EDITOR’S CHOICEFeature

Emirates ID: Your passport to UAE’s world of conveniences

If there’s one thing that Filipinos and other expats must carry with them at all times, it’s the Emirates ID Card.

Launched by the UAE Government around April 2006, the unified, all-purpose identity card is issued by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) as a legal requirement for all individuals currently living in the UAE. It is always mandatory to bring the card as proof of identity, especially for government services.

Here are some of the benefits that the Emirates ID brings to every UAE resident:

Portable personal database

The chip embedded within each Emirates ID contains over 70 fields of information on each person. These include information that’s already printed on the card itself like the name of the person in English and Arabic, their birthday, nationality, and likewise contains sensitive information such as their entire passport data, bank history, marital status, their mother’s full name in Arabic and English, address, mobile number, email address, educational status, and more.

No need to worry however – as the information stored within the chip is encrypted, stores up to 32,000 characters and is only readable, and can only be updated by authorized individuals.

Issuance of personal identification number

The seven-digit number at the front of your Emirates ID card following your date of birth is your assigned number that will never change no matter how many times you renew your card. Note that this differs from the nine-digit card number at the back of your Emirates ID that only ties to the physical card.

Smart security features

Apart from the secured data within the chip, the physical card also contains unique ultraviolet ink and line drawings, coupled with nine more security features – ensuring that card falsification is nearly impossible with its state-of-the-art technology.

Access to government services, utilities

Your Emirates ID is your key to accessing more than 150 government entities across the country as it its recognized as your proof of identity. These include ministries and happiness centres in the UAE, Emirates Post, UAE Red Crescent as well as other public institutions.

The card is also accepted as proof of identity for electric and water authorities of their respective emirates, as well as in courts. Telecommunications companies have also enabled the use of the card to activate prepaid services.

Easier access to health records and medical history

Some of the medical insurance providers in the UAE have skipped printing medical cards and have since opted to use both digital insurance cards through their respective apps and the Emirates ID will also qualify members to gain access to healthcare services.

Pay for petrol

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has recently introduced their ADNOC Wallet using the Emirates ID as their primary payment token that links to the customer’s account when they register. This way, the customer doesn’t need to pay cash or use their cards any longer to fuel up their vehicles. They just need to bring and top up their Emirates ID card for their petrol needs.

Quick airport smart gate access

All UAE residents who are older than 15 years can use their Emirates ID to pass through the smart gates since the service was launched in 2017. The new facility has reduced queuing times at the Dubai International Airport, making it the first airport in the region and among the first globally to introduce automated immigration gates.

App integration

Apart from petrol and medical use, the UAE government envisions the Emirates ID as a tool to reduce the need to carry several cards for identification purposes as years go by. The government aims to have it store ID applications in the future.

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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