The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) in the United Arab Emirates has begun issuing an upgraded version of the Emirates ID.
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The electronic version of the ID will be accessible for download on the ICA UAE Smart app, which is free on both the iOS and Android stores. Until their actual cards are printed, ID applicants should use the e-version for all government services, according to the ICA. It’s generated automatically.
ICA Introduces New E-Version of Emirates ID
It has a QR code on it, which makes it easier to read for official purposes at government agencies. The card’s e-version is just as valid as the physical version.
The e-version of the ID is part of the ICA’s transition to a “new generation of identity cards and passports,” according to the organisation.
To deliver services based on the e-Emirates ID, the authority has worked with the relevant agencies, as well as service and business providers.
After a Cabinet meeting headed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, new designs for Emirati passports and Emirates IDs were originally unveiled in November last year.
It was announced at the time that current passports and Emirates IDs would be phased out in favour of new-generation designs with enhanced security features.
To combat identity fraud and increase national and international confidence in travel credentials, the new identification documents will include extra visual and electronic security elements.
The Emirates ID is a government-issued identification card that is required by law for all UAE citizens and residents.
The card is used to obtain government services, new phone connections, utility services, and to pass through airport immigration using eGates and smart gates. It is used by Emiratis to vote in Federal National Council elections and as a travel document within the Gulf Cooperation Council.
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