Dubai: If you have delayed the renewal of your Emirates ID, and are facing fines, did you know that you may be eligible for an exemption from the penalties, in certain situations?
According to a recent online post by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), there are three situations in which applicants may be eligible for the exemption. The post also explained how to apply for the exemption.
Categories exempted from Emirates ID delay penalties
According to ICP, people can apply for an exemption from the delay penalties in the following cases:
1. An individual who has left the country and spent more than three months outside the country, and the validity of his or her ID card expired after the date of their departure from the country.
2. An individual whose ID card has expired after being deported by an order, an administrative decision, or a judicial ruling, or whose passport is seized in pending cases, provided that this is proven by a letter or a receipt issued by the competent authorities that deported him or suspended his pending cases.
3. An individual who has not been issued an ID card for the period before obtaining the nationality of the country and before obtaining the family book.
Three different ways to apply for an exemption
You can apply for the exemption through the following channels:
1. ICP Customer Happiness Centres
2. ICP's Smart Services website – smartservices.icp.gov.ae or the 'UAEICP' app, available for Apple and Android devices.
3. Typing centres registered with ICP.
How to apply for exemption online
Here are the steps, as per ICP:
1. When you are applying to renew your Emirates ID online and have completed filling out the form and submitting the required documents, you will be provided the overall fees for the ID renewal, including the delay penalties and fines.
2. Once you are in the payment and check out section, you will have the option to select the ‘exemption from Emirates ID delay’. Select the reasons for exemption from three categories listed above.
3. Then, submit the required/supporting documents to prove your case.
4. Submit your request for the exemption. You will be notified by email and SMS whether your application has been accepted or rejected by ICP.
It is important to note that your Emirates ID renewal application will be saved as a draft, until you get the results of the exemption request from ICP. Once you get the notification, you can continue with the application and complete the final step - making the payment for the Emirates ID renewal.
Cost:
Applying for the Emirates ID exemption is free of charge. However, you will need to make the payment for the renewal of the Emirates ID.
The story was first published on April 4, 2022 and has been updated since.
