What Changed in January 2021?
In January 2021, the UAE Government approved amendments to the Executive Regulation of the Federal Law concerning Nationality and Passports. The reform opened a carefully controlled nomination route for specified categories of foreign nationals, including investors, doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, intellectuals and certain talents.
This is formally referred to as the 2021 amendment to the Executive Regulation. The official UAE Government portal (u.ae) provides the primary public summary of the nationality framework.
Foreign-National Citizenship Nomination Categories
Investors
Must own property in the UAE. Citizenship remains subject to nomination and the applicable statutory conditions.
Doctors & specialists
Must be specialised in a scientific discipline of high demand in the UAE, have recognised scientific contributions and at least 10 years of practical experience, and hold membership in a reputable organisation in the field.
Scientists
Must be an active researcher at a university, research centre or private sector entity, generally with at least 10 years of practical experience, recognised contributions and a recommendation from a recognised UAE scientific institution.
Inventors
Must have one or more patents approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy or another reputable international body and a recommendation from the Ministry of Economy.
Intellectuals / creative talents
Must be pioneers in arts or culture or possess recognised creative talent, with the awards, recommendations or governmental support required by the relevant category.
Talents, artists and their families
The 2021 amendment also covers specified talents, artists and their spouses and children subject to the conditions applicable to the nomination.
Citizenship vs. Residency
| Golden Visa | Long-term residence |
| Green Visa | Long-term residence |
| UAE citizenship | Nationality |
| UAE passport | Issued to UAE citizens |
A residence visa, even a 10-year Golden Visa, does not make its holder a UAE citizen or UAE passport holder.
How the Citizenship Route Works
| Stage | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1. Category qualification | The foreign national must fall within one of the categories identified in the amended nationality framework and satisfy its specific evidence requirements. |
| 2. Nomination | The candidate is nominated through the authorities identified by the UAE Government, rather than submitting an ordinary open citizenship application. |
| 3. Review and approval | The relevant authorities review the nomination and supporting evidence before citizenship is granted. |
| 4. Oath and obligations | A successful candidate must take the oath of allegiance and loyalty to the UAE and commit to comply with UAE laws. |
| 5. Continuing conditions | The UAE Government states that citizenship can be withdrawn if the applicable conditions are breached. |
There Is No Open Online Citizenship Application
Unlike a UAE visa or many residence services, foreign nationals do not submit an ordinary open citizenship application through ICP and receive citizenship simply after paying a fee or uploading documents.
Retaining an Existing Nationality
The current UAE Government summary of the 2021 amendment states that a person who acquires Emirati nationality under these provisions may retain their existing nationality. The nominee must inform the UAE government entity if they acquire or lose any other citizenship.
This is more precise than saying that “the UAE allows dual citizenship for everyone”. The retention rule applies to the naturalised persons covered by this specific framework and remains subject to the statutory conditions.
Oath and Continuing Obligations
Eligible candidates who are granted nationality must take an oath of allegiance and loyalty to the UAE and commit to abide by UAE laws. Retention of another nationality must also be disclosed to the UAE government entity when the person acquires or loses another citizenship.
- Oath of allegiance and loyalty to the UAE.
- Commitment to comply with UAE laws.
- Notification of acquiring or losing another citizenship.
- Continuing compliance with the applicable naturalisation conditions.
Citizenship by Descent and Children
Nationality by descent is governed by the Federal Law concerning Nationality and Passports and its amendments. It should not be confused with the 2021 nomination route for foreign adults.
| Family situation | Safe legal description |
|---|---|
| UAE citizen father | The nationality law provides nationality by descent through the Emirati father subject to the statutory provisions. |
| UAE citizen mother + foreign father | Specific statutory provisions apply. Do not reduce the rule to an automatic universal grant at birth or a simple “automatic citizenship at age 18” statement. |
| Foreign parents | Birth in the UAE does not itself create a general birthright-citizenship rule comparable to jus soli systems. |
Long-Term Residency If Citizenship Is Not Available
Foreign nationals who are not nominated for citizenship can still qualify for long-term UAE residence under separate immigration programmes. These are residence statuses, not nationality.
Do not advertise a single salary or investment threshold as a universal Golden Visa entitlement. Eligibility differs by category and current immigration rules.
UAE Passport Mobility Is Separate From Citizenship Eligibility
A UAE passport is issued to UAE citizens. A foreign national with a UAE residence visa, Golden Visa or Green Visa normally continues to travel on their existing national passport unless they subsequently acquire UAE nationality through the applicable citizenship process.
Passport-ranking figures also change over time and differ between indexes, so this citizenship page does not publish a permanent “#1 / 180+ countries” claim.
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Official sources were checked for August 2026. Citizenship is discretionary and nomination-based for the foreign-national categories described above. This page is informational and does not constitute a citizenship application, nomination or government determination of eligibility.