UAE | Government
Expat ID card application put on hold
Expatriate professionals who fail to register for ID cards before the December 31 deadline will not face the inconvenience of long queues of other categories in January 2009.
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:15 November 25, 2008
Abu Dhabi: Expatriate professionals who fail to register for ID cards before the December 31 deadline will not face the inconvenience of long queues of other categories in January 2009.
Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) will not open the registration for new categories of expatriates on January 1, 2009 (just after the deadline for expatriate professionals), a senior official told Gulf News yesterday.
"We will announce the time frame for new categories of expatriates on February 1, 2009, but the registration will continue (for the existing category) throughout the month of January," said Darwish Ahmad Al Zarouni, Director-General of the EIDA.
Not an extension
He made it clear that it is not an extension of the deadline for expatriate professionals but a 'small pause' for reviewing the works done so far.
"As announced earlier, ID cards will be the only valid identification document for expatriate professionals from January 1, 2009, and they have to produce it for official transactions, if demanded," explained the official.
No services shall be provided to Emiratis after December 31 deadline, reiterated the official. "About 600,000 of 8,25,000 Emiaratis have registered so far," he said. Among the estimated 600,000 expatriate professionals, approximately 100,000 have registered so far, added Al Zarouni.
Rush to centres
Panicky expatriates from other categories contribute to the rush at EIDA registration centres, said Darwish Ahmad Al Zarouni, Director-General of the EIDA.
"Too many expatriates other than professionals visit registration centres and return as they are panicked by the rumours on fines and punitive measures like refusing official transactions," he said. He reiterated that no fines will be imposed on expatriates until January, 2011.
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