NEWS / United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health devolves birth and death certificate service

The Ministry of Health of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ended its birth and death certificate issuance service and has instead devolved the task to Emirates Health Services, which will handle the process in all emirates except Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where the process will be handled by the respective emirates themselves.

According to the Times of India, the transition was done quietly, with the UAE Ministry of Health removing the relevant services from its website and discontinuing its WhatsApp application option.

There are thus 3 separate agencies responsible for vital records in the country now—the Emirates Health Services (for the Emirates of Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, and Fujairah), the Dubai Health Authority (for the Emirate of Dubai), and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi).

According to Emirati law, birth certificates can be obtained by parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives, while individuals eligible for death certificates include the immediate family members of the deceased and authorized representatives. Birth and death certificates intended to be presented abroad would also need to be duly authenticated by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the destination country’s embassy or consulate.