The United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers many employment opportunities for Indians. If you obtain UAE citizenship, you can access many government benefits and tax benefits like UAE citizens. However, obtaining Dubai citizenship will be a daunting task. In this article, we will explore how to get Dubai citizenship for Indian citizens.
Difference between UAE PR and citizenship
The main difference between UAE permanent residence and citizenship is that citizenship has been granted more benefits and rights than PR. For example:
- If you obtain UAE citizenship, you can vote, enjoy free health care and education, and travel internationally without restrictions.
- If you are a permanent resident, you are likely to pay for health care and education at a higher cost and face stiffer competition in the job market. You also need to renew your PR status for 5-10 years.
Eligibility to apply for UAE citizenship
If Indians want to apply for UAE citizenship, you must meet the eligibility criteria. Here is the list of eligibility criteria for Indians:
- You are exceptional talented or skilled people who contribute significantly to the development of the UAE, such as professionals, artists and scientists.
- You have long-term residency in the UAE for more than 30 years.
- You have a substantial investment in real estate or business in the UAE economy.
- You have a clean criminal record and good moral conduct.
- You are fluent in Arabic.
- You apply for citizenship through marriage to an Emirati citizen
- You come from a family of long-term Arab settlers in the UAE, an Emirati father or an Emirati mother in the country or abroad;
- You married Emirati men can get citizenship.
Documents required to apply for UAE citizenship
If you are eligible to apply for UAE citizenship, you can prepare the following documents below for your citizenship application. Here you can check the list of documents you need.
- A valid passport and copies with all pages.
- A valid UAE residency visa.
- Certified copy of the birth certificate.
- Copies of educational qualifications
- Investment proof
- Proof of income, such as bank statements, salary slips, or business income. Certificate of police clearance from UAE and home country
- Recommendation letters from UAE-based individuals or organizations
- Medical fitness certificate from a recognised UAE medical institution
Ways to get UAE citizenship for Indian
There are many ways for Indians to obtain UAE citizenship, such as by exceptional merit, descent, naturalization, marriage, or investors. Here you can follow the methods below and find the most suitable one to obtain UAE citizenship.
UAE citizenship by investment
The UAE will not offer citizenship through investment. However, you can obtain a long-term residence visa (UAE Golden Visa). You must contribute $10,000 for a business setup and $204,500 for real estate. If you want a 10-year Golden Visa, you need to invest at least AED 2 million, or about $544,500, in real estate.
UAE citizenship through descent
You can obtain UAE citizenship by birth. For example, you were born in the UAE and abroad to an Emirati father or Emirati mother (without a legally established fatherhood or stateless father). Or you can obtain citizenship from long-term Arab families who settled in the UAE before 1925 and stayed until 1972).
Get citizenship by marriage
Another way to obtain citizenship for Indians is through marriage. You must obtain court permission to marry a UAE citizen. In addition, you must have a clean medical and criminal record and do not already have an UAE residence visa before. Foreign women married to Emirati men can obtain citizenship in 10 years if they do not have a child. However, if you have a child, you can obtain citizenship in 7 years.
Dubai citizenship by Exceptional Merit
It is one of the latest ways for Indians to apply for Dubai citizenship. If you are one of the following eligible applicants with exceptional merit, you can get more opportunities to obtain citizenship.
- Physicians: You have at least ten years of recognized scientific experience or membership in a reputable medical organization.
- Scientist: You have at least ten years of experience and hold at least one prestigious international award or research grant in your field.
- Innovators: You must have at least one patented invention or an international award in your field.
- Inventors: You should have at least one patent approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy.
- Investors: You should have bought real estate in the UAE.
How to get UAE citizenship for Indians
After you have met the eligibility criteria for UAE citizenship according to the category of visa that you are applying for, you can follow these steps to begin the UAE citizenship application.
- You should prepare the required documents based on the chose citizenship method.
- You should consult the authorities or a legal expert to understand the details of the process depending on which citizenship you choose.
- You must submit the application form with all required documents to the relevant government authorities.
- You need to pay for the UAE application fee after you submit the citizenship application.
- You are required to attend interviews with UAE officials to confirm your qualifications and prove your identity.
- After the interview, you must check the status of your application regularly to avoid the rejection of the application.
If it fails, you can correct the errors and reapply for the application. It should be noted that the application fee will not be refunded if your UAE citizenship application is rejected. Therefore, you must make sure that you have met all conditions and prepared all of the necessary documents.
How to get Emirati citizenship for Indians
If you don’t know how to get Emirati citizenship, you can follow the steps below and start the application.
- You must visit the UAE immigration authorities to assess your eligibility.
- Collect all required and valid documents.
- You can submit the application form at the online portals or in person at immigration offices.
- You need to wait for the authorities to check your criminal and financial history.
- Once approved, you will be asked to attend scheduled interviews with immigration officials to verify details.
- You will receive a formal notification and attend a ceremony to take the oath of allegiance to the UAE.
- Once done, you can wait to receive your UAE citizenship documents and Dubai passport.
How to check UAE citizenship application status
If you want to check your UAE citizenship application status, you can follow these ways :
- You can use the UAE government’s official immigration portal to check the status of dubai citizenship for Indian.
- You can contact UAE immigration authorities directly or your legal advisor.
- You can register for email updates for your application status.
- You can visit the immigration office in person.
If it takes you longer time to get your results of UAE citizenship, you should contact the consulates or the authorities.
FAQ
Can an Indian live in Dubai permanently?
Yes. An Indian can live in Dubai permanently if they are applying for the following visas or programs, such as the UAE Golden Visa, Permanent Residency, Retirement Visa or Citizenship. However, you must prepare all the necessary documents and pass the health test to make the visa application go smoothly.
Does a child born in Dubai get citizenship?
No, a child born in Dubai cannot automatically obtain citizenship. According to the Jus Sanguinis principle, citizenship in the United Arab Emirates is based on the citizenship of the parent, not the child’s place of birth. However, if the child is in these situations, you can obtain Dubai citizenship:
- The child is born to a Dubai father or mother.
- The child is adopted.
- The child is born to unknown parents.
Which country gives citizenship easily for Indian?
Known for its immigration-friendly policies, Canada is generally regarded as one of the easiest citizenship options for India. There are other countries where Indians can easily obtain citizenship, such as Australia, Ireland, Dominica, New Zealand, Turkey and so on. However, there are some specific eligibility criteria that you must meet when applying for citizenship.
What is the processing fee of UAE citizenship?
The UAE citizenship for Indian processing fee may vary widely depending on the specific category under which you are applying. The processing fee will contain the following aspects: application processing fees, physical test, and investment-related costs ( if you are applying for the investment visa). If you want to know the specific cost of UAE citizenship, you can consult a legal expert or UAE immigration authorities.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are several ways for you to apply for citizenship in the UAE. You can choose the most suitable one according to your needs, such as marriage, decent, or investment. However, the process of how to become a citizen of dubai can be daunting. You can seek guidance from the immigration centre or assess eligibility criteria to make your Emirati citizenship a success.