ABU DHABI // Emiratis can extend the validity of their new or renewed Emirates ID cards from five years to 10 years, authorities announced on Wednesday.
People 15 and older, as well as six to 10-year-olds, are eligible for the extension, the Emirates Identity Authority said.
Children below the age of six need a new photo after five years because their facial features change, and 11 to 14-year-olds are ineligible because they need to have their fingerprints taken when they turn 15.
The changes mean that Emiratis have the option to pay Dh100 for a card valid for five years or Dh200 for 10 years. Application fees, Dh70 at typing centres and Dh40 online, are not included.
The extended service is unavailable when applying for replacements for damaged or lost cards.
Emiratis can take advantage of the option via the online application or through mobile phones, if they are renewing their cards, or at more than 1,400 typing centres. Urgent service centres also offer the extension for Dh150.
The authority plans to activate its digital ID application process, as well as ease registration in the Population Register and for ID card issuance and renewal.
In April, Emirates ID launched its online application form for new ID cards, which it said would save companies and individuals more than Dh120 million each year.
Security experts have described the UAE as a world model for collecting biometric information and other data.
The ID cards of more than 150,000 Emiratis are due to expire this year.
newsdesk@thenational.ae