Soon, residents will be able to renew their cards without trouble or apply for a new Emirates ID. Residents will be able to obtain their identity cards without ever having to visit the required centers, thereby streamlining the procedure.
At Gitex 2022, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports security announced the introduction of a technological feature by which residents will be able to carry out the necessary steps for obtaining an Emirates ID on their smartphones from the comfort of their own homes.
In the near future, the ICP app will be upgraded to allow residents to apply for their IDs with biometrics and facial recognition on their phones. Registration can be done either using an application number, or by using photos of a resident’s passport page. The user will then be taken to the phone camera, which will scan their fingers and palm, along with their facial features. A spokesperson at the Gitex booth said that the algorithm is highly accurate in its capturing of fingerprints and lines on the palm.
That’s not all, however – the IDs can be processed in just a few seconds, meaning that how long it takes residents to receive their cards will depend only on the courier service. Same-day delivery is also an option for residents who need it at an extra cost; they may request it in person at the centre.
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) introduced new generation and improved Emirates ID cards last year, in August 2021.
The new cards offer enhanced protection of non-visible data, which can be read through the E-link system with the ICA – a high-quality card with a longer service life. The increased lifespan is made possible using polycarbonate, which increases its service life to over ten years, along with a consolidated 3D photo, advanced technical and technological characteristics, and additional fields and codes definition.
In the last edition of Gitex, the ICA showcased a form of technology where a person’s face is their identity, and is able to provide all the necessary details about the cardholder.
The upgraded version of the Digital Certification Portal is available to government and private institutions to allow them to verify identities through facial recognition – and it takes just three seconds to process.
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