UAE: Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 Concerning Nationality and Passports

Title

Date of adoption

18 November 1972

(last amended: 15 December 1975)

Entry into force

Text versions

Source:

• Legal Information Network of the Gulf Cooperation Council, accessed: 9 May 2013, http://www.gcc-legal.com/LawAsPDF.aspx?opt&country=2&LawID=3147

Abstract

1. Any Arab settled in any of the member Emirates during or before year 1925, and who has maintained his regular residence until the date of enforcement of this Law. Residence of ascendants shall be deemed complementary to residence of descendants.
2. A child born in the State or abroad to a national father by law.
3. A child born in the State or abroad to a national mother by law and whose affiliation to the father is not legally established.
4. A child born in the State or abroad to a national mother by law and of unknown father or stateless.
5. A child born in the State of unknown parents. Unless otherwise established, the foundling shall be deemed born in the State.

Art. 3 (as amended by Federal Law no. 10 dated 15 Dec. 1975) stipulates that the marriage of a foreign woman to a citizen shall not result in her acquisition of the nationality of her husband unless she makes a declaration to the Ministry of Interior and is still a resident of the country three years after the declaration is made. She must also renounce her original nationality.

Art. 5 (as amended by Federal Law No. 10 dated 15 Dec. 1975) lists the categories of persons to whom citizenship may be granted:

1. An Arab person of Omani, Qatari or Bahraini origin settling in the State continuously and lawfully for at least three years prior to submitting a naturalization application, on condition that he has a lawful source of living, be well reputed, and not convicted of a crime against honor or integrity.
2. Members of Arab tribes who emigrated from neighboring countries and settled lawfully and continuously for at least three years directly previous to the date of submitting a naturalization application.

Art. 6 (as amended by Federal Law No. 10 dated 15 Dec. 1975) allows the granting of citizenship to any fully competent Arab who has resided continuously and legally in any of the member Emirates continuously for at least seven years prior to submitting a naturalization application on condition he has lawful source of living, be well reputed and not convicted of a crime against honor or integrity.

Citizenship may also be granted to any fully competent person who has resided continuously and legally in the any of the member Emirates since or before 1940 and retained his regular residence until the date of implementation of this Law. He must have a lawful source of living; be well reputed; not convicted of a crime against honor or integrity; and proficient in the Arabic language (Art. 7).

In accordance with Art. 8, citizenship may be granted to any person other than those mentioned in Articles 5 and 6 who is fully competent and residing continuously and legally in any of the member Emirates for at least twenty years after the implementation of this Law and meets the other criteria set in the previous article.

The wife of a citizen by naturalization shall be considered citizen by naturalization if she renounces her original nationality. Minor children of a citizen by naturalization shall also be considered citizens by naturalization unless they decide to resume their original nationality within one year following the date of maturity (Art. 10).

Art. 14 – 18 of this law deal with losing citizenship and the procedure for reclaiming it.

Citizenship shall be withdrawn from any citizen who acquires the citizenship of a foreign country (Art. 15 c).

A naturalised citizen shall lose his citizenship in a number of cases including residing abroad continuously for four years without having a good reason for doing so. The withdrawal of nationality may be applied to his naturalised wife and children (Art. 16).