Qn for EK families re ID card

Just an update, we applied on the 16th and didnt wait for appointment for biometrics but went to a centre anyway. Yesterday DH got texts that the kids id card were ready and one that his application had gone back to typing centre. This morning he went and had to pay the fine. The fine was for all days in Jan, not just working days, and included the day he had applied so 16*20=320. So far no news on fine for me though.

you should not leave your passports with them there is no need once you have done the online forms and filled them in then you are good to go, of course if the system is down you cant do it, assuming thats why you left your passports with them, but it has been mentioned many times over to never leave your passports with any typing center.

We went to Swift typing in France district, building P-02, in International City. Take all household's original passports, cash and 1 ID pic only for each child under 15 years. Registration is done there and then once this is complete the fine stops. You will then receive an sms to let you know appointment time and place for fingerprinting. If you ask typing place to link all the household's transactions together, you will be able to get same time and place for fingerprint appointment. The typing place took all our info then kept our 6 passports for 1 and half hours, we then picked them up and went on our merry way! No hanging about or waiting in a queue. Easy!

irooni, have you looked at the staff website? I do believe it tells you what you need :)

So a couple of questions, ladies. Other than the passports and photos do I take anything else with me? Oh, and cash. Now, if I go to EGHQ, will all the paperwork and finger printing be done, the same day? If I go to the typing centre only the paperwork will be done? When and where will the finger printing be done? When does the fine stop? The day of paperwork or the day of the finger printing? Oh my so many questions. Sorry ladies. Thanks ever so much in advance.

Maybe as it was the weekend, everyone was too busy AT the Mall.... ;)

I had to renew my ID card as it had just expired and do a new application for my daughter. As there seemed little change of the queue fading at HQ, I went to the typing place in Al Barsha( behind Mall of the Emirates) and I was in and out in 5 minutes. When I collected the passports and paperwork tonight I was the only one in there!

One said no problem with fines (but hers was a renewal) while others applied no issue but were then called later on to say they had to go pay fines before the process would go any further. Seems though the average fine seems to be 3-400dhs, not in the thousand mark (yet) I *think* it's if your visa expires in 2012, they start counting from Jan 1, but don't quote me on that

Evening all... just saw this thread and thought may be of help to add another recent experience. I went to the typing centre in Bin Sougat Centre (Airport Rd) yesterday... I waited for nearly 5 hours, but had a movie to watch on my iphone and a book to read, so it wasn't overly painful as such - luckily I had left all the children at home with DH though or it would have been quite a different story!! I was pretty much the last person to be served, but managed to get 4 new applications & 1 renewal done. I received the sms with my appointment for fingerprints & photo at the Rashidiya Service Centre while I was doing the application, and this was for 1 Feb - but the typist told me I could go any time before then, so I went first thing this morning and went straight in to the ladies only section and was all done in there in a matter of minutes! It was great (well, in comparison to yesterday's drawn-out affair)! My photos of the children had all been done at home, and had various backgrounds - some pretty close to white, but one pretty grey - the guy didn't bat an eyelid at any of them - just scanned them and handed them back, so I wouldn't worry too much about those - it doesn't seem to be quite as serious as applying for a new passport, even if it is just as expensive!!! At the typing centre, they were telling people that you will receive an sms later on if you have a fine to pay, but they were not calculating or charging this there, so it remains to be seen if, when and how much that will be! I am just relieved that the children won't be counted or that would mean this whole thing could have cost about 7k!!!!! Anyway, I wish you all luck. Neither adults nor children need to be there in person, so if you can avoid taking the whole family along, I would strongly suggest leaving them behind. If you get yourself in the right frame of mind, and take along a few snacks and things to do, it could almost be quite a relaxing outing!!! Best of luck... and fingers crossed these fines get abandoned...!!!

thats the problem its been white the 4 times i have done it, but take both and then you should be covered. you know what its like here one rule one day another the next!

Thanks BB I just reread the form and it does say they will contact via SMS with appt within 2 weeks. I did take one photo of each but they wanted the blue one! It's blue http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=167309 DH went two or three days ago with photos on white background and they accepted them without comment....

Thanks BB I just reread the form and it does say they will contact via SMS with appt within 2 weeks. I did take one photo of each but they wanted the blue one! hahaha when i did it it was white! best to take everything just in case.

Thanks BB I just reread the form and it does say they will contact via SMS with appt within 2 weeks. I did take one photo of each but they wanted the blue one!

So after registering at a typing centre yest do I just have to wait for an SMS for an appointment or can I somehow try and make one somewhere?? Another thing to mention is it says on EIDA website that Childs pic is to be with White background this now has to be light blue!! all you need to do is register at the typing center, obviously it depends on how busy as to how slow or quick you would get an appointment, i did my hubs way back in a quiet period last year and it was still a couple of months from the typing to the appointment date. when you fill out the form, it will give you a date, they only gave us 3 options, but those options were then changed via sms etc. on the website the colour photo used to say light blue, but then it was changed to white. when i did my kids back beg of nov it was white background they needed (although website still said blue!) if you want to be sure, take 1 of each, you will get them given back they dont keep them, they just scan them into the computer along with the passport/visa page etc.

So after registering at a typing centre yest do I just have to wait for an SMS for an appointment or can I somehow try and make one somewhere?? Another thing to mention is it says on EIDA website that Childs pic is to be with White background this now has to be light blue!!

Colleagues reporting good results at 'local' typing centres- around 1hr wait instead of 5 or 6 (or missing out!) at EGHQ. You can make the appointment to come back for fingerprints if you have to, at least you're registered. The expemtions from fines to NOT apply to EK employees- Gulf news this morning.... we're classified as 'government' remember! (not when it counts though... ;))

Word on the street is that there were people lining up from 3am this morning for this ID thing. And just before 6am and the queue was ridiculously long. :\: edited by shellly on 18/01/2012 Just drove past al barsha id centre about 9.30 am and there were swarms of people milling around outside. I'm talking about the queue at EGHQ :D But I can imagine both places are swamped!

please check the staff page for information...this is it in part regarding fines etc. ' 17 January 2012: All UAE-based staff are requested to process their UAE ID cards as soon as possible. The Federal Emirates ID Authority (EIDA) has started levying Dhs20 fine per day (maximum Dhs 1,000) from 1st January 2012 onwards for government/semi-government employees who are yet to renew or process their cards. [b'>As EIDA has classified the Emirates Group as a government/semi-government organisation, the deadline of 31st May 2012 for Dubai residents published earlier by EIDA is not applicable to Emirates [/b'>Group staff and their dependents and the deadline for government/semi-government employees (and their dependants) of 1st January 2012 will now apply.' the rest of the info is on the the staff site. You WILL be fined. Will children under 15 be fined too? Update: seems that the fines have been waived for staff etc until March. Not gospel though so until it comes directly from the horses mouth, be prepared :) edited by SueB on 18/01/2012 Will children under 15 be fined? edited by Irooni on 18/01/2012 i know in abu dhabi under 15s will not be fined until later this year. i would just go and do it at a typing its not difficult to do and doesnt take long if there is no q, now there are loads of typings centers all over, whereas in the beginning you had to go to eida and there was like only 2 in abu dhabi and prob the same in dxb.

Avoid HQ- al ltickets were gone by 7am so don't bother. Highly reccommend looking at the typing centers listed on EIDA website, finding one near to you and going there. Other reports from EK staff indicate they got it all done in one hit in Karama- however now word is out that might not be an option. AM told that some ignored the "appointment" to come back later for fingerprints, went upstairs to the fingerprint, joined the queue and got it done same day. This was not me, only something heard 2nd hand so follow at your own risk. I wouldn't put stock in that 'deadline extension' article in Gulf News as they have already said exemptions don't apply. the only time I wouldn't bother is if you're already at or near the max fines- then it doesn't really matter if you wait.

The whole thing is ****** ridiculous who on earth is Overseeing this!!

please check the staff page for information...this is it in part regarding fines etc. ' 17 January 2012: All UAE-based staff are requested to process their UAE ID cards as soon as possible. The Federal Emirates ID Authority (EIDA) has started levying Dhs20 fine per day (maximum Dhs 1,000) from 1st January 2012 onwards for government/semi-government employees who are yet to renew or process their cards. [b'>As EIDA has classified the Emirates Group as a government/semi-government organisation, the deadline of 31st May 2012 for Dubai residents published earlier by EIDA is not applicable to Emirates [/b'>Group staff and their dependents and the deadline for government/semi-government employees (and their dependants) of 1st January 2012 will now apply.' the rest of the info is on the the staff site. You WILL be fined. Will children under 15 be fined too? Update: seems that the fines have been waived for staff etc until March. Not gospel though so until it comes directly from the horses mouth, be prepared :) edited by SueB on 18/01/2012 Will children under 15 be fined? <em>edited by Irooni on 18/01/2012</em>

Word on the street is that there were people lining up from 3am this morning for this ID thing. And just before 6am and the queue was ridiculously long. :\: <em>edited by shellly on 18/01/2012</em>

Just to let you know, fines for EK employees have not been waived. Friends of ours were called back today to the typing centre and required to pay their fines. (They had cards, but his expired in Nov. and so he was beyond his 30 day grace period so he was fined. I know this is slightly different than issuing new cards, but it's just FYI)

Just updating as well went to typing Centre today had to leave passports or else wait for a while but al done no fines and cost dhs 170 pp (less than 1yr on visa) . Went about 10 no queue and picked up at 4 pm no waiting so perfect This was at a place called Dawn inInrernational city china building D 03

Just an update. Went to apply for our ID cards today. Took 20minutes to have the typing done for 2 adult applications. Paid fee and we were NOT fined. My appointment is in 6 days,my DH's appointment is in 2 months. Dont know if they will fine us then though,but so far so good. It was very easy and fast. :) Also I didnt go to the EGHQ typing centre as I know they are very slow and its not necessary to go there.

EK is neither government nor private, really - hence their 'public holidays' not necessarily following either sector. So I don't suppose there is much they can do about EIDA classifying them as government - though it was obviously news to them.