How to obtain Emirati citizenship?

Under Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 on nationality and passports, as amended by Federal Law No. 10 of 1975 and Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017, Emirati nationality is acquired by operation of law, citizenship, or naturalization: It is now possible to apply for Emirati nationality through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship: https://icp.gov.ae/

1- UAE citizenship by operation of law

A national by operation of law is:

• Any person of Arab origin who resided in one of the seven emirates in 1925 or earlier and continued to reside there until the date Law No. 17 of 1972 entered into force. The residence of ancestors is considered an extension of the residence of descendants;
• Any person born in the UAE or abroad to a father who is a UAE national by operation of law;
• Any person born in the UAE or abroad to a mother who is a national by operation of law, whose parentage to the father has not been established;
• Any person born in the UAE or abroad to a mother who is a national by operation of law or to an unknown or stateless father;
• Any person born in the UAE to unknown parents - a found child is deemed to have been born in the UAE unless proven otherwise.

2- UAE citizenship by naturalization

A foreign woman married to a UAE national may obtain citizenship after a period of seven years from the date of submitting the application to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship if the couple has one or more children. If they do not yet have children, the period for obtaining citizenship will be 10 years, provided that the marriage is valid and complies with the provisions of this decree-law. If the husband dies or the couple divorces before the end of this period, and the woman has one or more children with that husband, she may be granted citizenship at the end of this period as long as she remains a widow or divorced, or marries a UAE national after her husband's death or their divorce and remains in the UAE. A wife who acquired her husband's nationality through marriage in accordance with the preceding article retains Emirati nationality if her husband dies. Her nationality may be withdrawn only in the following two cases:

• Their marriage to a person of foreign nationality
• Reclaiming their original nationality or acquiring another nationality.

3- Emirati nationality by naturalization

Emirati nationality may be acquired by naturalization in the following cases:

1. An Arab individual originating from Oman, Qatar, or Bahrain who has resided continuously and legally in the UAE for at least three years immediately before the date of submitting the naturalization application, provided that they have a lawful source of income, a good reputation and conduct, and have not been convicted of an offense involving a breach of honor or trust;
2. Members of Arab tribes who emigrated from neighboring countries to the United Arab Emirates, were relocated to the United Arab Emirates, and resided there legally and continuously for at least three years immediately before the date of submitting the naturalization application;
3. An Arab person who enjoys full legal capacity, has resided continuously and legally in the member emirates for at least seven years immediately before the date of submitting the naturalization application, has a lawful source of income, has a good reputation and conduct, and has not committed an offense involving moral turpitude or dishonesty;
4. Any person, other than those mentioned above, who enjoys full legal capacity and has resided continuously and legally in the member emirates for a period of at least 30 years, at least 20 of which were after the effective date of Law No. 17 of 1972; provided that they have a lawful source of income, a good reputation and conduct, and have not been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude or dishonesty. Finally, the person must speak and be proficient in Arabic;
5. Any person who has rendered exceptional services to the UAE during the periods of residence stipulated in the preceding articles;
6. The children of an Emirati woman who married a foreigner after a period of at least six years from the date of their birth, provided that the mother held Emirati nationality from the time of their birth until the date of the nationality application;
7. A daughter of an Emirati woman and a foreign father who is married to a foreigner, in accordance with the executive regulations of this decree-law.

Other provisions allowing foreigners to acquire Emirati citizenship

In January 2021, the UAE government approved amendments to the “Executive Regulations of the Law on Citizenship and Passports” (Arabic page) allowing specific categories of foreigners, their spouses, and children to acquire Emirati citizenship https://www.wam.ae/. The amendment sets certain conditions for each category and allows naturalized citizens to retain their original nationality.

**Categories of foreigners eligible for Emirati citizenship

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

**Eligibility requirements for UAE citizenship

Here are the conditions for each category:

• An investor must own property in the UAE;
• A doctor or specialist must specialize in a scientific discipline that is in high demand in the UAE and must have recognized scientific contributions and at least 10 years of practical experience. He or she must be a member of a reputable organization in their field of specialization;
• A scientist must be an active researcher at a university, research center, or in the private sector. They must have at least 10 years of practical experience in the same field and must have contributed to that field. They must also have a letter of recommendation from a recognized scientific institution in the UAE;
• An inventor must hold one or more patents approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy or another reputable international body. They must also have a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Education;
• Intellectuals and other people with creative talents must be pioneers in the field of art and culture and must have won at least one international award. A letter of recommendation from the relevant government entities is also required.

**Eligible candidates must:

• Take an oath of allegiance and loyalty to the UAE;
• Undertake to comply with the laws of the UAE;
• Notify the UAE government entity in the event of acquiring or losing any other citizenship.

 **Conditions for acquiring nationality

Nationality is granted to the applicant under the following conditions:

• They renounce their original nationality or any other nationality they hold;
• They must be proficient in Arabic;
• They must have a lawful source of income;
• They must hold an educational qualification;
• They must be of good reputation and conduct;
• They must not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless rehabilitated;
• They must obtain security approval;
• They shall swear allegiance to the UAE.

**The right to vote

For a national to obtain the right to vote or stand for election in a parliamentary or popular body, they must have acquired nationality by operation of law.

**Loss of nationality

A final judgment convicting a national, whether they acquired nationality by operation of law, affiliation, or naturalization, entails the deprivation or withdrawal of nationality as an ancillary penalty for the following offenses:

• If they are convicted of one of the terrorist offenses stipulated in the Anti-Terrorism Law;
• If they are convicted of an offense that threatens the external security of the UAE and is punishable under the Federal Penal Code, or of other offenses considered a threat to the external security of the UAE under the laws in force in the UAE.

**A national is deprived of nationality in the following cases:

• If they enter military service for a foreign country without the authorization of the United Arab Emirates and, after being ordered to leave that service, refuse to do so;
• If they have acted in favor of a hostile nation;
• If they voluntarily become a naturalized national of a foreign state.

**Withdrawal of Nationality

Nationality may be withdrawn from a national who acquired it by naturalization or affiliation in the following cases:

• If they have been convicted repeatedly of offenses involving moral turpitude or dishonesty;
• In the event of forgery, fraud, or falsification of material information used as evidence for acquiring nationality;
• If they have exercised their citizenship rights in another country;
• If they reside outside the United Arab Emirates without justification for a continuous period exceeding two years.

If a person's nationality is withdrawn, it may consequently be withdrawn from their wife and minor children.

**Recovery of Nationality

A national who acquired citizenship by operation of law and subsequently acquires a foreign nationality may recover their original nationality if they renounce the acquired nationality. A female Emirati national who acquired, by operation of law, the nationality of her deceased foreign husband, or who renounced it or divorced him, may recover her nationality if she renounces her husband's nationality. The children of the aforementioned husband may, upon request, acquire UAE nationality if their habitual residence is in the UAE and they have expressed their willingness to renounce their father's nationality. Minor children of any person who has lost their nationality may, upon request, recover UAE nationality when they reach the age of majority. A useful link:

• Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 on Citizenship and Passports