Emiratis face ID card fines from next month

ABU DHABI // Emiratis who do not have an ID card will be fined Dh20 daily from next month, according to the Emirates Identity Authority.

Non-Emiratis who work for the Government or semi-governmental companies, and expatriate residents of most of the Northern Emirates, will face fines from December 1. Non-Emirati residents of Sharjah have until February 1, and expatriates in Dubai until April 1. The deadline for expatriates in Abu Dhabi has yet to be announced.

Children younger than 15, both Emirati and expatriate, must have cards by October 1, 2012.

A cap of Dh1,000 has been placed on the fines a person can accrue. What happens after that has not been announced.

From November 1, expatriates who already have ID cards must renew them when they renew their visas or face fines.

There is a 30-day amnesty period before a fine is issued. However, those whose ID cards have been expired for more than 30 days by November 1 will face fines immediately.

The fee for registering children has been raised to equal that of adults: Dh100 per year for Emiratis and GCC citizens up to five years, and Dh100 per year for expatriates up to the duration of their residency visas.

hdajani@thenational.ae