How to Get UAE Citizenship: Nomination, Naturalisation and the Emirati Passport

No, not in the sense the investment-migration industry uses the term. A citizenship-by-investment program, such as those in St Kitts and Nevis or Turkey's $400,000 property route to a passport, publishes a price, accepts applications through licensed agents and approves anyone who passes due diligence. The UAE does none of this. Its system has three features that matter to an investor:

• No application. u.ae states that citizenship can be acquired "only through the Rulers' and Crown Princes' Courts, Offices of the Executive Councils and the Cabinet based on the nominations of federal entities"^[1]. The candidate is chosen; they do not apply.
• No threshold. The investor criterion is a single line: the investor "must own a property in the UAE"^[1][2]. No amount is given. Owning property is a minimum condition, not a qualification.
• Full discretion. Under the 1972 law, nationality is granted by decree on the proposal of the Minister of Interior with Cabinet approval, and the same procedure withdraws it^[3]. Article 21 allows a one-month appeal to the Cabinet against the Interior Minister's decisions on nationality applications^[3], but there is no published appeal against a decision not to nominate someone.

Legal basis. Emirati nationality is governed by Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 on Nationality and Passports, amended in 1975, by Federal Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017, and again in 2020^[4][9]. The 2020 amendment added Article 9 bis, which allows citizenship for "investors, businessmen, highly skilled workers and individuals with exceptional talents", lets the authorities waive all or some of the usual conditions for them, and exempts them from renouncing their original nationality^[4]. On 30 January 2021 the Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, approved matching amendments to the law's Executive Regulation and announced the categories and criteria^[2]. The amended Executive Regulation has not been published in full; the GLOBALCIT researchers who examined the law in 2022 could not obtain the current text^[4].

Who runs it. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) handles nationality files and issues passports, but the nomination decision sits with the political institutions listed above^[1][5]. The ICP's public FAQ covers only applications by wives of citizens and children of Emirati mothers^[10]. Its published services guide lists no naturalisation service for other foreigners^[17].

How often it is used. The UAE publishes no statistics on nominations or grants, and no official list of recipients. Foreign nationals make up the large majority of residents (81% in Abu Dhabi, according to its 2020 statistical yearbook^[4]), and the route reaches only a tiny fraction of them. Treat it as an honour the state confers, not a product you can buy.

Nominated investors and talent

The official criteria, as published on u.ae and in the 30 January 2021 announcement^[1][2]:

• Investors: must own a property in the UAE. No value, holding period or other investment is specified.
• Doctors and specialists: a speciality in a scientific discipline in high demand in the UAE, acknowledged scientific contributions, at least 10 years of practical experience, and membership of a reputable professional organisation.
• Scientists: active researchers at a university, research centre or in the private sector, at least 10 years' experience in the field, recognised contributions (the 2021 announcement cites prestigious awards or significant research funding), and a recommendation letter from a recognised UAE scientific institution.
• Inventors: one or more patents approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy or another reputable international body, plus a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Economy.
• Intellectuals, artists and creative talents: pioneers in culture and the arts who have won at least one international award, with a recommendation letter from the relevant government body.

Every nominee must take an oath of allegiance, commit to obeying UAE law, and tell the authorities if they acquire or lose any other citizenship. Citizenship "can be withdrawn upon breach of the conditions"^[1].

The 2020 amendment allows the authorities to waive "all or some" of the ordinary naturalisation conditions for Article 9 bis nominees^[4]. The published sources do not say which conditions are waived in practice. The ordinary list in Article 12 bis is renunciation of other nationality, lawful and continuous residence, Arabic, lawful income, an educational qualification, good conduct, no conviction for crimes of dishonour, security clearance and an oath^[4]. Waiving the renunciation requirement is explicit; whether nominees must show Arabic or a minimum period of residence is not.

Ordinary naturalisation

For people who are not nominated, the 1972 law sets residence periods by origin (3, 7 or 30 years) plus a lawful source of income, good conduct and no conviction for a crime of dishonour. The 30-year route for non-Arabs also requires that the applicant "knows Arabic language well"^[3]. Applicants have to renounce their original nationality, because the Constitution provides for a single nationality^[4]. Researchers note that the process is opaque, involves vetting first at emirate level and then by a federal committee, can take years after filing, and that applicants must show continuous residence in the same emirate throughout^[4].

Myths about investment thresholds

Agents' websites quote various figures, such as AED 2 million "in a business or local investment fund"^[15]. These are the UAE golden visa thresholds for 10-year residence^[11], not citizenship criteria. No official source attaches an amount to the investor nomination. Reaching AED 2 million gives you a residence permit, not eligibility for a passport.

The criteria are short, but reading them alongside the purpose stated in 2021 (to attract and keep talent that contributes to the country's development^[2][8]) suggests what nominating bodies look for:

• Long, visible ties to the UAE. Nominations come from the Rulers' Courts, Executive Councils and federal entities, so candidates are normally people already known to them: long-term residents who run significant businesses, senior clinicians at major hospitals, university researchers and established cultural figures.
• A contribution the state values. For investors, that means employment, strategic sectors and a long track record in the country. Owning a Dubai apartment is a condition, not a reason to be chosen.
• A clean security and conduct record. Security approval is part of the ordinary naturalisation conditions^[4], and citizenship can be withdrawn for breach of the conditions^[1].

There is no form or checklist for becoming a candidate. The practical route is to build a substantial, long-term presence in the UAE: residence under the 10-year golden visa, a real business or professional role, and relationships with the relevant emirate authorities. Even then, nomination may never come. No adviser can guarantee or time it, and any processing time quoted by consultants (one cites a 12–18 month review^[15]) is unverified.

Nominees: u.ae lists the nominated categories "and their families (spouse and children)"^[1]. After the 2020 amendment, the amended Article 10 allows the wife and minor children of an Article 9 bis nominee to receive citizenship without giving up their original nationality^[4]. Parents are not mentioned, and no separate fee is published. Whether adult children can be included is not specified; ask the nominating authority.

Ordinary naturalisation: the wife of a naturalised man becomes a citizen if she renounces her original nationality. Minor children become citizens but may choose their original nationality within one year of reaching majority, which the law sets at 21^[3][4].

Marriage to an Emirati: a foreign wife can apply through ICP after 7 years of marriage if the couple has a child, or 10 years without children^[4][16]; the ICP FAQ confirms that wives of citizens apply through ICP but does not state the periods^[10]. If she is widowed or divorced before acquiring citizenship, she can still qualify if she has an Emirati child, remains in the UAE and has not married a foreigner^[4]. A foreign husband cannot acquire nationality through his wife^[3].

Children of Emirati mothers: since the 2017 amendment, children of an Emirati mother and a foreign father can apply from age 6, instead of waiting until 18. More than 3,350 such children received citizenship in 2019^[4].

The steps below are taken from the official description^[1][2] and the GLOBALCIT analysis of the procedure^[4]. Stages inside government are not published.

Very little in UAE terms. The UAE levies no personal income tax, so neither residents nor citizens file individual returns^[13]. Tax residence is a matter of fact, not passport: under Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022 you are resident if your usual residence and centre of interests is in the UAE, or you spend 183 days in a 12-month period there, or 90 days plus UAE or GCC nationality or a UAE residence permit, and a permanent home or job/business in the UAE^[14]. A passport does not by itself make you a UAE tax resident or end your home country's tax claim.

For investors who keep their original nationality, the home-country position matters most. US citizens remain taxable on worldwide income whatever second passport they hold. Countries that tax on residence will look at where you actually live. Corporate tax (9% above AED 375,000) applies to businesses regardless of the owner's nationality; see the tax section of our guide to the UAE 10-year residence permit.

The default rule is strict. Article 8 of the Constitution provides for a single nationality, and the 1972 law requires naturalised citizens to renounce their original nationality. An Emirati who voluntarily acquires another nationality loses Emirati nationality^[3][4].

The exception is the nominated categories. Since the 2020/2021 changes, investors, professionals and talents nominated under Article 9 bis, together with their spouses and children, may keep their existing citizenship^[1][2][4]. Three caveats:

• Disclosure: nominees must inform the authorities if they acquire or lose any other citizenship^[1].
• No further passports: GLOBALCIT reads the law as meaning a nominee who voluntarily naturalises elsewhere after becoming Emirati risks losing Emirati nationality^[4]. If you plan a third passport, read our guide on whether you can hold triple citizenship first.
• Constitutional tension: the Constitution has not been amended to match, so researchers describe the exception as resting on the statute alone^[4].

Check your own country's rules as well: some states (for example several in Asia) end your citizenship automatically when you acquire another one.

The Emirati passport is one of the strongest in the world. In the July 2026 Henley Passport Index it gave visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 destinations, ranking 2nd jointly with Japan and South Korea behind Singapore (192)^[6][7]; Henley's live data on 2 October 2026 showed the same figures^[18]. In 2006 it reached only 35 destinations^[7]. The government portal cites a different index (Arton Capital's, September 2025) that ranked it 1st with access to 179 countries; the two indices count destinations differently^[5]. Emiratis have had visa-free Schengen access since 2015^[5]. Passports are valid for 10 years from age 21, and 5 years below that^[5].

Naturalised citizens do not get every right of citizens by descent. Under Article 13 of the 1972 law they cannot vote, stand for election or be appointed to parliamentary or ministerial office (Omani, Qatari and Bahraini-origin citizens are exempt after seven years)^[3]. Naturalised citizenship can also be withdrawn for security offences, repeated convictions for crimes of dishonour, fraud in the application or, since 2017, unexplained residence abroad for more than two consecutive years (previously four)^[3][4]. A foreigner who receives a passport this way should expect it to carry obligations, not just travel rights.

For investors whose main goal is mobility, compare the UAE's 188 destinations with those available through a published investment route, in our ranking of the strongest passports available by investment.

Worth pursuing if you already live in the UAE, have a long and visible record there (a major business, a senior clinical or research role, a recognised cultural career) and see citizenship as a long-term possibility rather than a purchase. For you, the right strategy is to keep the residence permit, deepen your contribution and keep your documents in order.

Look elsewhere if you need a second passport on a known timeline and budget, want to apply on your own initiative, or are unwilling to wait decades for ordinary naturalisation. In those cases a program with published rules is the rational choice, and the UAE works best as a tax-efficient place to live alongside that passport.

Investors who want a UAE base and a second passport usually combine a 10-year UAE investor residence permit with a citizenship program elsewhere:

• Turkish citizenship by investment: US$400,000 in real estate held for 3 years, with citizenship in about 4–12 months; dual nationality allowed.
• Egypt citizenship by investment: from a US$250,000 non-refundable donation or US$300,000 in real estate held for 5 years, with direct citizenship on approval.
• Jordanian citizenship through investment: from JOD 500,000 (about US$705,000) in a new job-creating project outside Amman (JOD 700,000 in Amman), leading to a temporary passport and then citizenship; criteria amended in July 2026.
• St Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship: from US$250,000, with much wider visa-free access, though under EU pressure.
• Austria's discretionary citizenship for exceptional investors: the closest European parallel to the UAE model, also a government decision rather than an application.
• Qatari naturalisation: another Gulf state where citizenship for foreigners is very restricted.

For residence in the region without a passport, compare Saudi Arabia's Premium Residency and Bahrain's golden residency. For the full picture, see our ranking of the lowest-cost citizenship-by-investment programs, the explainer on citizenship by investment versus residence by investment, and the directory of second-citizenship programs by region and budget.