Key takeaways
- To enter the UAE you need three things: a valid passport, a valid visa or residence permit, and to come through an approved airport, seaport or land border (Decree-Law Art. 4; Regulation Art. 2).
- Visitors need 6 months left on their passport. The rule is in Article 2 of the Regulation. Residents are not caught by the 6-month rule, but their passport must still be valid.
- Once you live here, you have duties: keep your details up to date, only work with a permit, leave (or renew) when your visa or residence ends, and show your ID when asked (Decree-Law Art. 5; Regulation Art. 6).
- Lost your passport? Report it fast. The Decree-Law says within 24 hours (Art. 14); the Regulation says to the police within 3 days (Art. 6). Do it the same day and both are met.
- A baby born in the UAE needs papers and a residence within 4 months of birth, or has to leave (Regulation Art. 6; Decree-Law Art. 12).
- Employers must report an absent worker within 48 hours of the absence (Regulation Art. 6).
This chapter explains the first rules every foreigner meets: how you are allowed into the country, and what you must do once you live here. We go through each article in order. Each one has a short quote from the official text, then what it means in simple words.
This page explains what the law says. For fees, documents and how to apply, go to: Transfer your visa to a new passport · Newborn baby visa in Dubai.
Coming into the UAE
The three conditions to enter
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“Possession of a valid and approved passport that authorises its holder to return to the country from which it was issued”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 4(1)(a)
In plain English
To enter the UAE, a foreigner needs:
- A valid passport (or an approved document that replaces it) that lets you go back to the country that issued it.
- A valid visa, unless you are from a country whose citizens are exempt by a Cabinet resolution.
- To enter and leave through an approved port: an official airport, seaport or land border.
The ICP Chairman can make exceptions “in case of necessity”, for one person or a group.
Example
A family visiting from the UK can usually get entry on arrival because of their nationality. A family from a country that is not on the exemption list needs a visa approved before they fly. Both still need valid passports and must arrive through an official port.
Before inviting relatives, check whether their nationality needs a visa in advance. The wrong assumption means being turned back at the airport under Article 4 of the Regulation.
Entry conditions in detail: the 6-month passport rule
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“The validity term of the passport or travel document for a person who is not holding a Residence Permit shall not be less than (6) six months.”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 2(3)
In plain English
The Regulation lists seven conditions for entry. The ones that matter most:
- You hold a passport or travel document that is approved and valid.
- If you do not hold a UAE residence permit, your passport needs at least 6 months of validity. The ICP Chairman can reduce this for some categories, but never below one month.
- You hold a valid entry visa or residence permit.
- Visitors on a visit visa need a return or onward ticket.
- Some nationalities are exempt from a prior visa by Cabinet resolution.
Example
Ahmed’s mother is coming on a visit visa and her passport expires in 4 months. Under Article 2 she can be refused boarding or entry. She should renew her passport before the visa application.
The 6-month rule is written for people without a residence permit. Residents returning home still need a valid passport, and airlines apply their own checks, so do not travel on a passport about to expire. If you renewed your passport, transfer your visa details to the new passport first.
The approved airports, seaports and land borders
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“The Foreigner may not enter or leave the State except after completing entry and exit procedures from the following approved ports”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 3(1)
In plain English
Foreigners may only come in and go out through the official ports named in the Regulation, and must complete immigration there. The list, as published:
| Type | Approved ports |
|---|---|
| Airports (8) | Abu Dhabi International, Al Ain International, Das Island, Dubai International, Al Maktoum International, Sharjah International, Ras Al Khaimah International, Fujairah International |
| Seaports (23) | Abu Dhabi: Zayed, Ruwais, Khalifa, Mughraq, Musaffah. Dubai: Rashid, Al Shindagha, DryDock, Hamriya, Jebel Ali, Port Harbor. Sharjah: Khalid, Khor Fakkan, Hamriyah, Kalba. Ajman: Ajman Port. Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah Port, Saqr, Al Jazira, Al Jeer. Umm Al Quwain: Ahmed Bin Rashid Port. Fujairah: Fujairah Port, Dibba Al-Fujairah |
| Land borders (12) | Abu Dhabi: Ghuwaifat, Mazyad, Khatam Al Shakla, Madiaf, Hili. Dubai: Hatta. Sharjah: Khatem Al-Melaha, Al Madam, Eastern Dibba Al-Hisn. Ras Al Khaimah: Sha’am (Al Dara). Fujairah: Wam. Ajman: Muzaira |
If someone enters somewhere else “under compelling circumstances”, for example a boat forced ashore by weather, they must report to the nearest police station, patrol or official port immediately.
Example
A resident drives to Oman through Hatta and comes back the same way. Hatta is an approved land port, so the exit and entry are recorded correctly. Crossing anywhere unofficial would break the law.
Your exits and entries are recorded at these ports, and those records decide how many days you have spent outside the UAE for the 180-day rule and the re-entry permit.
When you can be turned back at the border
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“The Competent Authority at the entry point shall return the Foreigner to the destination from which the Foreigner comes if one of the following cases is present”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 4
In plain English
Immigration officers at the port must send you back where you came from if:
- You do not meet the entry conditions in Article 2 (no valid passport, visa or ticket, for example).
- The photo in the passport has been tampered with.
- Details in the passport are crossed out, scraped or distorted.
- The passport is visibly damaged in a way that affects its data.
- Pages are out of order, missing or removed.
- You are using someone else’s passport.
You are sent back at your own cost, usually on the same airline or carrier.
Example
A visitor’s passport went through the washing machine and the photo page is peeling. Even with a valid visa, officers can refuse entry under point 4.
A damaged passport is a travel risk, not a small cosmetic problem. Replace it before travelling, then update your residence to the new passport.
Forged or suspicious documents
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“The ICA shall arrest every person coming to the State if it finds that his passport or travel document is suspicious of scraping, distortion, cross-out or forgery”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 5
In plain English
Article 4 turns people back for damaged documents. Article 5 goes further: if a passport looks forged, with fake stamps or altered visas, the person is arrested, not just sent home. Forgery is a crime under Article 24 of the Decree-Law, with up to 10 years in prison.
Never use “agents” who offer visas or stamps outside the official system. If a visa did not come through ICP, GDRFA or a UAE embassy, it is not a UAE visa, and the person holding it is the one arrested.
Your duties once you live here
The foreigner’s seven duties
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“Leave the State upon the cancellation or expiry of the residence permit unless it is renewed.”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 5(6)
In plain English
Every foreigner in the UAE must:
- Enter and leave only through approved ports.
- Register their details on entry and exit.
- Tell ICP about changes to their entry, residence or work details, or a dispute with their employer or sponsor. The employer has the same duty.
- Only do work or activities that UAE law allows.
- Leave when their visa ends or is cancelled, unless they have got a residence permit.
- Leave when their residence ends or is cancelled, unless it is renewed. The Regulation sets how long you have (the grace period).
- Follow any other duties in the Regulation.
Example
Sara’s residence was cancelled when her job ended. Under duty 6 she must renew, change to a new residence, or leave before her grace period ends. If she simply stays, she starts to pay a daily fine.
The “leave or renew” duty is where most fines begin. Check your exact grace period, or put your dates into our visa deadline planner.
Duties of foreigners and of employers, in detail
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“If the Foreigner has a new-born in the State, the Foreigner shall extract documents to prove his identity … and amend the status of the new-born or the new-born leaves the State within (4) four months from the date of birth”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 6, First (4)
In plain English: the foreigner’s duties
- Register your data and address when you apply for a visa (or on arrival if you do not need one), and tell ICP if it changes or if you have a dispute with your employer.
- No work without a permit, whether paid or unpaid.
- Lost or damaged passport or ID card: report it to the nearest police station within 3 days.
- A baby born in the UAE: within 4 months of birth, get the baby’s passport or identity documents from your home country and put the baby on a residence, or the baby must leave the UAE.
- Leave the UAE when the period you are allowed to stay ends.
- Show your ID card or proof of identity whenever you are asked.
In plain English: the employer’s duties
- No one may employ a foreigner, even on trial, without a permit from the authorities.
- An employer who sponsors a foreigner to work must actually employ them, and must report within 48 hours if the worker stops coming to work.
Example
A couple in Dubai have a baby on 1 March. They have until 1 July to get the baby’s passport and residence. After that, ICP’s schedule charges the baby AED 50 for every extra day.
Newborns: start the home-country passport in the first week, because that is the slow part. See our newborn baby visa service. Employers: an employee who stops turning up must be reported within 48 hours. Our employer’s guide to absent employees explains the steps.
Carrying your documents, and losing your passport
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“If the event of loss or damage of an Foreigner’s passport, he must inform The ICA about the same within twenty-four (24) hours”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 14(2)
In plain English
- While you are in the UAE, you must show your passport (or the document that replaces it) when asked, answer questions about your details, and go to ICP or the police if you are called in.
- If your passport is lost or damaged, you must tell ICP within 24 hours.
The Decree-Law says to inform ICP within 24 hours. The Regulation (Article 6) says to report to the police within 3 days. They are not in conflict if you act quickly: report the same day to the police, and follow ICP’s lost-passport procedure. Where a law and its regulation seem to differ, the law is the higher rule.
Example
Maria loses her passport at a mall on Friday evening. She reports it online to Dubai Police that night, keeps the police report, and contacts her embassy for a new passport. Once she has it, her residence is moved to the new passport.
After a new passport is issued, your residence details must be transferred to the new passport. A lost Emirates ID is replaced separately; see our lost or damaged Emirates ID service.
Duties of pilots, ship captains and drivers
Decree-Law 29/2021 and Resolution 65/2022
“Names of passengers who do not hold Entry Visas or Residence Permits that authorize them to enter the State.”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 7(3)
In plain English
Whoever brings people into or out of the UAE, whether a ship’s captain, a pilot, or the driver of a car, bus or train, must give ICP details on arrival and departure. In particular, they must name passengers with:
- No valid passport or travel document.
- A passport that looks doubtful or invalid.
- No entry visa or residence permit.
Example
This is why airlines check your passport and visa before you board. If they carry someone who is refused entry, Article 19 of the Decree-Law lets ICP order the carrier to take the person back at its own cost.
An airline can refuse to board you if your UAE visa or residence is not valid, even if you think it is. Check your residence status before booking, especially after long periods abroad.
Quick reference: the deadlines in this chapter
| Situation | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Passport validity for visitors without a residence | At least 6 months | Regulation Art. 2(3) |
| Lost or damaged passport: tell ICP | 24 hours | Decree-Law Art. 14(2) |
| Lost or damaged passport or ID: report to police | 3 days | Regulation Art. 6 |
| Newborn: papers and residence, or leave | 4 months from birth | Regulation Art. 6; Decree-Law Art. 12 |
| Employer: report a worker’s absence | 48 hours | Regulation Art. 6 |
| Entering outside an approved port by force of circumstances | Report immediately | Regulation Art. 3(2) |
Entry rules and resident duties: frequently asked questions
How many months of passport validity do I need to enter the UAE?
At least six months if you do not hold a UAE residence permit, under Article 2(3) of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022. The ICP Chairman may reduce this for some categories, but not below one month.
What should I do if I lose my passport in the UAE?
Act the same day. Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 (Article 14) says to inform ICP within 24 hours, and Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 (Article 6) says to report it to the police within 3 days. Then get a new passport from your embassy and transfer your residence details to it.
How long do I have to get a residence visa for a newborn in the UAE?
Four months from the date of birth, under Article 6 of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 and Article 12 of the Decree-Law. After that, ICP’s published schedule charges AED 50 a day.
Can I work in the UAE on a visit visa?
No. Article 6 of the Regulation says a foreigner may not work, with or without pay, without a licence from the competent authority, and employers may not employ a foreigner even on trial without one.
Can I be refused entry to the UAE even with a valid visa?
Yes. Under Article 4 of the Regulation, officers return a traveller whose passport is tampered with, damaged, has missing pages, or belongs to someone else, or who does not meet the entry conditions in Article 2.
Within how many hours must an employer report an absent worker?
Within 48 hours of the absence, under Article 6 (Second, clause 2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022.
Please note. Quotes are from the official English translation on the UAE Legislation portal, checked on 30 September 2026; the Arabic text in the Official Gazette prevails. Examples use invented names and are illustrative. This page is general information, not legal advice; the decision of ICP or GDRFA on your own file is final.
