The UAE has tightened visa application requirements.

The United Arab Emirates is tightening its grip on visa procedures. According to the Antwort Law team, a Good Conduct Certificate (or Police Clearance Certificate) is increasingly being requested for applications. According to updates from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), the new requirements are already being applied to a number of nationalities. However, this is not so much a formal change in the rules as a genuine tightening of the approach to applicant screening.

It's significant that Dubai Police explicitly mentions the use of this document in various procedures—from employment and training to immigration and licensing. In effect, the certificate is becoming a universal due diligence tool.

In practice, these changes are already being felt in the operation of free zones. In particular, the requirements are being implemented in the Meydan Free Zone, RAKEZ, and DMCC, where such documents are increasingly being requested at the application stage.

Under the current requirements, a police clearance certificate is mandatory for citizens of the following countries:

• Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda
• Iraq, Nepal, Afghanistan
• Mexico, Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia

Failure to prepare the document in advance may delay the review process or result in a refusal.

The procedure for obtaining the certificate depends on the applicant's situation. If the applicant is applying from abroad, the document must be certified by the UAE Embassy. If the applicant has already been in the country and their visa has been cancelled, the certificate is issued through the UAE police. In practice, such details often become a bottleneck, especially under tight deadlines.

Overall, a more systemic trend can be observed: the UAE remains an open jurisdiction, but its approach to applicant screening is becoming significantly stricter. The emphasis is shifting toward transparency and preliminary risk assessment, which is already beginning to impact the timing and structure of visa processes.

Diana Gulevskaya

Head of Office in UAE
Antwort Law