Federal Law No

We, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates State, Pursuant to the perusal of the Constitution; and

The Federal Law no. (1) of 1972 regarding the jurisdictions of the Ministries and the competences of the Ministers, and the amending laws thereof; and

The Federal Law no. (6) of 1975 regarding the Regulation of Births and Deaths Registers, and the amending laws thereof; and

The Federal Law no. (7) of 1976 regarding the Establishment of the State Audit Institution, and the amending laws thereof; and

The Federal Law no. (3) of 1982 on the General Information Authority, and the amending laws thereof; and The Criminal Law promulgated by virtue of Federal Law no. (3) of 1987; and

The Federal Law no. (21) of 2001 regarding the Civil Service in the Federal Government, and the amending laws thereof; and

The Federal Law no. (2) of 2004 regarding the Establishment of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship; and Acting upon the proposal of the Minister of Interior, the consent of Cabinet, and the approval of the Federal Supreme Council,

In the implementation of the provisions hereof, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings assigned for each of them unless the context requires otherwise:

State: The United Arab Emirates State.

Authority: Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.

Board: The Board of Managers of the Authority.

Chairman: The Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Director-General: The Director-General of the Authority.

Pertinent Parties: Local and federal governmental authorities and other parties determined by virtue of a Cabinet decision upon the proposal of the Chairman.

Population Register: The register of population in the State, including personal data and civil facts.

Personal Data: Data that distinguish each individual including: all types of fingerprints, blood type, name and date of change if any, address and residence, date and place of birth, gender, religion, nationality, residence for non-nationals, social status, registration numbers of parents, spouse or children, education and specialization, profession or job, job location and any other data determined by the Board upon a proposal of Director-General.

Civil facts: The elements of civil status of the individual related to the following: birth, marriage, divorce, nationality, residence, death and any other facts determined by the Board upon the proposal of the Director-General.

Collected Statistics: The total figures of one or more statements of population registered in the records of the Authority from which social, economic, security or cultural indicators or others can be extracted

Card: Identity Card issued in conformity with the provisions of the present Law.

Identity Number: Standard number set forth in the said Federal Decree-Law no. (2) of 2004

A Population Register shall be established within the State in order to register the personal data and the civil facts for nationals, non-nationals and residents therein.

Other registers may be established by virtue of a decision of the Board upon the proposal of the Director-General.

The personal data and civil facts of individuals shall be registered in the population register in conformity with the decision of the Board upon the proposal of the Director-General.

Each national and non-national residing in the State and registered in the population register shall have a fixed number called identity number.

All pertinent parties must record said number in formalities, registers and files of individuals and must use it to organize and store such formalities, registers and files, without prejudice to the means of organization and storage adopted by such parties.

The text of Article 4 was replaced by virtue of Article 1 of Federal Decree-Law No. 12 dated 29/08/2019, to read as follows:

1- The individual comprised by the provisions of this Law shall apply to register themselves in the Population Register System on the dates and within the phases specified by decision of the Board.

2- The registration request shall be submitted by the concerned person or by his representative or as determined by the Board.

The pertinent parties, each within the jurisdictions thereof, must notify the Authority regarding incoming personal data, civil facts, any change or modification in such data or facts, and such in dates and in conformity with the procedures determined by virtue of a Board decision upon the proposal of the Director-General.

Subject to the provision of the first paragraph of Article (4) herein, individuals registered in the population register shall commit to the notification of the Authority regarding any change or amendment in personal data or civil facts related thereto, and such within the date and in conformity with the procedures determined by the Board upon the proposal of the Director-General. The person receiving the notification must give the notifying person a statement thereof after having verified the identity thereof.

In all cases, the notification shall only be carried out by the pertinent person or the representative thereof in accordance with the Board decisions upon the proposal of the Director-General.

The Authority may request from individual and private juridical persons included in the provisions hereof to give whatever data or information they have related thereto whenever such is deemed necessary for the population register system or any other registers of the Authority. The procedures and dates thereof shall be determined by virtue of a decision issued by the Chairman subsequent to the approval of the Board.

Embassies and consulates of the State abroad shall notify the Authority of the personal data and civil facts, or any modifications thereto sent by nationals residing within the scope of jurisdictions thereof.

The Authority shall issue for every individual registered in the population register a card called Identity Card.

Subject to the provisions of Article (4) herein, the extraction of the card must occur for every person having reached the age of fifteen, and such within six months from the date of the reach of the said age.

A specimen of the card, the data included therein, the procedures of obtainment thereof, and the date of renewal thereof shall be determined by virtue of a Board decision upon the proposal of the Director-General.

The verification of the identity shall be made exclusively by virtue of the said card in accordance with Cabinet decisions.

Subject to the provisions of Article (9) herein, and except for the emergency cases determined by the Board of Directors based on the proposal of the Director-General, the admission, employment or retention of any person, in the capacity of employee, servant, worker, or student or any other capacity shall be prohibited unless he holds the card.

The date of enforcement of such prohibition and the mechanism by virtue of which it is applied, shall be determined by a decision of the Board at the proposal of the Director-General and shall be published in the Official Gazette.

The card holder must notify the Authority in the event of loss or destruction thereof or change in the data included therein, and such during the dates and in conformity with the procedures determined by virtue of a Board decision upon the proposal of the Director-General.

Each individual may obtain a symbolic copy of the personal data related thereto, or to the predecessors, successors or spouses thereof. The householder – as well – may extract such data with regards to the individuals registered thereby in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article (4) hereof.

Such data may not be granted to persons other than the ones mentioned in the preceding paragraph, unless by virtue of a private power of attorney granted by the concerned person, provided that such power of attorney is authenticated by virtue of the set rules.

Without prejudice to the provisions of Article (12) hereof, the pertinent authorities may obtain from the Authority an official copy of the data registered in the population register should it be necessary for the performance of the jurisdictions thereof, and within the scope of such jurisdictions, and such in accordance with the Implementing Regulation hereof.

The Director-General, in conformity with the rules set by the Board, may give comprehensive statistical data for the purposes of scientific research and social and population studies. Whoever wishes to receive such data shall submit an application on the form set by the Authority, and enclose therewith the documents determined by the Board. The Director-General shall be entitled to reject the application, and notify the applicant thereof in writing after having verified the validity of the data for the purpose for which they are requested, and fulfilled any other conditions deemed necessary by the Board.

The decision of rejection may be grieved against within the dates and in accordance with the procedures determined by the Board, upon the proposal of the Director-General. The decision of the Chairman issued with regards to the grievance issue shall be final.

Whoever obtains information by virtue of Articles (13) and (14) hereof, shall be prohibited to use such information for purposed other than the ones based on which the Authority agreed to grant such information thereto. He shall commit to the conditions under which such information were granted thereto.

Without prejudice to the sanction determined in Article (18) herein, the Authority may not grant the violator the data requested thereby in the future and such for the period determined by the Authority.

The Council of Ministers shall issue, based on the proposal of the Board, a decision determining the fine penalties imposed by the Authority on whomever breaches the provisions of Articles (6) and (10) of this Law, which shall not exceed AED one thousand. The fine shall be multiplied according to the number of persons in whose respect the violation occurred.

Whoever breaches the provisions of Article (7) hereof shall be sentenced to fine amounting to AED 5.000 at most.

Without prejudice to any severer sanction provided for in any other law, whoever gives incorrect data to the population register system shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, and to a fine amounting to AED 5.000 at most, or to either sanctions.

Without prejudice to any severer sanction provided for in any other law, whoever breaches – with ill faith – Articles (14) and (15) hereof shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, and to a fine amounting to AED 5.000 at most, or to either sanctions.

The perpetration by the representatives of the juridical person, managers, agents, or members of the board of directors thereof of a breach to the provisions of Articles (14) and (15) hereof shall be deemed aggravating circumstances.

Should the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraph be convicted, the court may order to stop the juridical person to whom the convict pertains from exercising the activities thereof for a period determined thereby should the breach be made in its name or in the interest thereof.

Without prejudice to any severer sanction provided for in any other law, whoever reveals a secret of work, data of the population register or any of the collected data, information or statistics registered in the Authority that he learns by virtue of the work thereof, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period of three months at least and three years at most.

The population register and the identity card system shall be implemented in accordance with the phases set by the Board upon the proposal of the Director-General.

The samples related to the implementation of the provisions hereof shall be determined by virtue of a Board decision upon the proposal of the Director-General.

The fees of the procedures related to the implementation of the provisions hereof shall be determined by virtue of a Cabinet decision upon the proposal of the Board.

By virtue of a Cabinet decision upon the proposal of the Board, a national committee may be formed to review the personal data prior to registration thereof in the population register or any other register of the Authority. The decision promulgated regarding the formation of the committee and the implementing regulation thereof shall determine the work procedures thereof.

The implementing regulation hereof shall determine the rectification procedures of the personal data and civil facts already registered in the population register system.

The data recorded on the card, in the population register and other registers of the Authority, certifications and official copies thereof shall be considered as proof of what is mentioned therein unless contrary data, nullity or falsification thereof is proven by virtue of a judicial judgment.

The Chairman may commission the Vice-Chairman to carry out certain jurisdictions determined thereto by virtue of the present law. The Vice-Chairman shall replace the Chairman in the event of the absence of the latter.

The Minister of Justice, with the consent of the Chairman, shall issue a decision to grant certain employees of the Authority the capacity of judicial investigation officers to prove the violations of the provisions of the present law and the decisions issued in execution thereof, and such within the area of jurisdiction of each thereof.

The Chairman shall issue the implementing regulation hereof subsequent to the approval of the Board.

Every provision contravening or contradicting with the provisions hereof shall be abrogated.

The present law shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall come into force as of the date of publication thereof.

[1] The expression “Emirates Identity Authority” was replaced by “Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship” wherever mentioned in this text and in any other text by virtue of Article 1 of the Federal Decree-Law no. 3/2017 dated 27/07/2017, mention is in order.