UAE Citizenship 2026: Naturalisation by Nomination

How the Emirates admit new citizens

The United Arab Emirates offer two routes to a passport. The ordinary one asks for 30 years of residence, a command of Arabic and the renunciation of the nationality you hold today. The second is set out in Article 9 of Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 concerning Nationality and Passports: the President may grant citizenship by decree regardless of residence periods and the law's other conditions, and that expressly includes people who have rendered outstanding services to the state.

On 30 January 2021 the Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, opened this route wide. Since then the amended executive regulations have named the groups who can be nominated: investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talented individuals, intellectuals and artists, each together with their spouse and children. The Emirati passport is now within reach of foreigners who move the country forward in business, science or culture.

The facts from the official source

Legal basis: Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 concerning Nationality and Passports, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017, Art. 9; amendments to the law's executive regulations, approved by the Cabinet on 30 January 2021

Competent authority: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)

Requirements and procedure under the law and the government portal, as of November 11, 2026
Principle	the President may grant citizenship by decree regardless of the residence periods and the law's other conditions, including to people who have rendered outstanding services to the state (Art. 9) Source
Who nominates	the Rulers' Courts and Crown Princes' Courts, the Executive Council offices and the Cabinet, on nomination by federal entities; you cannot apply yourself Source
Decision	granted by federal decree, which cannot be challenged (Art. 20) Source
Investors	ownership of property in the UAE; no minimum value is set Source
Doctors and specialists	a speciality the UAE urgently needs, recognised scientific contributions, at least 10 years of professional experience, membership of a reputable professional body Source
Scientists	active research at a university, a research centre or in the private sector, at least 10 years of experience in the field, a contribution to the field, a letter of recommendation from a recognised UAE scientific institution Source
Inventors	one or more patents recognised by the UAE Ministry of Economy or a reputable international body, and a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Economy Source
Intellectuals and creatives	pioneers in art and culture with at least one international award and a letter of recommendation from the relevant authorities Source
Family	the nominee's spouse and children may receive citizenship too Source
Investment amount and fees	no official amount and no published fee; all that is asked of an investor is ownership of property in the UAE Source
Current nationality	nominees may keep their original nationality; for ordinary naturalisation the UAE requires renunciation (Art. 11, Art. 12 bis) Source
Obligations	an oath of allegiance to the UAE, compliance with its laws, and reporting any acquisition or loss of another nationality; if these conditions are breached, citizenship can be withdrawn Source
Residence	no residence period before the grant (Art. 9); for naturalised citizens the law allows withdrawal if they live outside the UAE for more than 2 consecutive years without good reason (Art. 16) Source
After the decree	the ICP completes the procedures within one year at most of the decree being issued; citizenship takes effect once the paperwork is complete Source
Ordinary route, for comparison	30 years of residence (Art. 8), knowledge of Arabic and renunciation of your current passport Source

How nomination works

You do not file an application yourself. Citizenship is granted through the Rulers' Courts and Crown Princes' Courts, the Executive Council offices and the Cabinet, on nomination by federal entities. The process ends in a federal decree which, under Article 20 of the law, cannot be challenged. After the decree, the federal ICP completes the procedures within one year at most, and citizenship takes effect once the paperwork is complete.

The passport comes with clear obligations: you take an oath of allegiance to the Emirates, commit to abiding by their laws and report any acquisition or loss of another nationality. If these conditions are breached, citizenship can be withdrawn.

What nomination spares you

Compared with the ordinary route, the two biggest hurdles disappear. You need no 30 years of residence, and you do not have to give up your current nationality: the Emirates' government portal states plainly that nominees may keep their original nationality. For ordinary naturalisation, renunciation remains mandatory.

There is no price tag either. Neither the law nor the government names an investment amount; for investors what counts is owning property in the Emirates, with no minimum value set. What matters is your contribution, not the size of a bank transfer.

Who the Emirates suit

This route suits you if you have already put down roots in the Emirates: as a property owner, as a doctor or specialist with at least ten years of experience in a field the country urgently needs, as a researcher recommended by an Emirati institution, as an inventor with a recognised patent or as an artist with an international award. The more visible your contribution to the Emirates, the stronger your position for a nomination.

If you live and work in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or one of the other emirates today, you are building exactly that visibility year after year. The reward is a passport that puts your life in the Gulf on a new footing, without you having to surrender the nationality you hold now.

More on the UAE from us

UAE citizenship
The ordinary route, nomination and the Emirates' Golden Visa, and how they fit together.
Golden passport or Golden Visa
What a residence permit gives you, and what only a second passport can do.
All programmes compared
The programmes with fixed amounts and timelines, side by side.

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Questions about the UAE

Can I apply for Emirati citizenship?

Not on your own. Citizenship is granted only through the Rulers' Courts and Crown Princes' Courts, the Executive Council offices and the Cabinet, on nomination by federal entities. What matters, then, is that your contribution to the Emirates is visible where nominations are made.

How much do I have to invest as an investor?

Neither the law nor the government names a fixed amount. For investors, the government portal requires ownership of property in the UAE and sets no minimum value. No fee for the nomination has been published.

Do I have to give up my current passport?

Not under Emirati law. The government portal states plainly that nominees may keep their original nationality. Whether your home country lets you hold a second citizenship depends on its own law.

Do I need to have lived in the UAE first?

No. Article 9 allows the grant regardless of the residence periods in the law. Once naturalised, you should keep up your ties: for naturalised citizens, the law allows withdrawal if they live abroad for more than two consecutive years without good reason.

Does my family receive citizenship too?

Yes, the nominee's spouse and children may receive Emirati citizenship as well.

How long does the process take?

No timeframe from nomination to decree has been published. Once the decree is issued, the law gives the ICP one year at most to complete the procedures.

The UAE: a passport by decree, no residence years and you keep your own