Starting next week, customers can track the progress of their application for a new Emirates ID card or renewal of an existing card through the ‘instant tracking service’ at EIDA’s website, www.emiratesid.ae.

The tracking system will provide complete and accurate information on the real-time status of the application from the moment the application is submitted to authorised typing centres, and the printing and actual delivery of cards. A new call centre with interactive voice response (IVR) facility will also be created to respond to customer queries, and a new toll free number 600 530003 will replace the previous EIDA call centre numbers. By the end of September 2011, EIDA registration forms for the Population Register and ID Card will also be available on its website.

“A test run of the electronic form has been going on since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan to detect possible gaps and prepare for a foolproof launch of the service by the end of this month,” said an EIDA statement.

The new services fall within the framework of EIDA’s gradual evolution to provide and facilitate e-Services by linking them to a digital identity verification system, subsequent to recording the country’s population by the middle of 2012, added the statement.

EIDA will distribute brochures explaining the registration procedures and fees across authorised typing centres and other relevant locations in the UAE. — olivia@khaleejtimes.com