The framework immigration law replacing Federal Law No. 6 of 1973: passport, visa and approved-port requirements, ICP's power to issue, renew and cancel residence permits of the types set by the Executive Regulation, family sponsorship, the duty to leave when a permit lapses, fines from AED 50,000 for employing or harbouring foreigners unlawfully, and overstay fines, deportation and re-entry bans.
Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 is the UAE's immigration framework law. Issued on 16 September 2021, it entered into force 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Article 38), repealed Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 (Article 37) and is in force. It sets the principles; the visa and residence categories, grace periods and fee and fine amounts are delegated to the Executive Regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022) and to Cabinet resolutions (Nos. 88 and 89 of 2022).
Article 2 applies the law to every foreigner wishing to enter or reside in the State, including the free zones, and exempts heads of state, diplomats and persons covered by international agreements. Article 3 makes the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) solely responsible for implementation. Article 4 requires a valid approved passport, a valid visa and entry and exit through approved ports. Articles 7 and 8 give ICP the power to issue, renew and cancel visas and residence permits of the types set in the Executive Regulation, and Article 9 lets a residence permit holder bring in family members under the Regulation's conditions.
Article 5 lists the foreigner's duties: use approved ports, register entry and exit data, report changes in employment or residence data, not work in breach of UAE law, and leave the State on expiry or cancellation of the visa unless a residence permit is obtained or renewed; employers must report changes in a foreigner's data and any dispute with the foreigner. Article 11 imposes an administrative fine for each day of illegal residence, at rates set by the Cabinet, and Article 12 requires parents to register a newborn's identity and residence within four months of birth. Article 14 requires a foreigner to report a lost passport within 24 hours.
Articles 15 to 19 cover deportation: administrative deportation by the Federal Public Prosecutor or the Chairman where the public interest, public security, public morals or public health require it, or where the foreigner lacks means of subsistence, with detention of up to 30 days renewable once and a ban on re-entry without the Chairman's permission.
The penalty articles are 21 to 33. False statements carry up to six months and/or AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 (Article 23) and forging or using forged visas or permits up to ten years (Article 24). Article 25 fines anyone who employs, harbours or provides a place of residence to a foreigner in violation of the law AED 50,000, with imprisonment on repeat, multiplied per foreigner up to AED 5,000,000. Article 28 fines a legal person whose representatives commit an offence at least AED 50,000 with possible closure for up to six months. Article 29 punishes non-payment of overstay or newborn fines with up to three months or AED 4,000, and Article 30 sets a floor of one month and/or AED 10,000 for any other violation.
Every foreign national entering or residing in the UAE, including in the free zones, together with employers, sponsors, hosts, landlords and carriers who deal with them; UAE and GCC nationals are outside it except where expressly mentioned. Heads of state, diplomats and persons exempted by international agreement are excluded.
| Article 2 | Applies the law to any foreigner wishing to enter or reside in the State, including the free zones, and exempts heads of state, diplomats and persons covered by international agreements. |
| Article 4 | Entry requires a valid approved passport or substitute, a valid visa and entry and exit through approved ports; the Cabinet may exempt nationalities from visas and the Chairman may grant individual exemptions. |
| Article 5 | A foreigner must use approved ports, register entry and exit data, report changes in employment or residence data, not work in breach of the law, and leave the State on expiry or cancellation of the visa unless a residence permit is obtained or renewed; employers must report data changes and disputes. |
| Articles 7–8 | ICP issues, renews and cancels visas and residence permits; the types and conditions of each are set by the Executive Regulation, and overseas missions may also issue visas. |
| Article 9 | A foreigner holding a residence permit may bring in family members under the conditions set by the Executive Regulation. |
| Articles 11–13 | An administrative fine applies for each day of illegal residence at rates set by the Cabinet; parents must register a newborn's identity and residence within four months of birth; the Chairman may waive these fines in whole or part. |
| Article 15 | The Federal Public Prosecutor or the Chairman may order administrative deportation where the public interest, public security, public morals or public health require it or the foreigner lacks means of subsistence, with detention of up to 30 days renewable once. |
| Article 24 | Forging a visa, residence permit or related document, or knowingly using a forged one, carries imprisonment of up to ten years and deportation. |
| Article 25 | A fine of AED 50,000 on anyone who employs, harbours or provides a place of residence to a foreigner in violation of the law, with imprisonment on repeat, multiplied by the number of foreigners up to AED 5,000,000; harbouring an infiltrator carries at least two months and AED 100,000. |
| Article 28 | A legal person whose representatives, directors or agents commit an offence is fined at least AED 50,000 and the court may order closure of its premises for up to six months. |
| Articles 29–30 | Failure to pay overstay or newborn fines carries up to three months' imprisonment or a fine up to AED 4,000; any other violation carries at least one month's imprisonment and/or a fine of at least AED 10,000. |
| Articles 37–38 | Repeals Federal Law No. 6 of 1973, keeps existing regulations in force until replaced, and brings the Decree-Law into force 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette. |
Article 23: up to six months and/or AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 for false statements. Article 24: up to ten years for forging or using forged visas or permits. Article 25: AED 50,000 for employing, harbouring or housing a foreigner unlawfully, with imprisonment on repeat, multiplied per foreigner up to AED 5,000,000; at least two months and AED 100,000 for harbouring an infiltrator. Article 28: at least AED 50,000 for a legal person plus closure for up to six months. Article 29: up to three months or AED 4,000 for not paying overstay or newborn fines. Article 30: at least one month and/or AED 10,000 for other violations. Daily overstay fines are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 89 of 2022 at AED 50 per day.
Every entry permit and residence visa we obtain for a client, an employee or a family member rests on this law, and two of its articles shape our advice more than any other. Article 25 is why we treat an employee working on a visit visa, or staff housed by a client without valid residence, as an emergency rather than an administrative lapse: AED 50,000 per person, multiplied, with closure of the business under Article 28. Article 5 is why we build visa expiry and cancellation into every exit plan, because the duty to leave on cancellation is immediate and the daily fine under Article 11 follows. For investors sponsoring family we rely on Article 9 and the Regulation's conditions, and for newborns we diarise the four-month deadline in Article 12. Where a client faces administrative deportation or a re-entry ban, Articles 15 to 18 set the process and the Chairman's discretion we address.
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