UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Upcoming Police Clearance Certificate Requirement; Recent Changes to Immigration Processes

January 10, 2018


Effective 4th February 2018, new employment applications must be supported by a police clearance certificate.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour (MOL) and Ministry of Interior (MOI), and free zone authorities have all made some important changes that affect how applications are processed.

Police Clearance Certificates

Effective 4th February 2018, all new employment applications must be supported by a “good conduct certificate” (police clearance certificate) in Arabic and attested by the UAE embassy.

Employees born and resident in the UAE do not need a good conduct certificate unless they have spent some time in another country.

If the employee has been resident in any other countries for more than 5 years, a certificate must be issued from and attested in each of these countries, followed by attestation in the UAE.

If the employee has been inside the UAE for five or more years, the good conduct certificate will be issued from the UAE, and bear a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation.

If the employee has been resident in the UAE for less than five years, this will be issued from the employee’s home country and attested by the UAE embassy there, followed by attestation in the UAE.

Students, tourists, holders of medical or mission visas and dependent family members of foreign workers do not require a certificate of good conduct.

E-Channels

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) in Abu Dhabi has recently replaced the FAWRI system with the E-Channels system.  Like FAWRI, E-Channels serves as a portal for applications with MOL.

Dependent Applications

The Ministry of Interior now requires the sponsor’s original Emirates ID to create, cancel, or modify any dependent applications.  This includes the process of creating and submitting the application and stamping the visa in the passport.  Renewal applications for dependents over the age of 18 also require the dependent’s original Emirates ID.

Supporting Documents

All supporting documents (including degree certificates, marriage certificates and birth certificates) submitted to government offices (MOI & MOL) and free zone authorities must be in Arabic.  If these documents were issued in another language, a legal translation must be completed so that they will be accepted for application purposes.

TECOM Update

For companies operating under the umbrella of TECOM (DIC/DCCA/DSP) there have been updates to the processing times and application requirements for all applications.  The most notable update is that the option for Internal Visa Transfer has been removed and is now covered by the Government Transfer process, which requires a medical test and security check.

All applications have been streamlined by moving most of the application process online, with minimal original documents required.

Our Advice

Companies in Abu Dhabi that have not yet registered with E-Channels should do so as soon as possible.

Employers sponsoring employment immigration applications should contact their Newland Chase immigration specialist to confirm how these changes may affect them.

For advice and information on immigration to the UAE in general, please email us at [email protected].