According to Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 on Nationality and Passports, amended by Federal Law No. 10 of 1975 and Decree Law No. 16 of 2017, UAE nationality is acquired by virtue of law, citizenship or naturalisation as per the provisions set in that law.
You can apply for UAE nationality through the relevant General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in each emirate:
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A national by law is:
Every Arab individual who was residing in one of the seven emirates in 1925 or before and who continued to reside therein until the effective date of the law no. 17 of 1972; ancestors’ residence shall be deemed complementary to descendants’ residence.
Anyone born in the UAE or abroad to a father who is a national of the UAE by operation of law
Anyone born in the UAE or abroad to a mother who is a national by operation of law, whose filiation to his/her father is not substantiated
Anyone born in the UAE or abroad to a mother who is a national by operation of law or to a father with unknown or without citizenship
Anyone born in the UAE to unknown parents - a foundling shall be deemed to have been born in the UAE unless proven otherwise.
A foreign woman married to a UAE National may be granted nationality by citizenship after the lapse of seven years from the date of submission of the application to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in case she gets one child or more. The said period shall be increased to 10 years should there be no children, provided that the marriage is actually ongoing and according to the provisions of the present Decree-Law.
If the husband dies or the couple is divorced before the expiry of the period referred to, and if the wife has one or more children of said husband, she may be granted nationality after the lapse of that period, as long as she remains a widow or a divorcee, or got married to a national after her husband's death or divorce and maintains residence in the UAE.
A wife, who has acquired nationality of her husband by way of marriage according to the preceding Article, shall retain the UAE nationality in case of her husband’s death. Her nationality shall not be withdrawn except in the following two cases:
Her marriage to a person of a foreign nationality
Resumption of her original nationality or acquisition of another nationality.
UAE nationality may be granted by the way of naturalisation to the following:
An Arab individual from Omani, Qatari or Bahraini origin residing in the UAE on continuous and lawful basis for at least three years directly before the date of submitting naturalisation application, provided that he has lawful source of income, is of a good reputation and good conduct, and not convicted for an offence involving breach of honour or trust.
Members of Arab tribes emigrated from countries neighbouring the UAE, who have been displaced to the UAE, and lawfully and continuously resided therein for at least three years directly before the date of submitting naturalisation application;
Arab individual who enjoys full legal capacity, has continuously and lawfully resided in the member emirates for at least seven years directly before the date of submitting naturalisation application, has lawful source of income, is of good reputation and good conduct, and not convicted for any offence involving moral turpitude or dishonesty
Any person who enjoys full legal capacity, has continuously and legally resided in the member emirates since or before 1940 and retained his regular residence until the effective date of the law no. 17 of 1972; has lawful source of income, is of a good reputation and good conduct, and not convicted for any offence involving breach of honour or trust, and is proficient in the Arabic language
Any person, other than those mentioned above, who enjoys full legal capacity if he has continuously and legally resided in the member emirates for a period of no less than 30 years of which he has spent 20 years at least after the effective date of law no. 17 of 1972; provided that he has lawful source of income, is of a good reputation and good conduct, and not convicted for any offence involving moral turpitude and dishonesty, and is proficient in the Arabic language
Any person having provided outstanding services to the UAE without regard to residence periods provided for in the preceding articles
Children of a UAE woman, who got married to a foreign man after the lapse of a period of not less than six years from the date of their birth; provided that the mother holds the UAE nationality at the time of birth until the date of application for nationality, in accordance with the regulations determined in the Executive Regulations;
A daughter of a national woman and foreign father and who is married to a foreigner, in accordance with the Executive Regulations of the present Decree-Law.
The wife of a national by naturalisation shall be considered as national by naturalisation if she renounces her nationality of origin. Minor children of a national by naturalisation shall also be considered nationals by naturalisation, and they may decide to choose their nationality of origin during the year following their achieving majority.
Other cases for acquiring UAE nationality
The President of the UAE may issue a decree establishing nationality by operation of law or granting it by naturalisation to any person without regard to the residence periods and the conditions set forth in the Law and its Executive Regulations.
Nationality shall be granted to the applicant in accordance with the following conditions:
He/she shall renounce his/her nationality of origin or any other nationality he/she holds.
He/she shall be proficient in Arabic.
He/she shall have a lawful source of income.
He/she shall hold an educational qualification.
He/she shall be of good reputation and good conduct.
He/she shall not have been convicted for a felony or misdemeanour involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless rehabilitated.
He/shall obtain security approval.
He/she shall swear allegiance to the UAE.
A foreign woman married to a national may be exempt from the application of Clause 5 of this Article. The Executive Regulations of the present Decree-Law shall prescribe the necessary rules for granting nationality.
For a national to gain the right to vote or stand for election in a parliamentary or popular body, he shall have acquired nationality by operation of law.
A final judgment convicting a national, whether he has acquired nationality by operation of law, affiliation or naturalization, shall result in the deprivation or withdrawal of the nationality as an accessory penalty, for the following offences:
If he is convicted for any of the terrorist offences provided for in the Law on Combating Terrorism
If he is convicted of an offence that threatens the external security of the UAE and that is punishable in accordance with the Federal Penal Code or other offences which are considered to be a threat to the external security of the UAE in accordance with the laws in force in the UAE
A national shall be deprived of the nationality in the following cases:
If he engages in military service for a foreign country without permission from the UAE, and he has been ordered to leave the said service but has refused to do so
If he has acted for the benefit of a hostile nation
If he willingly becomes a naturalised national of a foreign state.
The nationality may be withdrawn from a national who has acquired it by naturalisation or by affiliation in the following cases:
If he has been repeatedly convicted for offences involving moral turpitude or dishonesty
Should there be any forgery, fraud or adulteration in substantial information used as proof for acquisition of nationality
If he has exercised citizenship rights in any other country
Should he reside outside the UAE without excuse for a continuous period exceeding two years.
If the nationality of a person is withdrawn, consequently, it may be withdrawn from his wife and minor children.
A national having acquired nationality by operation of law, who acquires a foreign nationality, may recover his nationality of origin if he renounces the one acquired.
A female national having acquired, by operation of law, the nationality of her foreign husband who has deceased or who has abandoned or divorced her, may recover her nationality if she renounces the nationality of her husband. Her children from the aforementioned husband may, upon their request, acquire the nationality of the UAE if their regular residence is in the UAE and they expressed their will to renounce the nationality of their father.
Minor children of any person having lost his nationality may recover, upon their request, the nationality of the UAE upon reaching the age of majority.
Advisory committee
The UAE nationality applications are examined by an advisory committee composed of seven members representing the seven emirates of the UAE.
In examining the nationality and naturalisation issues, the advisory committee shall make sure that all legal requirements are complied with in citizenship applications. All advisory committee members shall sign the recommendation submitted by the chairman of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). If a member opposes the recommendations, he shall mention the reason and sign.
Sub-committees
The chairperson of the ICA shall form sub-committees in different areas to consider citizenship applications before submitting them to the advisory committee.
If the sub-committee thinks that some information is missing or wrong, that will be recorded as a note.
The ICA may request for an additional investigation by the federal or local police or by another sub-committee, if necessary.
The chairperson of the ICA shall create a plan for work and meetings of the advisory committee and sub-committees. The ICA shall appoint a secretary for the advisory committee and a secretary for each sub-committee to run activities and help citizens to organize information, if necessary.
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