No...gave up when they told me that they would hang on to my passport until February !

However, the queue was short (only 30 people) for pre-registration at 10.30 am.

its 370 if your visa renewal is 3yrs from now, only 280 if 2yrs and 170 if only 12 mths...or thereabouts...and very few places allow you to keep your passports.

in that case I won't be getting one at all then

here in ab dabs they do

Renewed my PO Box today and I thought I might need an ID card as it has on the application form : Required documents, "Copy Passport, Residency and ID Card."

I filled the form and attached copy of passport and residency and handed them to the guy in the post office, waiting with baited breath to see what he would say.

"Driving Licence" were the two words he uttered - not even a hint of asking for the "required" EID card.

Have there been any recent announcements on the next deadline that everyone "must" have one by ?

Dunno, but just received by new appointment by SMS (previous appointment was 2 days before they SMS'd me the details): 5th April (frigging 7:30 in the morning).