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Thursday 23 May 2013 (UAE)
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List of UAE naturalisation and residency departments (General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in UAE)
Each emirate in the UAE has their own General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (previously called Department of Naturalization and Residency) to take care of immigration, visa, and entry permit related issues, search for and apprehend overstayers and illegal immigrants, or issue and renew UAE passports for UAE nationals. Most residents of the UAE are not immigrants in the normal sense of the word (meaning those wishing to move to a country, settle there, and obtain citizenship of that country), but resident expatriates with a UAE residence visa (or permit) that allows them to live in the UAE for a period of time (usually 3 years between renewals, sometimes 1 year). For all issues to do with permission to visit and/or live in the UAE, contact the relevant immigration office in the emirate in which you live or plan to live. If visiting the UAE, contact the immigration office of the emirate in which you expect to arrive. Note that Al Ain is not an emirate, it is a city in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Note also that although immigration rules are federal, they are not applied consistently in each emirate. Sharjah especially, seems to do their own thing.
Immigration Departments are UAE government offices so that means they will be staffed predominantly by UAE nationals. Being able to speak Arabic is therefore a bonus but most or all officials that deal with the public will also speak some English. For most expatriates coming to work in the UAE, their company PRO will be dealing with all the paperwork anyway, and will sort out the residence visa without you needing to visit the immigration department.
NRD name change
- Naturalization and Residency Departments in the UAE will (or might) change their name to the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs (or General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs) in each emirate according to a 01 November 2009 report in the Gulf News.
- See the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs information for more details.
NRD working hours and contact details
Working hours are from 7am or 8am until 1pm or later depending on the emirate which the immigration office is in. Working days are Sunday to Thursday with offices occasionally open during holiday periods (with shorter hours). Don't count on it though, and contact the office or check the UAE press for holiday opening times (if any).
| Immigration Department | Telephone | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Naturalization & Residence Directorate (ADNRD) | +971-2-4462244 | 0700-2100 | Al Saada Rd |
| Ajman Immigration Department | +971-6-7422255 | Near Ajman University | |
| Al Ain (ADNRD) | +971-3-7625555 | Opposite Carrefour | |
| Department of Naturalisation and Residency Dubai (DNRD) | +971-4-3980000 | 0730-2000 | Trade Center Rd |
| Department of Naturalization and Residency Fujairah (DNRF) | +971-9-2222727 | 0730-1430 | Al Sharq Rd |
| Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) | |||
| Ras Al Khaimah Immigration Department | +971-7-2273333 | Mamourah, behind post office | |
| Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) | +971-6-5726777 | Opposite Sharjah Mega Mall | |
| Umm Al Quwain Immigration Department | +971-6-7666419 | ||
| Ministry of the Interior, Abu Dhabi | +971-2-4414666 |
- Abu Dhabi Naturalization & Residence Directorate (ADNRD), tel +971-2-4462244, tel 600-522222, fax +971-2-4461621 (or fax +971-2-4024556 - MOI information update), PO Box 4333, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Opening hours 7am to 9pm (0700-2100) Sunday to Thursday. Location Al Saada Road, Al Mushref, Abu Dhabi (location map)
- Ajman Immigration Department, tel +971-6-7422255
- Al Ain comes under the ADNRD, office is opposite Carrefour near Jimi shopping mall, tel +971-3-7625555
- Department of Naturalization and Residency, Dubai (DNRD), tel +971-4-3980000 or +971-4-3139999
- Department of Naturalization and Residency, Fujairah (DNRF), tel +971-9-2222727, working hours 7:30am to 2:30 pm Sunday to Thursday, location Al Sharq Road off the main road through Fujairah, heading in Fujairah airport direction (location map).
- Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD)
- Ras Al Khaimah Immigration Department / Ras Al Khaimah Naturalisation and Residence Department (RAK NRD), tel +971-7-2273333. Two branch offices expected to open in 2009 in Saqr Port and another location. RAKNRD Director Sultan Yusuf Al Nuaimi (December 2008).
- Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department / Sharjah Immigration Department / Directorate of Naturalization and Residence - Sharjah, tel +971-6-5726777, fax +971-6-5733226, email: foryou_service@snrd.ae.
- Umm Al Quwain Immigration Department, tel +971-6-7666419
- Ministry of the Interior, Abu Dhabi, tel +971-2-4414666 (email update 31 Jan 2010, previously +971-2-4022710) or tel 600-522222, fax +971-2-4022780, PO Box 398 Abu Dhabi UAE, email moi@moi.gov.ae. The MOI is a federal body governing all immigration related issues, however, contact the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation & Residency department (+971-2-4462244) for immigration enquiries.
UAE immigration e-services
Many immigrations services are available online. See the NRD websites.
Differences in residence and immigration laws between different emirates
The UAE as a country has rules and regulations governing who is eligible to become a UAE national (for example children born in the UAE are not entitled to UAE citizenship unless the father is an Emirati national), who is allowed to visit the UAE and how long they are permitted to stay, conditions of residence for expatriates, and so on. Each emirate then implements those rules and issues visas, permits, passports, in accordance with their own unique interpretations of the law, or they may make up a few different rules. There may be some differences in implementation, sometimes because the individual immigration officer at your point of entry, or the bureaucrat behind the counter at the Naturalisation & Residency Department has a different idea of the rules than you do, or different from the person at the next counter, or different from what the boss thinks, and so on.
Visa and residency rules often change, and during times of change, it can take a while before everyone figures out what the correct new procedure is. Local media try and clarify new rules but are hampered by what seem to be conflicting and/or changing statements they obtain from various immigration officials. Sometimes the conflicts reflect the different interpretations in different emirates. Other confusion arises when rules change, and then change back again. For example:
- Several years ago (2003?), there was a rule that no work permits (and therefore residence visas) would be issued to anyone without at least a high school certificate of education. This impacted a large number of construction workers and other labourers, who were forced to leave. The impact of that was a difficulty in recruiting labour for the many construction projects going on so eventually laborers and many other employment categories were exempted from the restriction, or the restriction is being ignored.
- At the end of July 2008, there were significant changes in UAE tourist visa and visit visa rules with a great deal of confusion over visa renewals, length of stay, and so on. Many confusing statements were issued by various Naturalisation and Immigration Department personnel but eventually it all seemed to settle down.
- In August 2008, the Sharjah naturalisation and residency department introduced a new law requiring applicants for family visas (those sponsoring family members for residence visas) to provide a copy of their tenancy contract, attested by the Sharjah Municipality. However, Abu Dhabi and Dubai naturalisation and residency departments clarified that they do not require copies of tenancy contracts when residents apply for family visas.
- Also in August 2008, Sharjah (again) introduced a law that restricted the residency visa period to just 1 year for a list of 60 professions - for example drivers, tradespeople, shopkeepers and owners, service people such as waiters and waitresses, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers (ok, not the last one). Most people who have lived in the UAE for a period of time have learnt that Sharjah is a little bit "Special"
Since 2003 when foreign ownership of property was allowed in the UAE - first in Dubai, and then some of the other emirates, it was possible to obtain a residence visa on the basis of property ownership. Each emirate has its own property ownership rules for foreigners, and also its own (changing) residence visa rules. In 2008 the ability to obtain a residence visa from property ownership was curtailed significantly with most, if not all, property unable to obtain new residence visas, and in some cases unable to renew them.
Be careful when obtaining visa information - travel agents, embassies, real estate agents don't always get it right (and it's almost impossible for them to be accurate when they are provided with conflicting information). The nearest UAE embassy or consulate should have up to date information, or the nearest Naturalization and Immigration Department in the UAE. If you have an unusual set of circumstances, try and get information from at least two different official sources, or try to speak to someone in authority that may be able to help you if the rules don't quite fit. The local press may be helpful also when rules change, but don't rely on just one source - they don't always agree either.
How to deal with visa and document processing problems
If you find yourself in a conflict or with a problem at the immigration department, the same guidelines apply to dealing with bureaucrats in the UAE as they do anywhere. Don't lose your cool, be polite, and depending on the situation, you have to decide whether to be persistent vs giving up vs trying to find someone else to deal with. Wasta (sort of means connections and power) can help with awkward situations - many rules in the UAE have a certain element of "flexibility" - but don't count on it. Go away and try again another day is sometimes a solution to a problem. Attractive young blonde-haired women seem to have fewer difficulties and speedier document processing than other people, for some inexplicable reason. If you have a friend who fits that description, send her along to do the job for you.
Last update Wednesday 02-May-2012
Related pages
- DNRD - Dubai immigration department
- e-gate - card to enable faster entry and exit at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports
- UAE visa - all about visas and entry permits for the UAE
- UAE visa list - list of visa types with brief summary
Related websites (new window)
- moi.uae.gov.ae - old website, no longer available. Presumably email moi@uae.gov.ae no longer valid
- www.moi.gov.ae - UAE Ministy of the Interior website, mostly Arabic. English version appears to be under construction (December 2008). See also www.government.ae.
- www.anrd.gov.ae - Ajman Naturalisation and Residency Department website, Arabic and English login to e-services, no other obvious information (December 2008)
- www.fnrd.gov.ae - Fujairah NRD website, Arabic and English (nothing at www.fnrd.ae)
- www.moieserv.ae - UAE Ministry of the Interior e-services website - apply for visas and entry permits online.
- www.raknrd.ae - might be RAK NRD website, no content when checked December 2008, see also www.rak.ae
- www.snrd.ae - Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department website in Arabic. English version (www.snrd.ae/en/) appears to be under construction (December 2008)
- Dubai directory - add your link free