Emirates ID

Obtaining an Emirates ID card is mandatory for all residents of the UAE, including Emiratis, citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and expatriates residing in the country. Any person included in the scope of one of these categories is required to apply for an ID card from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, and to renew it upon its expiration date.

According to the authority, it is among the duties of the ID card holder to observe his carrying it at all times, and to present it if requested according to the law.

• Proof of the identity of the individual and the provision of accurate personal data.
• Obtaining government services in the UAE.
• Participate in voting in the Federal National Council elections.
• A travel document for Emirati citizens traveling to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
• Transit through electronic gates (eGates) at the country’s airports
• Paying in a certain number of banks and / or services.
• Read more about the characteristics of the ID card and its benefits.

Note: It is not permissible for institutions or companies to seize the Emirates ID cards of their employees, customers or visitors, and it is not permissible to pledge or seize the ID card with any party except based on a decision or a court ruling issued by a competent court. In the event that the ID card is seized in ways that violate the law, the injured party must return to the judicial authorities.

The card’s technological combination, which guarantees the highest levels of accuracy and security, has three characteristics:

• smart card
• Electronic signature keys to verify identity.
• Fingerprints.

The ID card is distinguished by an identification number known as the ID number, which is linked to its holder for life and enables him to benefit from all government services and some non-governmental and commercial services that require proof of identity. The identity number is distinguished by being a single and unrepeatable number, and it contains 15 digits.

It is an electronic chip inside the card that includes the personal data of its owner to be read automatically in uses that require proof of identity and confirmation. And some of this data is encrypted so that only the relevant authorities are allowed to read it in order to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the data. This chip can store information of up to 144,000 characters.

The ID card includes the latest smart card technology, including accurate letters, ultraviolet ink and line drawing, and has nine security features that make it very difficult to counterfeit, as these features surpass the standards currently used in many cards such as bank credit cards.

Data validation using the passive verification feature, which is a mechanism that enables the validation of the contents of the chip and the encrypted data set, allowing to confirm the correctness and integrity of the data.
Verify the accuracy of the data through the positive verification feature, which is a feature that prevents accurate reproduction of the contents of the chip or replacing the original chip with another counterfeit chip.
The communication channel monitoring feature is used to protect the contactless feature of the smart chip and prevent the misappropriation or theft of data from it or eavesdropping on the communication channel that reads the data electronically.
This feature imposes encryption on the communication channel between the reader and the card and provides confidentiality and protection of data from theft without the owner’s knowledge of it using simple access control.
A mechanism to protect biological features such as a personal fingerprint stored in the chip from theft by using Extended Access Control which is used to control extended access to sensitive data in order to prevent unauthorized access to vital data (fingerprints and images).
Protection of secret storage (keys, personal identification numbers).
Providing a mechanism for encrypting messages between the card and the e-reader device to ensure the matching process on the card in a safe manner. The chip is also protected against reverse engineering.
Mutual authentication between the card and the reader device to prevent it from being read by a bogus reader.
Read more about the ID card.

To obtain the Emirates ID card, the applicant fills out the electronic form in one of the approved printing centers or through the form on the website of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

The application process is followed by a text message inviting the customer to complete the procedures, specifying the time and place.

Please refer to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website to know the application procedures, the required documents, and the ID fee for each of:

• UAE Nationals
• Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries residing in the United Arab Emirates
• Expatriates residing from other Arab and other countries.

Customers can track the status of the application for the ID card, whether it is a renewal, replacement, or new card issuance for the first time.
Get your ID card within 24 hours
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship provides an urgent service for issuing an ID card, and delivering it within a maximum of 24 hours, in return for collecting the required service fee, in addition to the immediate service fee.

When registering for the first time
Renewal of expired cards
Issuance of a lost or damaged replacement.
For residents of the UAE – except for the people of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries – the urgent service “Fawri” is limited to the case of obtaining a replacement for a lost or damaged ID card only, and obtaining it requires the presentation of the original valid passport, and that the residence is also valid, as Its procedures include fingerprint and photo retouching.

The ID card issuance procedures require citizens to present an original family book and a valid original passport.

And the old ID card in case of renewal.

The original valid passport
The original valid Gulf ID card of the customer issued from his country of origin is valid (19 years and above), or for one of the valid parents (18 years or less)
A recent personal photo (4.5 x 3.5 cm) with a white background (for those under 15 years old).

Original summary of registration for the head of the family (all pages) for the category of male and female children
Original identification documents proving the relationship of kinship with a first-degree citizen such as the mother, father, children, husband and wife (birth certificate – marriage contract – registration summary … etc.) and the original identity documents of the citizen (passport – registration summary – identity card)
An original valid commercial license
An original certificate of continuity of study from one of the country’s schools, colleges, or universities
The original employment contract certified by the Ministry of Labor for workers in the private sector
The original work certificate issued by one of the government institutions in the country for workers in the government sector
Proof of the residency of the customer of 18 years or less or one of the parents in the country according to one of the documents described above
To obtain this instant service, the customer must visit one of the Authority’s Customer Happiness Centers and submit the required documents.

Al Jazeera centers, and Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi
Al Barsha, Rashidiya, and Karama in Dubai
Madinat Zayed in the Western Region
Al Ain Center
Sharjah Center
Ajman Center
Fujairah Center
Ras Al Khaimah Center
Umm Al Quwain Center
Renewal of the Emirates ID
When should the Emirates ID card be renewed?

The Emirates ID card must be renewed within thirty days of its expiration date. In the event that it is not renewed, a delay fine will be imposed at the rate of 20 dirhams per day, and a maximum of 1000 dirhams per month.

After the expiration date of the ID card, its holder must go to submit a renewal request. The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship sends a notification via text message before the card expires.

You can submit the application through the approved printing centers, or fill in the electronic application form on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website.

You may need to visit the customer happiness centers of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to provide your biological details.

The following links explain the terms and conditions for renewing the identity card for citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and residents of the country of other nationalities.

Renewal of a citizen’s identity card
Renewal of an expatriate / resident identity card
Customer guide for using the electronic form.

A citizen customer has the right to apply for renewal of the ID card six months before its expiration date.
For expatriates residing in the UAE, they can only renew the ID card when renewing the validity of the existing residence visa, or when it is re-issued.
Replace a lost or damaged Emirates ID card
In the event that your Emirates ID card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must refer directly to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship and request the issuance of a replacement for your lost / or damaged identity card. Here are the steps that you must follow:

Visit the nearest Customer Happiness Center of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to report the incident, and request a new card bearing the same fixed identity number. The authority will suspend the validity of the old lost card and issue you a stamped certificate bearing the ID number. Everyone must also bring the original ID card to be replaced for damaged replacement transactions.

When reporting the incident, make sure to bring the necessary documents to prove your identity.

Citizens must present an original passport and family book.
Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries must provide proof of their residency in the UAE.
Expatriate residents must bring their original passport, along with an original valid residence visa.
In the event that the lost or damaged card is for a child under the age of 15, the parent must bring the child’s birth certificate, along with a colored personal photo with a white background.

After reporting the incident, you can apply for a replacement for lost / damaged through customer happiness centers and approved printing offices, or through the electronic form on the website of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, or through the ICA UAE application available on the Tunes and Google platforms. Play.

The customer must pay 300 dirhams when the card is lost or damaged, in addition to the application fee of 70 dirhams if submitted through the printing offices, or 40 dirhams if it is submitted online through the electronic form on the authority’s website.

In the event of an immediate service request, an amount of AED 150 will be added, and the card is obtained from the Authority’s main customer happiness centers.

The replacement card is for the same validity period as the remaining validity of the replaced card.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship informs the customer of application developments through short text messages, and the expected date of receipt. Usually, a replacement for a lost or damaged one is issued within 48 hours of submitting the application, and within 24 hours for customers applying for immediate service. After receiving a text message from the authority that the card is ready, the customer must contact Emirates Post to collect the card from the post office.

For more inquiries about the service, contact the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship at: 6005 30003.

Update and amend the identity card data
According to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in the UAE, the holder of the identity card must notify the competent department at the authority of any change in the data contained in the identity card within one month from the date of the occurrence

Change.

In order to make any amendments or updates to the valid ID card, the concerned person must go to one of the Authority’s customer happiness centers, bring his original passport and identity card and request the necessary amendment from it.

Please note that the data amendment service on the existing ID card is not available electronically, and this applies to the identity cards issued to citizens and residents of the country.

Read more about the duties of an ID holder.

Cancel the identity card
Residents wishing to cancel their residency visa in the UAE for the purpose of leaving the country, or changing employment sponsorship, must submit their ID cards to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in the relevant emirate.

The General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs delivers the ID card to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, which originally issued it.