burdens on people with no use of the card just another plastic in the wallet.

    hassan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 15:20 December 26, 2011

    It's been a year already since I applied my UAE ID Card. Unfortunately, till now I didn't receive the card. I made constant follow up and I was informed to wait for their call as they've lodged the complaint already. But, 1 year had passed since Dec.19, 2010 ---i still receive NO CALLS from the Authority.

    Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 14:02 December 26, 2011

    I have renewed my Emirates ID on 20th Sept-11 and till today I did not recieve my new card after renewal. I am facing problem in Dubai Airport, etc. Today it is four months and no action. Whenever I call the call centre they lodge the complaint, but no action. The authority must take some steps for processing the renewed cards.

    Laurent Nicq, Dubai, France

  8. Added 13:46 December 26, 2011

    Putting fines for people who don't register is great to put some speed to process, but it is not fair to people who have not renewed their ID cards. An expatriate in Dubai is allowed to register for ID card by June 2012 (technically they don't pay until June 2012) whereas, an expatriate who was kind enough to support the Emirates ID from day 1 and whose ID has already expired by now has already paid for 2-3 years in comparison who have not paid and now he is asked to pay fines if he doesn't renew. So the person who doesn't register for ID card until June 2012 is in benefiting in comparison to those who already registered for ID card 2 years back. This is not fair!

    Mohit Jain, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  9. Added 13:24 December 26, 2011

    Finally some good news for people who sincerely had Emirates ID cards since it was introduced.

    Anonymous, Duybai, United Arab Emirates

  10. Added 13:17 December 26, 2011

    if the validity of the card is for two years and if the person wants to shift to another company after one year, the card again is renewed with the new sponsor detiails with the same charges. The authorities should conisder revising the charges in such cases or updating the ID card with new sponsor details considering the validity of the card. this is purely my view

    Balakrishna CP, ras al khaimah, United Arab Emirates

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