UAE starts issuing birth certificates to children with unknown fathers

Birth certificates can now be issued to children whose fathers are unknown, following the implementation of the new UAE law.

The new federal law was issued by the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, under decree number 10-2022 regulating the registry of birth and death in the UAE.

The law, which came into effect in October, recognises children’s right to get birth certificates regardless of the marital status of their parents and whether their father is known or not.

Mothers can now register these kids by submitting their papers to judicial authorities. A legal expert shared a form that has now been available in Abu Dhabi:

Based on the birth registration form from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, the mother just has to provide two required documents: Birth notification and the copy of her Emirates ID or passport.

Hesham Elrafei, a legal expert specialising in UAE laws explains that the new birth registry regulation law is another example of how progressive the country is.

“The laws in the UAE are issued to make people happy and to make life easier both for the economy and the individual. From civil marriage law to no-fault divorce, to golden visa, you don’t find this elsewhere in the region,” he said.

“The new law is a major legal development in the history of the Arab region, as its the first time an Arab country recognised a single mother’s right to register her baby if the father is unknown.”