Expatriates in Dubai have been given an extra month to apply for Emirates ID cards before they face fines.
The Emirates Identity Authority yesterday announced an extension of the previous deadline until June 30 to help labourers who had not yet registered to avoid fines. After June 30, anyone without a card can be fined Dh20 a day up to a maximum of Dh1,000.
The authority said the decision to extend the deadline was in response to requests made through its website and social networking sites.
It blamed the delays on the first stage of the registration process, which requires applicants to complete a registration form at an authorised typing centre or on its website.
Applicants are then required to visit a registration centre, which they specify on the application form, after they receive an SMS confirmation by mobile phone.
Almost 90 per cent of those in Dubai had managed to register before the original cut-off day on June 1.
The authority said it received 3.3 million registration forms in the first five months of 2012, a million of which were completed in May.
It said the ID-card project would contribute to speeding the pace of development and growth, as part of the emirate's 2010-2013 strategic plan and the UAE Vision 2021.
The card will gradually link all government transactions and become the main proof of identity.
The authority has asked private-sector companies in Dubai to take advantage of the deadline extension and complete the proper procedures and register their workers.
It said company managers must use the appointment system and avoid transporting busloads of workers to the registration centres unannounced.
This would prevent unnecessary congestion at the centres, with the procedure for each applicant taking no more than 10 minutes.
New expatriates who do not yet have a residence visa must also complete a registration form and bring it to one of the centres after they complete their medical examination.
Residents of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah whose visas expire before December 31 must also register for the ID card before the deadline.
The nationwide registration deadline for UAE nationals and children under 15 is October 1.
The Emirates ID deadline has been extended several times since registrations first opened in 2005.
However, the authority, an independent federal body, said it was confident that the entire population would have registered before the end of the year.