Key takeaways
- Two documents make up UAE immigration law. Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 sets the main rules and the penalties (38 articles). Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, its Executive Regulation, fills in the details: visa types, residence permits, family sponsorship, the 180-day rule, fines and deportation (80 articles).
- They apply everywhere in the UAE, including free zones. Article 2 of the Decree-Law says so directly. Only heads of state, diplomats and people exempted by international agreements are outside it.
- One federal authority is in charge. Article 3 makes the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) “solely responsible” for applying the law. In Dubai, residence files are handled by GDRFA Dubai under the same federal rules.
- The rules are current. The Decree-Law has been in force since 26 October 2021. The Executive Regulation has been in force since 3 October 2022 and has been amended six times; the official portal lists its last update on 3 June 2026.
- If the English and Arabic texts ever differ, the Arabic wins. The official English translation says so itself. We quote the official English text and explain it in plain words.
- This library explains every article, in order, in simple English. Each article has a short quote from the official text, what it means, an example, and what it means for you.
The two laws at a glance
Think of it like this. The Decree-Law is the frame of a house: it says who is in charge, what foreigners must do, and what happens to people who break the rules. The Executive Regulation is everything inside the house: the rooms, the doors and the house rules. When you read about a “60-day entry permit”, the “180-day rule” or “sons up to 25”, those details come from the Regulation.
How UAE immigration rules are built: four layers
| Layer | What it is | Example | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Decree-Law | The main law, passed by the President | Foreigners must leave when their residence ends unless it is renewed (Art. 5) | uaelegislation.gov.ae |
| 2. The Executive Regulation | A Cabinet resolution with the detailed rules | A residence is void after more than 180 days outside the UAE (Art. 59) | uaelegislation.gov.ae |
| 3. Resolutions of the Cabinet and the ICP Chairman | Fees, fines, grace periods and the fine print the Regulation leaves open | The AED 50 daily overstay fine; the salary needed to sponsor a family | The Official Gazette, ICP and GDRFA |
| 4. Service cards | How ICP and GDRFA apply the rules day to day | The fee and documents for a return permit | icp.gov.ae and gdrfad.gov.ae |
Trust them in this order: the law and the Regulation, then the ICP or GDRFA service card for your exact service, then u.ae summaries, then news articles. Older FAQ pages and news reports are the most likely to be out of date.
The first articles: words, scope and who is in charge
These opening articles look dry, but they decide who the law covers and what its key words mean. Every other article depends on them.
Definitions
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“Foreigner: Anyone who does not hold the nationality of the State.”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 1
In plain English
The law explains its key words so everyone reads them the same way:
- Foreigner: anyone who is not an Emirati citizen. That includes GCC citizens living here, long-term residents and Golden Visa holders.
- Visa: the official document that lets a foreigner enter the UAE and stay for a set time.
- Residence permit: the official document that lets a foreigner live in the UAE for the period written on it.
- Ports: the official airports, seaports and land borders where foreigners must enter and leave.
- ICA (ICP): the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security, and its Chairman, who can set many of the detailed rules.
Example
Priya is Indian and has lived in Dubai for 12 years on a family residence. In this law she is still a “foreigner”. Being a resident for a long time does not change that; what changes is which permits she holds.
A visa gets you in; a residence permit lets you live here. Many problems start when people confuse the two, for example staying after an entry permit’s 60 days without finishing the residence.
More definitions: travel document and prior visa
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“Prior Visa: Entry status granted to the Foreigner prior to the Foreigner arrival to the State”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 1
In plain English
The Regulation repeats the Decree-Law’s definitions and adds two more:
- Travel document: an official identity document approved by the ICP Chairman that is treated like a passport.
- Prior visa: permission to enter that you get before you fly, as opposed to a visa on arrival.
Example
Some nationalities can arrive and get their entry stamped at the airport; others need a prior visa approved before travel. Which group you are in is set by a Cabinet resolution, as Article 2 of the Regulation explains.
If you are bringing a relative who needs a prior visa, the visa must be approved before the flight. We can check your relative’s nationality and the right visa type before you book.
Who the law applies to, including free zones
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“The provisions of this Law by Decree shall apply to the Foreigner wishing to enter or reside in the State, including the Free Zones.”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 2(1)
In plain English
The law covers every foreigner who wants to come to or live in the UAE, in every emirate and in every free zone. Three groups are left out:
- Heads of state and their families.
- Diplomats and consular staff accredited to the UAE, and their families.
- People exempted by an international agreement the UAE has signed, within that agreement’s limits.
Example
Omar works for a company in a Dubai free zone. His company has its own licence and its own visa desk, but his residence is still governed by this federal law: the same 180-day rule, the same grace periods and the same fines apply to him.
Free zone residents sometimes think “free zone rules” replace federal immigration law. They do not. Free zones run their own processes, but the immigration rules are the same across the country.
Who applies the law
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“The ICA shall be solely responsible for implementing the provisions of this Law by Decree.”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 3
In plain English
One federal body, ICP, is responsible for applying this law across the UAE. Its Chairman also makes many of the detailed rules the Regulation leaves open, such as which categories get which grace period.
Example
A resident of Sharjah renews her residence through ICP’s smart services. A resident of Dubai renews through GDRFA Dubai, which handles Dubai residence files. Both are applying the same federal law and Regulation.
Your residence file sits with GDRFA if it was issued in Dubai, or with ICP if it was issued in another emirate. That decides where you apply for renewals, cancellations and return permits. Our authority finder tells you in seconds from your file number, and our ICP vs GDRFA guide explains the difference.
The last articles: the Golden and Blue annexes, repeals and start dates
Golden Residence and Blue Residency
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“The provisions set forth in the Annex attached to this resolution shall apply to the Golden Residence Permit.”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 77
In plain English
The rules for the Golden Residence (the 10-year residence) are not in the main body of the Regulation. They sit in an annex attached to it. Article 77 bis, added by a later amendment, does the same for the Blue Residency, which has its own schedule.
Example
When you read that a property investor needs AED 2 million, or a skilled professional needs a monthly salary of AED 30,000, those thresholds come from the Golden Residence rules, not from Articles 36 to 60.
Check your eligibility against the current thresholds with our Golden Visa eligibility checker, or read our Golden Visa criteria guide.
Application forms
Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
“Applications for obtaining Visas and Residence shall be submitted and issued in accordance with to the forms approved by a resolution of the Chairman.”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 78
In plain English
Every visa and residence application must use the official form approved by ICP’s Chairman. Today those forms are the online applications in the ICP and GDRFA systems, which typing centres such as Amer also use.
An application typed with the wrong service or wrong details is rejected or returned, and some fees are not recovered. This is exactly the step a licensed PRO or typing centre is there to get right.
The Executive Regulation, and what was repealed
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
“The aforementioned Federal Law No. (6) of 1973 shall be repealed”Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, Article 37(1)
In plain English
- Article 36 tells the Cabinet to issue the Executive Regulation. It did so with Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022.
- Article 37 cancels the old immigration law, Federal Law No. 6 of 1973, which had governed foreigners for almost 50 years. Old rules that do not clash with the new law stayed in force until replaced.
- The Regulation, in Article 79, also cancelled the old Executive Regulation (Minister of Interior Resolution No. 360 of 1997) and the earlier Golden Residence resolution (Cabinet Resolution No. 8 of 2021).
Example
Rules you may remember from before October 2022, such as the old tiered overstay fines, came from the old system. If a website still quotes them, it is out of date.
When you read advice online, check that it refers to Decree-Law 29/2021 and Resolution 65/2022. Advice based on the 1973 law is out of date.
When the rules took effect
Decree-Law 29/2021 and Resolution 65/2022
“This Resolution shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force as of 03/10/2022”Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Article 80
In plain English
The Decree-Law took effect 30 days after it was published in the Official Gazette, which is 26 October 2021. The Regulation took effect on 3 October 2022, the day the UAE’s new visa system started: the Green Residence, the longer grace periods and the single AED 50 overstay fine.
3 October 2022 is the date to remember. Anything that happened to your file after that date is judged under today’s rules.
Every article, mapped to its chapter
This library covers all 38 articles of the Decree-Law and all 80 articles of the Regulation. All nine chapters are published, each checked against the official text. Click a chapter to read every article in it.
| Chapter | What it covers | Decree-Law 29/2021 | Resolution 65/2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| This page | Definitions, scope, who applies the law, annexes, repeals, start dates | Arts. 1-3, 36-38 | Arts. 1, 77-80 |
| 1. Entering the UAE and your everyday duties | Passports, approved ports, being turned back, lost passports, newborns, reporting absence | Arts. 4-6, 14 | Arts. 2-7 |
| 2. Visas | Visit, job-seeker, business, study, medical, transit, work and residence entry permits | Art. 7 | Arts. 8-35 |
| 3. Residence permits | Types, general conditions, 2-year validity, changing status inside the UAE, work residence | Art. 8 | Arts. 36-40 |
| 4. Long-term and self-sponsored residence | Green residence, remote work, retirees, property owners, students | – | Arts. 41-53 |
| 5. Family and newborns | Sponsoring a spouse and children, citizens’ foreign families, newborn deadlines | Arts. 9, 12-13 | Arts. 54-58 |
| 6. Living outside the UAE | The 180-day rule and who is exempt | – | Arts. 59-60 |
| 7. Cancellation, overstay and fines | Cancellation, grace periods, daily fines, exemptions, settling violations | Arts. 10-11, 34-35 | Arts. 61-64 |
| 8. Deportation and returning | Deportation orders, families, costs, time to settle affairs, coming back | Arts. 15-18 | Arts. 65-76 |
| 9. Crimes and penalties | Infiltration, forgery, false statements, harbouring and employing violators | Arts. 19-33 | – |
Where to read the official text yourself
- UAE Legislation portal (uaelegislation.gov.ae): the official English and Arabic text of both laws, with amendments and the date of the last update.
- The Official Gazette: the legally binding Arabic publication. The Decree-Law is in Gazette No. 712 (supplement) and the Regulation in No. 731.
- ICP (icp.gov.ae) and GDRFA Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae): the service cards that show how each rule is applied, with fees and documents.
- u.ae: the government portal’s plain-language summaries. Useful, but a summary, not the law.
How we write this library
Every chapter is written by Mir Ali, founder of MIRDXB PRO, a licensed PRO consultancy and Amer and Tasheel authorised typing centre partner in Al Barsha, Dubai. We read the official text of each article on the UAE Legislation portal, quote it word for word, then explain it the way we explain it to clients at our counter: short sentences, real examples and the practical next step. Where the law leaves a detail to an ICP decision or a service card, we say so and link to the source. Each page shows the date it was last checked against the official text.
UAE immigration law: frequently asked questions
What is the main immigration law in the UAE?
Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 Concerning the Entry and Residence of Foreigners. It replaced Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 and has been in force since 26 October 2021. Its detailed rules are in Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, the Executive Regulation, in force since 3 October 2022.
Does UAE immigration law apply in free zones?
Yes. Article 2 of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 states that it applies to foreigners entering or residing in the UAE “including the Free Zones”.
Who enforces UAE immigration law?
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) is “solely responsible” for implementing it under Article 3. In Dubai, residence files are processed by GDRFA Dubai under the same federal law and Regulation.
Where can I read the UAE immigration law in English?
On the UAE Legislation portal, uaelegislation.gov.ae, which publishes the official English translation of both the Decree-Law and the Executive Regulation. The Arabic text prevails if the two differ.
Has the Executive Regulation been changed since 2022?
Yes. The UAE Legislation portal lists six amendments to Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, with the last update on 3 June 2026. For example, Article 19 bis added a two-year multiple-entry work mission visa, and Article 77 bis added the Blue Residency.
Is this page legal advice?
No. It explains the law in plain English. The authority’s decision on your own file is final, and for a dispute you should speak to a UAE-licensed lawyer. For visa and residence procedures, a licensed PRO can tell you which rule applies and file the application.
- Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 Concerning Entry and Residence of Foreigners (UAE Legislation portal)
- Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, Executive Regulation (UAE Legislation portal)
- Cabinet Resolution on administrative fines for ICP services (UAE Legislation portal)
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP)
- GDRFA Dubai
Please note. The quotes on this page are taken from the official English translation on the UAE Legislation portal, checked on 30 September 2026. In case of any difference, the Arabic text published in the Official Gazette prevails. Examples are illustrative and use invented names. This page is general information, not legal advice; the decision of ICP or GDRFA on your own file is final.
