Emirates ID number can never be modified

Emirates Identity Card. File photo

Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) confirmed that the ID number issued for each individual, whether a citizen or a resident, is registered in the population register system. It is fixed and may not be modified or changed. It is a random number consisting of 15 digits, including a four-digit part that may match the year of birth of the ID card holder.
However the said part of the ID number does not necessarily match the year of birth and the figures mentioned do not represent the date of birth of card holder always.
Eida said in a Press release that the ID number is allocated for its holder for life and may not be given to anyone else. It is a unique number that may not be changed nor replicated, whether for citizens or residents, pointing out that in case the ID holder changed his date of birth, this does not allow him in any way to change the ID number issued to him. Even if any resident cancelled his residence visa and left the country, his ID number is not cancelled and a new ID card under the same number will be issued to him once he returns to the country.
The ID number constitutes a particular way to verify the identity of the person and all the information records related to him are linked to the said number.
Abdul Aziz Al Maamari, Director of Government and Community Liaison Office at Eida, explained that the ID number is divided into four parts: the first one consisting of the first three digits represents the international code of the UAE, followed by a four-digit part that may, and does not necessarily, match the year the birth of the card holder. The third part of the number consists of seven random digits, and the last part consists of one digit which represents the verification number.
ID, card number not same
Al Maamari pointed out the importance of distinguishing between the ID number and the card number on the right of the back side of the card which is affixed upon printing the cards in the Emirates Card Factory or through the decentralized printing system in customer service centres.
He added that the front side of the ID card contains the basic information of its holder, i.e. the ID number, the name, nationality, personal photo and smart chip where all the individual's personal and biometric data are stored to be read automatically using the e-reader.
Al Maamari called the public and private institutions in the state not to restrict or bind the year of birth of the individual in their databases to the ID number printed on the card, and to record the date of birth from the field allocated to the date of birth, which is printed on the back side of the card, which also includes the card number, expiration date, signature and the note related to the loss of the ID card and the serial number of the electronic chip.
He said that the ID card is the main reference to verify the identity of individuals especially that it includes all the personal data of its holder, including the personal photo and fingerprints, as well as the passport details and the individual civil record number for citizens and the passport and residence details for residents.
Al Maamari pointed out that most of the bodies, institutions and companies in the state are updating the details of their customers and are linking the same to the identity number in order to reduce the duplication of records. The ID number is the main reference for the record of the individual which facilitates the process of linking the services providers systems based on the same number as the title to access the customer record.