UAE Citizenship 2024: UAE Citizenship Acquisition & Requirements – Complete Guide

Many foreigners are attempting to take advantage of the UAE’s many opportunities for living and working in the nation by applying to become citizens of the Gulf state. But as the government is in charge of ensuring the welfare and general safety of its people, the United Arab Emirates has established a system to accurately assess a person’s eligibility for citizenship.

We have put together details about UAE citizenship, such as advantages and categories.

UAE citizenship for ex-pats

The Jus Sanguinis principle, which recognizes a person’s nationality based on their parents’ citizenship rather than their place of birth, is adopted by the United Arab Emirates. This implies that obtaining citizenship by birth does not happen by default. Nonetheless, if they meet the qualifications listed below, foreign nationals have a good chance of becoming citizens of the United Arab Emirates.

UAE citizenship requirements

To become an Emirati citizen, there are several options. One can become a citizen through marriage, naturalization, investment, or exceptional merit. The specifics of the qualifications are listed below.

UAE citizenship by descent

It takes more than just being born in the UAE to be able to claim citizenship. To be eligible for citizenship, a person needs to be:

• From a family of Arab settlers in the UAE for a long time. This is a reference to an Arab family who resided there before 1925 and continued to do so until 1972.
• From an Emirati father living in the nation or overseas
• From an Emirati mother, either domestically or overseas, and either with a stateless father or one without a declared paternity.
• From unidentified parents in the nation, that is, children born in the United Arab Emirates but whose parents’ identities are still a mystery. They are UAE nationals in this instance unless they can be shown to be otherwise.
• Furthermore, after a child turns six, an Emirati mother may now grant her offspring Emirati nationality.

UAE citizenship by marriage

Foreign nationals cannot obtain citizenship by marriage with Emirati women. However, if the marriage is recognized under UAE marriage law, non-Emirati women who marry Emirati males are eligible to apply for citizenship. If the married woman has children after seven years, she will be eligible for a UAE passport. She will have to wait ten years if not.

UAE citizenship by naturalization

Any holder of a resident visa, regardless of ethnicity, is now eligible to apply for citizenship after at least 30 years of living in the United Arab Emirates.

UAE citizenship by investment

Investing in the UAE entitles one to petition for naturalization. The investors retain the option to invest in real estate or public equity to earn citizenship. The following are the investment requirements:

• At least AED 10,000,000, or USD 2,300,000, in public investment
• Acquiring a piece of real estate worth at least AED 1,000,000, or USD 273,000
• Putting money down for a business venture that requires at least AED 500,000, or USD 136,129

UAE citizenship by special merits

Citizenship in the UAE is available to applicants who meet the following requirements with great merit:

• Physicians, trained specialists, or doctors with a minimum of ten years of practical experience and a focus on a scientific field in high demand in the United Arab Emirates. They have to be members of an established association in their disciplines and make vital contributions to the current body of scientific knowledge.
• Inventors that have had at least one patent granted by the Ministry of Economy in the United Arab Emirates or a similar respected international body. They must also possess real estate in the United Arab Emirates and obtain a reference from the Ministry of Economy.
• Scientists with ten years of experience and a letter of recommendation from an esteemed university. They must be a working researcher in the academic, research, or commercial sectors. Additionally, within the last ten years, they must have received at least one international prize for their contributions to important research.
• Innovative and inventive qualities, one or more patents, a recommendation letter from a government organization in their respective sector, and at least one notable international award are indicative of creative talents or personalities.

The qualified applicants must swear an oath of devotion and loyalty to the United Arab Emirates, promise to uphold its laws, and notify the UAE government if they wish to attain or renounce their other citizenship to become citizens.

UAE citizenship benefits

Being an expat makes up about 90% of the country’s population, thus it’s obvious that having UAE citizenship has benefits. Among the advantages are the following:

• The option to retain one’s former passport, which is not accepted in any other country
• Entry into at least 167 countries without a visa
• No personal income tax. Furthermore, private citizens should file their taxes
• The potential to establish a business and purchase real estate in Dubai
• The potential for obtaining dual citizenship with the UAE

UAE dual citizenship

The UAE permits people who have been granted UAE citizenship to keep their previous citizenship, according to the most recent regulations. Because of this, the UAE grants dual citizenship as long as the person’s home country also permits it.