A residence visa is required to live and work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For becoming a citizen, a residence visa is not the only necessity. As many people are ignorant on how to apply for citizenship in the emirate, this guide will be a source of awareness.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) helps to apply for UAE citizenship. The requirements, procedure, and provision under which a person can acquire citizenship are discussed in this article.

The UAE government’s official statement reads:

“The step aims at appreciating the talents and competencies present in the UAE and attracting more bright minds to the Emirati community in a way that contributes to the development and prosperity of the country.”

Requirements of Acquiring UAE Nationality

For acquiring UAE nationality, a number of things to be taken into consideration are:

The person should

• renounce his or her nationality of the origin
• Proficient in the Arabic language
• Hold adequate education qualification
• Have lawful source of income
• Good reputation and code of conduct
• Not have been convicted of any offensive deeds
• Obtain security approval
• swear allegiance to the UAE

Some specific conditions include:

• Property should be owned by an investor
• A doctor or specialist must be specialised in a scientific discipline of high demand in the UAE
• A scientist is required to be an active researcher either at a university, research centre or in the private sector.
• An inventor must have one or more patents that are approved by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy (MoE)
• If conditions are met, he takes an oath and receives the country’s passport.

Categories of Foreigners Who Can Be Nominated for UAE Citizenship

The categories of foreigners who can be nominated for the UAE nationality are:

• Investors
• Doctors
• Specialists
• Inventors
• Scientists
• Intellectuals
• Individuals with creative talents

How to Apply for UAE Citizenship?

A person can apply for citizenship by law though there are various methods

UAE Nationality by Law

Based on Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 regarding Nationality and Passports, and as amended by Federal Law No. 10 of 1975 and Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017, a person may acquire UAE nationality by the virtue of law, citizenship, or naturalisation.

The law states that a person can acquire nationality who is:

• Born in the UAE or overseas to a father who is a UAE resident
• Born in the UAE or overseas to a mother who is a UAE national
  o Or to a father with unknown or without citizenship
• Born in the UAE to unknown citizenship parents
  o This is also referred to as “foundling”

UAE Nationality by Citizenship

Granting nationality by citizenship includes:

• Foreign woman married to a UAE national, with one or more children
  o Though they should be married for 7 years since the submission of the application
• Foreign woman married to a UAE national, without children
  o They should be married for 10 years since the submission of the application

It is worth mentioning that in case of a separation or divorce, the woman will be entitled to nationality if she remains a widow or divorcee, or if she gets married to another UAE national after the said period.

UAE Nationality by Naturalisation

Nationality by naturalization can be obtained if:

• You are an Arab from a neighbouring country and you have been displaced to the UAE
• An Arab individual residing in the UAE for more than seven years
• Any person who has been residing in the UAE since or before 1940 until the effective date of Federal Law No. 17 of 1972
• Any person who has been provided outstanding services to the UAE

UAE Nationality by Presidential Decree

Presidential decree can overturn laws in specific cases. A decree can be issued by the President of the UAE to grant nationality to a specific individual and this also ignores the provisions stated in the Federal Law.