URGENT UPDATE ABOUT EMIRATES ID CARDS! | Page 4 | ExpatWoman.com
 

URGENT UPDATE ABOUT EMIRATES ID CARDS!

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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:58
Hope they simplify the process somehow.....:( Do you need a card if you get a job here? Or is the passport+visa enough?
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:56
From when did u need it for a new car? My dh has never used his lol and we are long timers lol we have brought a new car etc in the last few months. They asked for his passport. . Not once has it been used now he has to renew his. They will put the deadline back again I bet, as they won't be able to process it all. If u have three kids and yourself it works out expensive and time consuming to get a card that your not gonna use. yeh i know it costs, but i think its come to a point when they cannot keep moving the deadline, obviously they will have all the new expats arriving in the country for the start of the school term, but after that i think that they have to put their foot down if they want to continue with this. i bought a car like just before the summer but i am in abu dhabi.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:54
(Actually getting the delivery guy to hand the card over was another story...He wanted my ID card as ID!!.. 10 minutes of utter frustration and explaining my ID card was in the envelope, he eventually took my passport number as ID and reluctantly handed it over!!lol).... And just realised it needs renewing in October...So here we go again!!! Valium anyone??? ROFL!!!!!!!!!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:54
From when did u need it for a new car? My dh has never used his lol and we are long timers lol we have brought a new car etc in the last few months. They asked for his passport. . Not once has it been used now he has to renew his. They will put the deadline back again I bet, as they won't be able to process it all. If u have three kids and yourself it works out expensive and time consuming to get a card that your not gonna use.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:52
so how long are these things actually valid for? one year?! no as long as your visa is for. ie 2 or 3 years. i need to do my under 15 years old and one i think his visa runs out in march next year, so if i do it now it will need to be renewed in a few months, but to renew you dont need to go and do fingerprinting etc you can go to the typing centres and they will just update the visa page etc.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:51
I was one who "succumbed" to the hype last December! Did the 6am queue at office then the 3.5 hour queue at Al Barsha... Outside i may add!! i did mine in october without any probs
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:51
so how long are these things actually valid for? one year?!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:51
I was one who "succumbed" to the hype last December! Did the 6am queue at office then the 3.5 hour queue at Al Barsha... Outside i may add!! Hubby got his card 4 weeks later. Mine was done at the same time but never arrived. After countless phone calls and 2 trips back to Al Barsha it was eventually traced to a post office in Rashidyha(!!!). After more "frustrating" phone calls it was eventually delivered to me 6 weeks ago (Actually getting the delivery guy to hand the card over was another story...He wanted my ID card as ID!!.. 10 minutes of utter frustration and explaining my ID card was in the envelope, he eventually took my passport number as ID and reluctantly handed it over!!lol).... And just realised it needs renewing in October...So here we go again!!! Valium anyone??? hahaha at least you got yours delivered, considering part of the cost is delivery by courier, but then the courier companies were indundanted and couldnt "deliver" their part of the contract, so now its been passed over to the post office to sort out, and when i went to collect my hubs at the post office, it was actually very quick and efficient.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:48
I was one who "succumbed" to the hype last December! Did the 6am queue at office then the 3.5 hour queue at Al Barsha... Outside i may add!! Hubby got his card 4 weeks later. Mine was done at the same time but never arrived. After countless phone calls and 2 trips back to Al Barsha it was eventually traced to a post office in Rashidyha(!!!). After more "frustrating" phone calls it was eventually delivered to me 6 weeks ago (Actually getting the delivery guy to hand the card over was another story...He wanted my ID card as ID!!.. 10 minutes of utter frustration and explaining my ID card was in the envelope, he eventually took my passport number as ID and reluctantly handed it over!!lol).... And just realised it needs renewing in October...So here we go again!!! Valium anyone???
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:47
It should be just the people that work here that need one . My dh has had his for a year hasn't used it once... renew car reg, he brought a new car in abu dhabi 3 months ago not used either. Nothing is in my name so the only reason is that it's linked to my visa. They are just saying this prob to get more people to register it will take years for the full system to be in place. if a new car then you should need id to register it. i bought a new car more than 3 months ago and needed an id card to register it.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:46
Kelly, Dorter and I were offered different second appointments at the same place (Al Barsha). I just rang them up and they asked me when it would suit us to come and we went 3 weeks later. I got the impression (also from other threads on this end 2010 beg 2011) that you could just turn up when you felt like it and they would deal with you immediately in the Ladies Only bit.. The worst part for us was that we had to go to the Central Post Office to pick the cards up when they arrived and despite Dorter and I having been "done" at the same time on the same day, there was a month's difference between the arrival of our cards ;) edited by simpleasabc on 23/08/2011 yes there was a long time in getting the card printed, well 3 weeks for me, but like much longer for my hubs. did you know that you can ask the post office to send them to your nearest post office for you to collect at your own convenience.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:44
My head was in the snow then ( I just moved here).... if you have just moved here thats different but there is no excuse for long timers who still havent done anything about it. Most 'longtimers' havent done anything about it, because why should they? It (from memory) costs a reasonable amount, has to be renewed, so lets face it thats a cost x3 for at least the last 3 years for a card that has absolutely no function for most people, rather in the begining, a long drawn out painful, process and a lot of companies didnt help with it. 5am que-ing and still no appointment type painful. By now most reasonable people would have presumed the process for a card that is compulsory would be linked into the visa process and renewal. But nup...that sounds too much like rocket science. Still if this is a definitive cut off date, then people will comply, rather than face the fines I spos. (oh, and we didnt need the card for renewing vehicle registration either) yes you dont need it for a renewal well back in october anyhows but for a new car you do. i am a longtimer here, i didnt do it at first when everyone was queuing up at 5am how silly is that!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:42
It should be just the people that work here that need one . My dh has had his for a year hasn't used it once... renew car reg, he brought a new car in abu dhabi 3 months ago not used either. Nothing is in my name so the only reason is that it's linked to my visa. They are just saying this prob to get more people to register it will take years for the full system to be in place. yeh i agree that i dont need one as not working, but because we bought a new car and i had a id card not my hubs at that point, the car had to be put in my name, thats what you have to do in abu at least now. yes it costs money, but then its not the only thing. you wouldnt drive your car on the road in case you have an accident and have to pay out for a police report as that costs too!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:40
My head was in the snow then ( I just moved here).... if you have just moved here thats different but there is no excuse for long timers who still havent done anything about it. Most 'longtimers' havent done anything about it, because why should they? It (from memory) costs a reasonable amount, has to be renewed, so lets face it thats a cost x3 for at least the last 3 years for a card that has absolutely no function for most people, rather in the begining, a long drawn out painful, process and a lot of companies didnt help with it. 5am que-ing and still no appointment type painful. By now most reasonable people would have presumed the process for a card that is compulsory would be linked into the visa process and renewal. But nup...that sounds too much like rocket science. Still if this is a definitive cut off date, then people will comply, rather than face the fines I spos. (oh, and we didnt need the card for renewing vehicle registration either)
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:37
just found the list of typing centres - 99% of them appear to be in deira and bur dubai - sigh. http://www.emiratesid.ae/en/process-and-fees/registration-plan.aspx
2239
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:36
It should be just the people that work here that need one . My dh has had his for a year hasn't used it once... renew car reg, he brought a new car in abu dhabi 3 months ago not used either. Nothing is in my name so the only reason is that it's linked to my visa. They are just saying this prob to get more people to register it will take years for the full system to be in place.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:36
Kelly, Dorter and I were offered different second appointments at the same place (Al Barsha). I just rang them up and they asked me when it would suit us to come and we went 3 weeks later. I got the impression (also from other threads on this end 2010 beg 2011) that you could just turn up when you felt like it and they would deal with you immediately in the Ladies Only bit.. The worst part for us was that we had to go to the Central Post Office to pick the cards up when they arrived and despite Dorter and I having been "done" at the same time on the same day, there was a month's difference between the arrival of our cards ;) <em>edited by simpleasabc on 23/08/2011</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:34
in a super helpful way the part of the website which tells you where the typing centres are is not working :( let's hope it's back up soon. http://www.emiratesid.ae/en/process-and-fees/registration-process.aspx i can advise you in abu dhabi, there are loads and its really easy. some people even travel north to rak or south to abu dhabi as it can be easier to do it all in one go. when i did mine i did the paperwork at the typing centre, was given an appointment time for a later date, went straight up to the eida place off island, and walked straight in and got it done, as there was no-one in there!!! as a woman it was easy, not so at the time for the men, there were hundreds of them queuing.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:32
i agree its a bit silly for kids to have one, but if they are under 15 you dont actually have to take them to do fingerprinting etc, just passport/blue passport photo to a typing centre. there were a lot of people who panicked at the beginning when they were saying that everyone needed it, taking the kids out of school, queuing up at the crack of dawn outside in the heat at the eida offices and then not getting an appointment and having to do the same again the next day etc, at least now its a bit more civilised and easier to sort out from 2 years ago!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:31
in a super helpful way the part of the website which tells you where the typing centres are is not working :( let's hope it's back up soon. http://www.emiratesid.ae/en/process-and-fees/registration-process.aspx
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:30
Just glad I found this and brought it up, might help other ladies who didn't know .....I was totally unaware... really now it should be part and parcel of issuing your visa at the beginning. if they had done this on new and renewals then everyone would have had one by now.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:27
yes, i renewed my visa last month..... our PRO doesn't help us with anything like this. unless i have it wrong in dubai you have to go twice: first to fill in the application form. then you get a text with the date of your next appointment. then you go back again. it is hard to get time out of a working day for two such appointments.....and you get no choice in the time and date of the second one. when my friend tried to change the date they were given they were told the next available was three weeks! and she was travelling then... agreed this isn't the end of the world but you can see how when working (or otherwise) it is hard to fit all this in. if anyone knows of an easier or simpler way then i am all ears! yes you go to a typing centre (and there are loads now so should be one close by) with your passport and they will fill in an online form for you, you pays your money and they will give you an appointment for you to go to the EIDA place to go and do the fingerprinting etc. in abu dhabi now you can go to any typing centre and also instead of 1 or 2 places to go to do the fingerprinting, they are now in most post offices. yes they were changing the appointment times and there is no logic to it, for eg, my hubs had his done a few months back, we had an appointment for mussafah as thats off island and he works half way to dubai, but they then changed it to the middle of abu dhabi island, logic, nope, but we thought leave it as it is, the new appointment was for the central post office where he walked straight in and got it done.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:24
Just glad I found this and brought it up, might help other ladies who didn't know .....I was totally unaware...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:22
yes, i renewed my visa last month..... our PRO doesn't help us with anything like this. unless i have it wrong in dubai you have to go twice: first to fill in the application form. then you get a text with the date of your next appointment. then you go back again. it is hard to get time out of a working day for two such appointments.....and you get no choice in the time and date of the second one. when my friend tried to change the date they were given they were told the next available was three weeks! and she was travelling then... agreed this isn't the end of the world but you can see how when working (or otherwise) it is hard to fit all this in. if anyone knows of an easier or simpler way then i am all ears!
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:19
I believe they are stricter about use of ID cards in Abu Dhabi as it is where the UAE government is? The thing is, if they start fining people for not having the cards, that'll be a nice little earner too.. Theoretically, since Jan 1st, you can't buy a car here without an Emirates ID card, nor renew the car registration, but I don't know if that is actually how it works in practice? yes that may be the case, in abu you cannot buy a new car without one, but you can last i heard still renew an old one. it has to come to a point when the deadline is a deadline, and its not kept being extended otherwise its how long is a piece of string.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:17
oh i have no problem abiding by the rules, but i do not own a car, have a maid, my visa is fine for another three years etc etc.... if it was easier to get an appointment, take time out of a 14 hour working day to sort it etc etc...have just asked our HR if they can help with sorting it but i am sure they will be their usual unhelpful selves! :) the rules for visas have changed since january, 2 years for private and 3 years for government, so have you just renewed your visa? if so, you are lucky they havent tied it in with the visa process just yet. yes i agree that in the beginning it was silly, but if you apply you will be given an appointment which in abu dhabi at least, cant say for dxb, but you turn up on time and its done and dusted, no wait like in the past! and even so you dont actually have to do the appointment, all you need to do in order to renew a car etc is to go and pay and do the paperwork, how difficult is that, PROs can do that.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:15
I believe they are stricter about use of ID cards in Abu Dhabi as it is where the UAE government is? The thing is, if they start fining people for not having the cards, that'll be a nice little earner too.. Theoretically, since Jan 1st, you can't buy a car here without an Emirates ID card, nor renew the car registration, but I don't know if that is actually how it works in practice?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:13
Gosh, we cross-posted with each other there, MoT :) :P :)
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:12
oh i have no problem abiding by the rules, but i do not own a car, have a maid, my visa is fine for another three years etc etc.... if it was easier to get an appointment, take time out of a 14 hour working day to sort it etc etc...have just asked our HR if they can help with sorting it but i am sure they will be their usual unhelpful selves! :)
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 12:09
you can honestly function absolutely fine without one...i have done for three years.my driving licence isn't up for renewal for another 7 years... yes they say it will all be linked to bank accounts etc etc - let's see! it's a money making scheme... yes that may be the case, but you live here, you have to abide by the rules, and eventually you will need it to get anything done. bank accounts may take some time, but most people here have maids, you will need an id card to process that, to get a drivers licence, a new car or renewal, your visa... yes some things like drivers licence its 10 years, and visa 2 or 3 years, but renewal of cars thats once a year so you will have to abide eventually.
 
 

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