UAE Residency

According to Federal Law No (17) for 1972, Article 1, nationality may be attained in three different ways which are by law, citizenship, and naturalisation.

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 Her nationality shall not be withdrawn except in the following two cases: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 naturalization 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 naturalization 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 honor or trust.
• Members of Arab tribes emigrated from countries neighboring 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 naturalization 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 naturalization 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 honor 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.

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 hold a legal and valid residence permit in the State.
• 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.