Latest Emirates ID Card Fiasco

[Dune]

Dh20 a day fine for not having an Emirates ID card

Haneen Dajani

Aug 22, 2011

ABU DHABI // Expatriates and Emiratis will be fined Dh20 for each day they do not possess an Emirates ID card from mid-October.

Residents will be penalised every day up to a total of Dh1,000.

Fines will also be imposed for delays in renewing the cards 30 days after they expire and delays in reporting data changes 30 days after the change occurs.

New fees for extra registration services were also outlined in Cabinet decision No 25 for 2011, which was published on Thursday.

A mobile registration card for members of a single family will cost Dh1,000 while an expedited service, which allows patrons to apply for or renew a card without an appointment, will cost Dh150.

The disabled will be exempt from paying registration fees, as will those who are part of the social Daman programme, although they will be required to pay for extras and fines.

[trimotor]

Heard this on the wireless meself....clearly, the cash cow stopped producing 'milk' once everyone who could be bothered getting a card had one, and then decided not to renew...like moi!

[Dune]

Additional Bla-Bla-Bla from back in March FYI:

Emirates ID cards need renewing every 2 years

Erin Conroy

Mar 2, 2011

ABU DHABI // UAE residents who work in the private sector will now need to renew their Emirates ID card every two years, rather than every three years.

The change is in line with the Ministry of Labour's new laws that shorten the validity of work visas.

Abdul Aziz al Maamari, the public relations manager for the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said the validity of ID cards for expatriates was linked directly to the length of work visas. For Emiratis, the ID cards are valid for five years.

Eida is finalising plans to issue the cards as people enter the country, and when they renew residency visas. In Fujairah, Umm al Qaiwain and Ras al Khaimah, officials already have begun registering new residents after they complete preventive medical procedures for the work visa.

By the end of the year, registration for ID cards should be linked directly to the visa process in all emirates, Mr al Maamari said.

Fees for renewing ID cards will not change. Residents will be charged Dh100 for each year their visa is valid, plus Dh20 for delivery. Emiratis renewing their five-year-old IDs are charged Dh120.

To register for a new card, Emiratis pay Dh100 and Dh70 for a service fee. Other residents are charged Dh100 for each year that residency is valid, plus a service fee of Dh70.

The ID cards are mandatory for Emiratis to get a driving licence, and to register and re-register a vehicle. For other residents, the ID card is required only for new procedures — registering a vehicle for the first time or applying for a driving licence.


The card will eventually be used as a regional passport, health card and a credit card for government-related financial transactions.

The new labour laws, effective at the beginning of this year, are meant to allow workers more flexibility in the market, while also increasing competitiveness in recruitment.

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Begs the question as to why any expat with a current drivers license or registered vehicle would bother?

Idiots.

[Bypass ratio]

I saw the article myself and again I have to laugh. It clearly says "mid October" So again there is no definite date. They're just making up bullsh1t again. I refuse to get one on principle. I have bought/sold property/cars, registration etc. I've never had the pleasure of being asked for one. I believe some people are on there 2nd renewal? Please!!:ugh:

[givemewings]

20dhs for delivery? Don't think so... had to haul my a$$ to Karama post office in the middle of god knows where to pick it up- ironically handed to me in an envelope with no check to verify I was the person on the card, collecting the card!!! Was like an episode of Carry On to be honest.

I got one on the advice of my company (who then, by the way, claimed to know nothing about the email I got which advised me I *had* to get one by X date- clearly, one department advised it and the other decided it wasn't worth the hassle of all the phone calls with questions about it- too late for me sadly)

Paid near 500dhs for the 'privilege' of having one, inclusive of taxi fees and exclusive of wasted days off, only to find it's absolutely useless for anything. Friend who joined the company recently told me that their ID was done as they joined, all taken care of by the company- and incidentally, paid for as well!!!

Seems the people who can least afford to, pay for the cards while management positions get it taken care of by employer- I do wonder why the difference? Just glad I told my friends not to bother getting one until they absolutely had to!!

[trimotor]

As mentioned, the real pi$$-off is that it's not accepted anywhere, especially governmental, as adequate ID.

Just another indirect tax.

TM