You face fines of up to Dh1,000 on your Emirates ID if you fail to renew it in time

Dubai: Have you been unable to renew your Emirates ID, even though the card has expired? The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICA) has informed residents of how they can apply for an exemption on the late payment fees.

What are the late payment fees?

As per the official UAE government website – u.ae – once an Emirates ID has expired, the cardholder has 30 days to renew it, without incurring any fines.

After this, late fines of Dh20 per day will apply, with a maximum of Dh1,000.

Who is eligible to apply for the exemption?

As per the ICA, the exemption can be applied for by any of the following individuals:

• UAE citizens

• GCC citizens

• Expatriate residents

What are the criteria for applying for exemption?

As per the ICA, if you failed to get your Emirates ID card or the ID cards of those under your sponsorship issued or renewed within the stipulated timeframe, you can apply for exemption from late fines if you fulfil one of the following criteria:

• A person who left the country and lived outside the UAE for more than three months, or a resident whose residency expired while abroad or whose ID card validity expired after his departure from the UAE. This has to be established with the help of the travel document.

• A person whose ID card validity expired while abroad as a result of an executive or judicial decree or whose passport is detained in a case or due to its renewal. He has to prove it with an official letter from the relevant authorities that has decreed his departure or detained his passport in a case or for purposes of renewal.

• A person bed-ridden or suffering from a contagious disease or partial or full disability. This has to be proven with a medical certificate issued by relevant authorities in the country.

• Staff of diplomatic or consular missions in the country and those under their care.

• Elderly people above the age of 70 who are unable to visit the customer services centres. They have to prove their age with their family book, passport or any other authentic document.

• People subject to social security and those under their sponsorship. They have to prove their status with an official certificate issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs or other relevant authorities.

• A person for whom the ID card was not issued during the period before he obtained UAE citizenship or family book.

• Delays in the registration or issuance of ID card on account of errors of documentation or due to the Emirates ID’s systems or one of its staff members or typing offices assigned by it.

How can I file for the fine exemption?

- Online

You can file for the fine exemption by logging on to the ICA website – ica.gov.ae – or through the ‘ICA UAE’ smartphone application, which is available for Apple and Android devices.

You can log in to the system using your UAE Pass or by creating an account with the website or app.

Once you are on the website or app, visit the ‘Public Services’ section.

Under ‘Emirates ID’ services, select ‘Application for Exemption from delay fees’.

You will be asked to submit supporting documents to prove that you are eligible for the fine exemption.

- Through customer happiness centres

You can also apply for the exemption through any of the ICA’s customer happiness centres, if you are unable to complete the application process online.

You can find the complete list and location of ICA customer happiness centres here: https://ica.gov.ae/en/customer-happiness-centers/

How long does the process take?

As per the ICA website, once the application has been submitted, it will undergo a verification process and you should receive a response from ICA within 48 hours on whether your request has been approved or rejected.