More time for ID card registration

Emirates ID Authority is backing off from a plan to have every resident obtain an ID card by this year end.

The officials now hope to enrol the entire population in the next three years by issuing the card when people enter the country, when they seek services such as healthcare or a driving licence,  reported 'The National' newspaper.

The authority hopes to enrol the entire population in the next three years as residency visas expire, said Ali Al Khouri, Deputy Head of the Authority’s Higher Committee.

“It doesn’t seem possible, based on the latest population statistics, to enrol everyone this year,” Al Khouri said.

The ID is now mandatory for drivers registering a vehicle or applying for a licence, he said, and will eventually be required for all government services.

It will also eventually allow residents to travel within the GCC without a passport.

By the end of this year, registration for ID cards will take place at all medical centres where residents are tested before receiving residency visas.

The authority also announced it has begun incorporating an iris scan that could double the duration of ID cards for UAE nationals to 10 years.