Expats receive leeway over ID card deadline

CARD BOOST: Expats will not necessarily have government services suspended if they don't register by Feb 28.

Government departments will have the discretion to provide expatriates with services even if they have not obtained their national identity card by the Feb. 28 deadline, a senior official has said.

But Emiratis, who have had more than 12 months, will not be given the same privilege, Thamer al-Qasemi, a planning director at the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) told UAE daily The National on Sunday.

Any Emirati who does not register by the end of March will face a 1,000 dirham ($346) fine and will lose access to services provided by the government departments said Al Qasemi.

“There is a transitional period for Emiratis and white-collar expatriates. After the transition period, we will move on to the next category and there will be no preferential treatment for white-collar workers. They will have to wait in line with everybody else,” he told the newspaper.

After the Dec. 31, 2010 deadline, expatriates will also be fined and become ineligible for government services.

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