Three new eServices allowing the public to update their residence address information have been launched on the National Portal, bahrain.bh, the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) announced. The ‘Update ID Card Residential Address’, ‘Residential Address Statement’, and ‘Verify Residential Address Statement’ eServices are in line with directives by HE the Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa calling for the continuous improvements to ID card services. They add to ID card services previously announced by the Minister to the ID eServices bundle.
iGA Director of Identity and Population Registry, Shaikh Sabah bin Hamad Al Khalifa said that this brings the total number of ID card and population register eServices to 38, all of which are available via the National Portal, smartphones, and other eGovernment digital channels. The move reaffirms the iGA’s commitment to provide high quality, safe, and easy-to-use digital government services, enabling beneficiaries to complete their transactions online instead of by having to visit identity card service centers. It also helps to maintain public health and safety, supporting the efforts of the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Shaikh Sabah stated that the new eServices for residential address updates are of vital importance because they concern the personal details of individuals and families. Providing accurate residential address data is also essential for service providing governmental entities that rely on this information to provide more efficient services to the public, such as electricity and water, municipalities, education, and health.
To avail of these new eServices, users can visit the National Portal, bahrain.bh, access the ID card services page, select the required service, and then fill in the requested information. The ‘Update ID Card Residential Address’ service allows users to digitally request changes to the address information registered on the card. This requires filling in required verification details such as mobile phone numbers, emails, and the types of adjustment to be made, along with the submission of the required documents. Applicants should enter their information correctly before they are directed to a verification page to confirm its accuracy and submit the request. The next step will be a further confirmation, where the applicants will be contacted via telephone or email to confirm their details and agents will inform them of their application’s status and the necessary procedures.
Shaikh Sabah stated that several conditions needed to be met for users to benefit from the service, the main ones being that the application must be submitted by existing users who have a valid ID that is not expired. They must also be present in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the time of submission and their passports must not be expired.
The ‘Residential Address Statement’ eService, available for users who have already received approval on their address updates, can be accessed by visiting the National Portal, filling in the required details, selecting ‘Continue’, and then printing the statement.
And the ‘Verify Residential Address Statement’ eService, the last in this batch of eServices concerning residential address updates, allows individuals, and private and public sector organizations to verify the authenticity of the addresses provided to them by others. This requires entering each statement’s reference number and the applicant’s ID card number, and then submitting them. Once verified, they will be directed to a page where they can view or print the statement.
If any issue is faced during application processes related to the ID card eservices, applicants can send an email to ID@iga.gov.bh. Suggestions, complaints or enquiries can be made via the National Suggestions and Complaints System, “Tawasul”, which is available on bahrain.bh/tawasul or, through the “Tawasul” application, available on the government app store bahrain.bh/apps. These eServices add to a comprehensive suite of ID card and population register services that were announced by the Minister earlier this year. They include 10 services made available to all citizens and residents by the iGA via its National Portal, smartphone apps, and other digital channels, with the aim of accommodating the current circumstances.