Good behaviour certificate now needed for UAE visa

Foreigners applying for work in the UAE are now required to obtain a good conduct and behaviour certificate to receive a visa.

The new condition came into effect from February 4 after being announced last month and will apply to all visa applicants going forward.

Read: UAE introduces good behaviour requirement for foreign workers

Such a document is used for visa applications in other countries and among other purposes ensures the applicant does not have a criminal history.

The certificate must be issued from the applicant’s home country or the country they have resided in for the last five years. It is usually obtained from the police or a government department.

If the person has lived in multiple countries during this period then a certificate from each is needed.

The document or documents must be certified by UAE missions abroad or through the attestation centres at customer happiness centres for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

For expats that have resided in the UAE for the last five years the certificate can be obtained from Dubai or Abu Dhabi Police. This can be done via the Dubai Police website or app or in person at a station form 7:30am to 2:30pm.

The costs of the document are Dhs100 ($27) for UAE nationals, Dhs200 ($54) for UAE residents and Dhs300 ($82) for people outside of the country with additional knowledge and innovation fees of Dhs10 each also added on.

The UAE government said last month that the new step was intended to improve security.

Good behaviour documentation will not be required from tourists, students or dependents of workers.

There are an estimated 4.5 million foreign workers in the UAE.