This is the last week that residents of Dubai have to apply for their Emirates Identity Card to avoid paying the penalty charges of Dh20 a day, up to a maximum Dh1,000. The previous deadline of 31st May was extended to June 30th due to demand.

The first step of the registration process involves visiting one of the authorized typing centres, bringing with you your passport with residency visa, completing a form and payment of all fees. After this you will be advised of a time, date and location to visit an Emirates ID service point. This will probably be a few weeks later depending on demand. At this stage the applicant will have their fingerprints and photo taken. The applicant does not need to personally visit the typing centre and children under the age of 15 will not have to go to the Emirates ID service point either.

The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has opened up social media channels to answer queries. The authority has not only been using its Facebook and Twitter accounts to disseminate information but also to answer questions and handle concerns. Dr Ali Al Khoury, Director General at EIDA said “Social media allows EIDA to reach out to many more people at the same time, and also reduces the volume of queries that must be taken care of by the 24-hour EIDA call centre.”