Use Emirates ID as e-gate card, save 25%

UAE residents activating the e-gate service on their Emirates ID card can save 25 per cent on fees.

Activation of the e-gate service costs Dh150 for two years on the ID card, while one has to shell out Dh200 for two years for an e-gate card.

According to Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) website, the fee (new subscribers) for activating the e-gate service on ID card is Dh150 for a period of two years, while the renewal fee for a two-year period is also Dh150.

A DNRD call centre executive said the e-gate service fee was Dh200 for two years (new subscribers or renewal) with an additional Dh20 being charged as service fee.

Andrea Brooks, a Dubai resident, says: “Since I travel frequently, I do have an e-gate card. I just got it renewed by paying Dh200. Besides, my husband and two kids also renewed their cards and we paid Dh800 in total besides the Dh20 as registration fee per person.” 

Although Brooks says she was aware that the e-gate service could be activated on Emirates ID, she admits she wasn’t aware that she could make a substantial saving on fees.

“All of my family member already have Emirates ID.

“But, since I was not aware that the fees were less for ID card holders, I eventually paid Dh200 more on getting the e-gate cards.”

Ketan Shah, a Dubai resident, says he got the e-gate service activated on his Emirates ID without any difficulty at the airport.

“I never had an e-gate card and so when I got my Emirates ID I went to activate the service at the Dubai airport.

“It took not more few minutes to get my card activated and I could use it immediately to walk through the immigration gates easily.”

At the time of publishing this article Eida had not yet responded to queries sent by Emirates 24|7. 

Eida to provide e-readers for card scanning

The Emirates Identity Authority has affirmed its readiness to provide ID card electronic readers to all UAE organisations that seek to provide innovative services via features and digital applications of the ID card.

Al Bayan newspaper reported earlier that the Eida intends to distribute around one million electronic readers to UAE government and private organisations over the two coming years as part of its strategic plan 2010-2013, adding that 100,000 readers would be distributed to government organisations and entities up to the end of this year at a time the number of entities adopting the ID card rose to over 150.

The Emirates ID previously distributed ID card electronic reading machines on a number of federal and local government organisations as part of the condition set by those entities that the ID card should be presented for their transactions to be finalised and their services to be obtained.

The electronic readers make it easy to identify the data included in the card and prove the identity of its holder.

What is an e-gate card? 

The e-gate card, issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai, in association with the Department of Civil Aviation, allows passengers quicker access through the immigration process at Dubai Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport and Al Ain Airport.

Residents with the e-gate card do not need to wait in a long queue to get a passport stamped.

They have to head to the e-gate, swipe their card, touch the panel to match their fingerprint and can enter or exit the country without any hassle.

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