Current guide to UAE newborn registration, birth certificates, UAE-national passport issuance, expatriate foreign passports, Emirates ID and the 120-day residence timeline.
The citizen and expatriate workflows are legally different. Do not apply the UAE-national integrated Mabrouk Ma Yak process to foreign-national babies.
The 120-day rule is for expatriate newborn immigration formalities
The UAE Government states that residents have 120 days from birth to arrange the newborn’s formal documents, including the birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and residence visa.
This is distinct from the UAE-national Mabrouk Ma Yak service, which the official FAQ says can be used within 3 months of birth for eligible parents and participating hospitals.
Newborn registration is not one UAE-wide workflow
A UAE-national newborn and an expatriate newborn follow different legal and administrative processes. UAE-national parents may qualify for the integrated Mabrouk Ma Yak service, while expatriate parents must normally coordinate the UAE birth record, foreign passport and UAE residence formalities.
The competent service also depends on where the child was born: Dubai Health/Dubai services are different from Abu Dhabi/TAMM and federal ICP services in the Northern Emirates.
Select the newborn category
UAE-National Newborn — Mabrouk Ma Yak
For eligible babies born to UAE-national parents in hospitals participating in the Mabrouk Ma Yak service.
Stage 1: Hospital birth record
The hospital records the birth and submits the required newborn and parent information through the integrated government process.
Stage 2: Birth certificate
The integrated Mabrouk Ma Yak service can issue the UAE birth certificate as part of the combined newborn process.
Stage 3: Family Book and population registration
The service can add the newborn to the Family Book, register the baby in the population register and complete the related citizen records.
Stage 4: UAE passport and Emirates ID
The integrated service can also issue the newborn UAE passport and Emirates ID. Do not publish an unsupported 24–48-hour universal issuance promise.
Timeline: The official Mabrouk Ma Yak FAQ states that the service can be used within 3 months from the baby’s date of birth.
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Marriage certificate, where required by the service; the official FAQ specifically notes it for the first baby.
Birth must take place at a hospital participating in the Mabrouk Ma Yak service.
The father applies and must have a verified SmartPass account under the published service conditions.
Passport and nationality
The official Mabrouk Ma Yak service is specifically for eligible UAE-national parents. It combines passport issuance with the newborn civil-registration workflow.
Do not promise a universal 24–48-hour passport or Emirates ID issuance time. The official Mabrouk Ma Yak FAQ describes the integrated service and eligibility conditions, not a universal 24–48-hour processing guarantee.
Mabrouk Ma Yak — integrated UAE-national newborn service
Requirement
Official published condition
Applicant
The father applies.
Parents
Both parents must be UAE nationals and the wife should be added to the Family Book.
Birth location
Birth must take place at a hospital participating in the service.
Account
The father must have a verified SmartPass account according to the published FAQ.
Available services
Birth certificate, Family Book addition, population registration, passport and Emirates ID.
Service window
The official FAQ states that the service can be used within 3 months from the baby’s date of birth.
Birth certificate attestation and foreign passport use
For expatriate newborns, the UAE Government states that the birth certificate must be attested by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Birth certificates bearing the relevant DoH Abu Dhabi or Dubai Health stamp are treated as equivalent to the MOHAP seal for this requirement.
The parents should separately confirm whether the home-country embassy requires additional legalisation, translation, nationality registration or parental-consent documents before issuing the foreign passport.
Do not universalise embassy rules: passport issuance is controlled by the newborn’s nationality law and the specific foreign embassy/consulate, not by a single UAE-wide procedure.
Expat newborn deadline and fine warning
120-day deadline: The UAE Government states that residents have 120 days from the child’s birth to arrange the newborn’s formal birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and residence visa. It currently publishes AED 100 per day after that period if residence is not finalised and states that the baby will not be allowed to leave the UAE.
Official-source discrepancy: ICP’s separate violation-fine service currently shows AED 50 per day on the newborn-registration/expired-document line. Because the official UAE sources are not aligned on the displayed rate, this page does not hard-code the AED 50 amount as the definitive newborn-visa penalty. Confirm the live amount with ICP or GDRFA before relying on a fine calculation.
For expatriate newborns born in the UAE, the UAE Government currently states that residents have 120 days from the child’s date of birth to arrange the birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and residence visa. The same government page currently publishes an AED 100-per-day charge if the residence visa is not finalised within 120 days and states that the baby will not be allowed to exit the country. ICP’s separate violation-fine service currently lists AED 50 per day on the newborn-registration/expired-document line, so parents should confirm the amount that will actually be levied on their file with ICP or GDRFA before relying on a single rate.
The hospital creates the birth notification/record, after which parents use the competent emirate health authority’s birth-registration service. For expatriates, the UAE Government states that the birth certificate must be attested through the applicable Ministry of Health and Prevention and Ministry of Foreign Affairs process; certificates stamped by DoH Abu Dhabi or Dubai Health are treated as equivalent to the MOHAP seal for this requirement.
Eligible UAE-national parents can use Mabrouk Ma Yak, an integrated newborn service that combines birth-certificate issuance, Family Book addition, population registration, passport issuance and Emirates ID issuance. The father must apply, both parents must be UAE nationals, the wife must already be added to the Family Book, the birth must take place at a participating hospital, and the official FAQ states that the service can be used within 3 months of birth.
No. Birth in the UAE does not by itself create citizenship for a child of expatriate parents. UAE nationality is primarily governed by the federal nationality framework and parentage/status rules rather than unrestricted birthright citizenship. An eligible child of UAE-national parents follows the citizen registration process, while an expatriate child normally follows the nationality and passport process of the parents’ country.
Yes, the UAE Government states that expatriate birth certificates must be attested by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Birth certificates bearing the relevant DoH Abu Dhabi or Dubai Health authority stamp are treated as equivalent to the MOHAP seal for this purpose. The parents should also check their home-country embassy or consulate because passport and nationality registration requirements differ by country.
Parents should not assume that a newborn can freely leave and return before the foreign passport and UAE immigration documents are complete. The UAE Government states that, where the newborn residence visa has not been finalised within the 120-day period, the baby will not be allowed to exit the country. International travel also depends on the child having a valid passport and satisfying the destination and UAE immigration requirements applicable at the time of travel. Confirm the live exit/re-entry position with the relevant immigration authority before booking travel.
These are primary UAE government, immigration and health-authority sources. This page is not certified, verified or endorsed by MOHAP, ICP, GDRFA, TAMM, Dubai Health or any foreign embassy.
Official Dubai immigration authority for Dubai residence and newborn immigration services.
Important: Newborn registration involves several separate legal systems: birth registration, nationality/passport law, UAE residence law, Emirates ID rules and, where applicable, foreign embassy procedures. Requirements and fees can differ by emirate, hospital, sponsor and nationality. Complete the live government and embassy requirements before booking travel or waiting until the end of the applicable deadline.