Applicants continue to camp outside centres

Groups of applicants continue to camp outside the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) centres despite an extension of the December 31 deadline.

Eida on Saturday extended the deadline for UAE nationals to June 30 and linked expatriates’ application and renewal to the renewal of their residency visas.

Yet, many residents gathered outside the typing centres on Sunday, unaware of the extension even as typing centres added to the confusion by stating that they were unaware of the extended dates.

Centres however have stopped retaining passports from applicants following a warning from Eida.

Emirates 24|7 visited many centres where notices have been posted informing the applicants that passports can no longer be left behind.

“We are now following the token system, allowing about 100 odd applicants to wait in queue to fill the forms. Passports are strictly not being retained, despite pressure from applicants. Many of them want  to avoid queuing up for hours together and prefer to leave their passports behind. But we are refusing to accept it following a strict warning from Eida,” said one official at a typing centre close to the DNRD branch in the Bin Sougat Centre in Al Rashidiya.

When asked if he was aware of the extension he said, “I heard something to that effect but we are not sure about the extended dates,” he added.

Meanwhile, several applicants were seen camping outside the Eida centre, having their afternoon lunch and even sleeping on makeshift mattresses. “We work in a company in Sharjah and arrived here at 3am. We have not heard of the extension. And since we have got our forms typed, we want to finish off the process,” added a worker from Bangladesh.

Emirates 24|7 had earlier reported about the extension of the deadline but also warned that Eida's recommendation to link the services provided by all departments, corporations and entities across the UAE to the ID card on a gradual basis, would make the identity card mandatory sooner than later.

One of the residents working in Umm Al Quwain said he was unable to apply for a driving licence because he did not have the Emirates ID card. “Irrespective of the extension, I am going ahead and getting mine ready as I need the licence urgently,” said Sathosh J.

Deadline extended but ID card to soon be linked to govt services

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