Most citizenship and residence programmes, including Dominica's citizenship programme, ask applicants for police clearance certificates from the countries they have lived in. For someone living in Dubai or formerly resident in the UAE, that means a UAE certificate. Two bodies issue this certificate, and their rules are not the same. This article is based on the Dubai Police "Good Conduct Certificate" service page and the UAE Ministry of Interior "Issuance of Criminal Clearance Certificate" service page, checked on 25 October 2026.
Two certificates, two bodies
| Subject | Dubai Police: Good Conduct Certificate | Ministry of Interior: Criminal Clearance Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | Citizens, residents, visitors and people outside the UAE; with a valid or expired Emirates ID | Citizens and residents with an Emirates ID; visitors and GCC citizens with a registered passport and fingerprinting |
| Access | Dubai Police app and website, call centre 901, Dubai Now, police stations | Ministry of Interior app and website with the UAE PASS digital identity |
| Validity | 3 months from the date of issue | 30 days from the date of issue |
| Time | 5 working days | An estimated 3 minutes |
| Language | — | Arabic and English only |
| Refund of fees | Not refundable | Not refundable after the application is submitted |
The Ministry of Interior page describes the certificate as an official certified document showing the applicant's criminal record, compliance with the law, or any case or conduct compromising honour and integrity during their time in the UAE, whether since birth, work, residence or a visit. The same page says the certificate is issued on the applicant's data for the period of residence (residents) or the period of the visit (visitors) in the UAE, and is based on "Ministerial Decision No. 600 of 2024".
| Subject | Dubai Police | Ministry of Interior |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Digital channels and smart police stations around the clock; police stations 7:30 am to 10 pm | App and website |
| Payment | — | The ministry's payment portal: bank card, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay |
| Features | — | Digital wallet and digital stamp |
Dubai Police fees
| Group | Fee |
|---|---|
| Citizen | AED 100 |
| Resident | AED 200 |
| From outside the country | AED 300 or USD 88 |
| Knowledge and innovation dirhams | AED 20 |
| Applying in person at a service centre | AED 100 extra |
Ministry of Interior fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for use inside the country | AED 50 |
| Application for use outside the country | AED 100 |
| Fingerprinting for visitors and GCC citizens | AED 50 |
| Foreign ministry attestation for use outside the UAE | AED 300 |
The Ministry of Interior page says a certificate issued for use abroad must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. See the attestation chain in the article "Attesting foreign documents for the UAE".
Fingerprinting
| Case | Dubai Police rule |
|---|---|
| No UAE Emirates ID | Attend a service centre in person during working hours for fingerprinting; the centres named are Al Qusais, Ports, Al Rashidiya and Jebel Ali police stations |
| Applicant outside the UAE with no ten-print record | Send a copy of a ten-print fingerprint record or a fingerprint card certified by the UAE embassy |
An applicant outside the UAE also sends Dubai Police a personal photo, a passport copy and a copy of the previous residence permit. Police stations work from 7:30 am to 10 pm, and the digital channels and smart stations work around the clock.
Ministry of Interior steps
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Log in with UAE PASS, submit the application and fill in the details |
| 2 | Pay the fee |
| 3 | Fingerprinting for visitors and GCC citizens |
| 4 | Receive the certificate |
Two examples
These examples are hypothetical and only put the official fees above side by side. Which certificate a citizenship programme or receiving authority accepts, and what attestation it requires, must be checked in that programme's document list.
Example 1: a Dubai resident with a citizenship application. A resident who needs a certificate for a citizenship application in another country:
| Option | Calculation | Total | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Interior, for use abroad, with foreign ministry attestation | 100 + 300 | AED 400 | 30 days |
| Dubai Police, online resident application | 200 + 20 | AED 220 | 3 months |
Because the Ministry of Interior certificate is valid for 30 days, obtain it close to the time the application is sent.
Example 2: a former resident now outside the UAE. They pay Dubai Police AED 300 (or USD 88) plus AED 20, that is AED 320. If they have no ten-print fingerprint record, they must send a fingerprint card certified by the UAE embassy in the country where they live.
Practical points
- Before applying, ask the receiving programme which certificate and what attestation it needs.
- The Ministry of Interior certificate is valid for 30 days and the Dubai Police certificate for 3 months; time your application to when the file is sent.
- For the Ministry of Interior certificate, have an active UAE PASS account.
- Fees are not refunded after submission; check the details before paying.
- If you have no UAE Emirates ID, plan time for in-person fingerprinting at one of the named stations for Dubai Police.
- For certificates from other countries, see the article "Police clearance certificates for a Dominica citizenship application".
Royal Golden does not give legal advice. This article is general information, and the decision on issuing any certificate rests with Dubai Police and the UAE Ministry of Interior.
Sources
- Dubai Police, Good Conduct Certificate — https://sps.dubaipolice.gov.ae/wps/wcm/connect/DubaiPolice_en/DubaiPolice/Our-Services/Good-Conduct-Certificate?presentationtemplate=DubaiPolice_Design_2_0%2Fdetails (checked on 25 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Interior, Issuance of Criminal Clearance Certificate — https://moi.gov.ae/en/e-services/issuance.clearcriminalrecord.certificate.348 (checked on 25 October 2026)