Most of the typing centres and post offices are overcrowded as people are rushing to fill in application forms for the National Identity Cards before the month end. So much so, some typing centres have stopped taking in new clients.

“We have enough work for the next four days. We are now sending customers to other post offices that can still accept applications. Most typing centers are fully engaged,” said an employee of ARA Secretarial and Typing Services, Dubai.

It has been total chaos at the Karama Post office because applicants have been waiting for hours in long-winding queues, said one applicant.

The Emirates Identity Authority (Edia) has not changed the deadline for registration. The authority urged residents to fill up the electronic registration form in any of the 700 typing centres in the UAE.

Number of customers have increased many-fold of late as the deadline nears, he added.

Post offices in Rashidiya and Al Barsha also accept applications and are witnessing a huge crowd of applicants. 

Edia has stopped taking physical registration forms distributed through various typing centres and now accepts only online registrations done at authorised typing centres.

Once applicants register at authorised typing centres they receive a SMS instructing them of the place and date of registration. They can then proceed to the Emirates ID service point for having their fingerprints and photographs taken at the scheduled time.