By Whether you’re in the UAE to start a business, for a new job, or join college, getting your Emirates ID Card is the most important step towards ensuring your residency. Your Emirates ID protects you against fraud and impersonation. It helps you avail a host of public and private services like banking, medical insurance and others, without having to carry around different identity cards. Your Emirates ID can also be used to store important health details like blood type, chronic diseases, allergies and organ donation approval, which can be vital during emergencies.
Emirates ID is a mandatory requirement for all residents in the UAE. Once you have arrived in the country, make sure you don’t delay your application, since late applications are fined AED 20 per day, up to a maximum of AED 1,000.
The government has taken significant steps to simplify the process of obtaining an Emirates ID. Below, we explore this process in detail:
- Submit Your Application
Fill your application form online or at a typing centre accredited by the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA). You will have to pay a fee when submitting your application – an Emirates ID fee (AED 100 – 200) and a typing fee (AED 70).
- Get Your Biometrics Registered
After submitting your application, you will receive an SMS or email with details about where and when to go for the registration. Expatriates in the UAE would be directed to an official Preventive Medical Centre. Don’t forget to carry along necessary documents like your original passport and entry permit/visiting visa. Once you complete your residency medical test, you will be photographed and your fingerprints registered. Your enrolment will be informed to you through SMS.
- Collect Your Emirates ID Card
Once all the necessary details are collected and your application begins its process, you will be provided with an account number through which you can track the status of your application on the EIDA website. When the formalities are completed successfully and your card has been printed, you will be informed via SMS and email. You will receive a second SMS from Emirates Post, asking you to visit your local post office and collect your Emirates ID. Make sure you carry along your passport and Emirates ID application form as identification.
Your Emirates ID should be on your person at all times, and if lost, reported to the authorities within a week. Non-UAE nationals can get an Emirates ID Card with a validity of 2-3 years, depending on your residency permit, where you’re working and what your job profile is like. In addition to major provisions like insurance and identification, your Emirates ID can also be used to buy petrol, avail discounts across the country, and much more.
