United Arab Emirates Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit United Arab Emirates Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    A-
  • Passport Ranking
    41/198
  • Passport Score
    172/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    158
  • Visa-required Countries
    40
  • Access to the World's GDP
    69%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    73%
  • Access to the World's Population
    80%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    87%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    No
    No provisions
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    30 years
    Successful naturalizations via residency are extremely rare.
  • Physical presence requirement
  • Language test
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    Yes
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    Yes
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    – / –
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    -
  • Language test
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
  • Citizens of specific countries
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Visas and Residencies
Visas and Residencies
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    No personal income tax
The country generally imposes no taxation on personal income, whether it was generated within its territory or abroad.
Schiff Sovereign's Take on United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an intriguing place. It is a federation of seven very different emirates.

Sharjah – the country’s “cultural capital” – is unlike Ras Al Khaimah with its old forts and castles, which again is different from the port city of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.

But two emirates always stand out – Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

And again, both are completely disparate. There's probably not a soul in the world who hasn't heard of magnificent Dubai. But many have never heard of Abu Dhabi.

And curiously, Dubai is relatively poor when compared to Abu Dhabi. The latter is awash with oil, while Dubai is not.

In the 1960s, Sheik Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the longstanding ruler of Dubai, realized that with the lowest oil production in the region, Dubai had to do something differently.

His famous saying, "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel,” reflected his concern about Dubai's finite oil reserves.

So the Sheik started building a more self-sustaining economy.

He built a harbor and ports, and with time transformed Dubai into one of the most important financial centers in the world – an astonishing contrast with the sleepy fishing village it was some 60 years ago.

Dubai is an awe-inspiring, cosmopolitan place, attracting a huge number of expats to the country from all over the world.

As one of Sovereign Man’s friends who moved there from his native Greece puts it – “the level of energy in Dubai is astounding”. 

He loves it there. And after moving his business to Dubai, he saves a ton in taxes. In fact, his income tax rate is exactly zero.

At the same time, many expats comment that it's hard to feel entirely at home in Dubai. You are always a “guest of the ruling family” there. 

Temporary residency is easy to obtain, but unlikely to lead to any permanent status, ever. And you can forget about becoming a citizen there unless you are a billionaire.

But that seems to be changing. Emiratis are starting to encourage people to stay longer term, and even retire in the country.

Finally, we also like the UAE as a banking jurisdiction. Islamic banks in general are conservative custodians of your money. 

And Abu Dhabi-based banks, in particular, are awash with capital. If there were to be any troubles, the Sheik would probably come out with his own pocket money and bail the banks out if he had to.

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
United Arab Emirates Overview
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Capital City
    Abu Dhabi
  • Largest City
    Dubai
  • Currency
    United Arab Emirates dirham
  • Languages
    Arabic, English, Hindi, etc.
  • Population
    9.3 million (96th)
  • Life Expectancy
    79.6 years (55th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $503.9 billion (32nd)
  • GDP/Capita
    $54,287 (19th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Expensive (5/7)
  • Climate
    Bearable (4/5)
  • Safety
    The Safest (1/7)
  • Pollution
    Average (3/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Moderate (3/5)

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
PREMIUM REPORTS
United Arab Emirates inside Schiff Sovereign resources

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