This is with immediate effect (from midday Friday, February 28) that all Emiratis, GCC citizens and expatriates MUST travel with a valid passport as smart IDs will no longer be accepted at UAE e-gates to enter and exit the UAE airports until further notice.

This temporary travel regulation – where UAE and other GCC citizens cannot travel using national ID – has been imposed by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA as part of a series of precautions to counter the rapid spread of coronavirus.

Passports are being stressed on because unlike national IDs, passports carry the stamp of the country last visited. Monitoring movement within borders can help in controlling the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in line with the requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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The ICA further stated that “these procedures are temporary and subject to review and reassessment”

❗️تحديث| من جهة أخرى أعلنت الهيئة الاتحادية للهوية والجنسية أن تعليق العمل ببطاقة الهوية واشتراط استخدام جواز السفر في مغادرة الدولة أو الدخول إليها يشمل جميع منافذ الدولة الجوية والبرية والبحرية كما أنه يشمل جميع الجنسيات وقد تم تهيئة أنظمة البوابات الذكية لقبول جواز السفر فقط.

— Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security UAE (@UAEICP) February 27, 2020

UAE citizens and expats who are currently abroad, and have used their ID cards to either enter or exit the country prior to the announcement are exempt from this directive.