Reimbursement of ID card fines to start in March

Abu Dhabi: Reimbursements for expatriates working in private companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai free zones, who, from January 1, paid fines for delays in registering or renewing their national ID cards, are expected to start next month, a top official told Gulf News yesterday.

The Emirates Identity Authority (Emirates ID) has set up a special committee to look into complaints on unwarranted or excessive fines and to reimburse deserving complainants, Dr Ali Al Khoury, director-general of Emirates ID, said.

As Gulf News reported, expatriates employed with private companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai free zones had to pay fines because they were considered semi-government employees.

Following their complaints, Emirates ID waived their fines to March 31, for those in Abu Dhabi, and to May 31 for expatriates in Dubai.

Application form

The authority will put up an application form for reimbursements on its website [www.emiratesid.ae] by the end of this month, the official said.

Since January 1, slightly more than 1,000 expatriates working for private companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai free zones have paid their fines.

Al Khoury said they could fill out the reimbursement form and submit it online.

Those who are not internet-savvy can visit any Emirates ID registration centre in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and submit proof of payment. They need not fill out reimbursement forms, Al Khoury explained.

The committee will decide the mode of reimbursement — whether through bank deposits, cheques or cash — after assessing the application forms, the official explained.

Applicants will be informed of the mode of reimbursement.

Apart from expatriates employed in companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai free zones, all other ID card applicants with complaints about excess fines can submit an application for reimbursement.

Al Khoury said the committee will look into their complaints and take a decision based on merit.

The authority has already clarified that the exemption granted to expatriates employed with private sector companies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai free zones is not applicable for expatriates working with government and semi-government companies in those free zones.

The reprieve is also not applicable for expatriates employed by companies in free zones in the other five emirates because the deadlines to register for an ID or renew an existing one have already expired.

As Gulf News reported on January 19, Emirates ID started levying fines, from January 1, on expatriates working with government and semi-government organisations across the country, who are yet to register for a card or renew existing cards.

Only the family members of expatriate employees in government and semi-government sector in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will get time to register for or renew ID cards without paying fines until March 31 and May 31 respectively.

As Gulf News first reported on September 15, 2011 and repeated in subsequent news reports, all expatriates working in the government and semi-government sector across the country had to pay fines from December 1, 2011. But the Emirates ID started levying the fines only from January 1, 2012, after granting affected expatriates an informal one month grace period.