Legislation Details
- Full Title: Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations
- Law Type: Federal Decree-Law
- Law Number: [10] of 2022
- Issued Date: 05 Sep 2022
- Effective Date: 15 Oct 2022
- Official Gazette: No. 735
- Sector: Healthcare
- Status: Active
- Number of Articles: 65
- Chapters/Parts: 0
- Amendments: 0
Summary
This Federal Decree-Law regulates the registration of births and deaths in the United Arab Emirates. It establishes a Unified National Registry for births and deaths, and requires health facilities and individuals to report births and deaths within specified timeframes. The law also outlines the procedures for obtaining birth and death certificates, and imposes penalties for non-compliance. This legislation is important for businesses and individuals in the UAE, as it ensures accurate record-keeping of vital statistics and provides a legal framework for the registration of births and deaths. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 1-32)
What is the scope and purpose of this law?
The scope of this Federal Decree-Law is to regulate the registration of births and deaths within the UAE, as well as births and deaths of UAE citizens that occur outside the country. The purpose is to establish a unified national system for the registration of births and deaths, and to ensure accurate record-keeping of vital statistics. The law applies to all births and deaths that occur within the UAE, as well as births and deaths of UAE citizens that occur outside the country. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 2)
What are the key definitions under this law?
The law provides the following key definitions:
- State: The United Arab Emirates
- Ministry: Ministry of Health & Prevention
- Minister: Minister of Health & Prevention
- Citizen: Anyone who has the nationality of the UAE in accordance with the legislation in force
- Health Authority: The Federal or Local Government Health Authority concerned with regulating health affairs
- Concerned Department: The organizational unit responsible for births and deaths registration and birth and death certificates issuance
- The Committee: The Birth and Death Committee in each Health Authority
- Health Facility: Every place prepared and licensed to conduct medical examinations, provide medical advice, or assist in diagnosing, treating, nursing, or housing patients
- Competent Court: The court with jurisdiction over the birth or death, or the court with jurisdiction over the Health Authority procedures
- Live newborn: A newborn that shows any signs of life after being discharged or removed from the mother
- Dead newborn: A newborn that does not show signs of life when discharged or removed from the mother, with a pregnancy duration of at least 180 days
- Death: The complete and irreversible cessation of circulatory, respiratory, or brain functions
- Records: The Unified National Registry and the registry established at the Local Health Authority
(Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 1)
What are the main obligations and requirements?
The key obligations and requirements under this law include: 1. Health facilities must inform the Concerned Department within 72 hours of a birth occurring within the facility or under its medical supervision. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 4) 2. If a birth occurs outside a health facility without medical supervision, the child's father, mother, or other relatives must inform the nearest health facility within 30 days to issue a birth report. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 5) 3. Parents or legal representatives must apply to obtain a birth certificate for a child born within the UAE within 30 days of the birth. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 7) 4. Parents or legal representatives must inform the UAE diplomatic mission of a birth of a UAE citizen occurring outside the country, based on a birth certificate issued by the competent authority in the foreign country. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 10) 5. Health facilities and individuals must report deaths within specified timeframes. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 13-18)
What licensing, registration, or approval requirements exist?
The law does not specify any licensing, registration, or approval requirements. It focuses on the procedures for reporting births and deaths, and obtaining birth and death certificates.
What rights and protections does this law provide?
The law provides the following rights and protections: 1. Information related to the circumstances of a pregnancy is considered a medical secret that health professionals are prohibited from disclosing, unless required by law. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 6) 2. The law ensures the confidentiality of the information and data included in the birth and death records. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 6)
Which authorities or bodies are responsible for enforcement?
The key authorities and bodies responsible for enforcement under this law include: 1. The Ministry of Health & Prevention, which is responsible for establishing the Unified National Registry for births and deaths. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 3) 2. The Health Authorities, which are responsible for establishing their own birth and death registries and coordinating with the Ministry. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 3) 3. The Birth and Death Committee in each Health Authority, which is responsible for deciding on applications to obtain birth certificates after the specified deadline. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 9, 20) 4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which is responsible for informing the competent authorities within the UAE of birth incidents reported by diplomatic missions. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 10)
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The law specifies the following penalties for non-compliance: 1. A fine of not less than AED 5,000 and not more than AED 20,000 for not reporting a birth on the scheduled date. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 22) 2. A fine of not less than AED 10,000 and not more than AED 50,000 for not reporting a death intentionally or for covering it up. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 23) 3. A fine of not less than AED 5,000 and not more than AED 20,000 for repeated registration. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 24) 4. A fine of not less than AED 5,000 and not more than AED 20,000 for submitting incorrect data, making changes to it without a final ruling, or causing the destruction or loss of records. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 25) 5. The law also allows for the imposition of a more severe penalty if the violation is repeated or if the violation results in harm. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 26)
What fees, charges, or financial provisions are specified?
The law does not specify any fees, charges, or financial provisions. It states that the Executive Regulations of the law will determine the fees for obtaining birth and death certificates. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 29)
What exemptions or exceptions apply?
The law does not specify any exemptions or exceptions. It applies to all births and deaths within the UAE, as well as births and deaths of UAE citizens that occur outside the country. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 2)
How are disputes resolved under this law?
The law does not specify any dispute resolution mechanisms. It focuses on the procedures for reporting births and deaths, and obtaining birth and death certificates.
What are the key deadlines and time limits?
The key deadlines and time limits under this law include: 1. Health facilities must inform the Concerned Department within 72 hours of a birth occurring within the facility or under its medical supervision. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 4) 2. If a birth occurs outside a health facility without medical supervision, the child's father, mother, or other relatives must inform the nearest health facility within 30 days to issue a birth report. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 5) 3. Parents or legal representatives must apply to obtain a birth certificate for a child born within the UAE within 30 days of the birth. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 7) 4. Parents or legal representatives must inform the UAE diplomatic mission of a birth of a UAE citizen occurring outside the country, based on a birth certificate issued by the competent authority in the foreign country, within the period specified by the Executive Regulations. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Art. 10)
How does this law interact with other UAE legislation?
This Federal Decree-Law interacts with the following other UAE legislation: - Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 concerning the Competences of Ministries and the Powers of Ministers - Federal Law No. (17) of 1972 concerning Citizenship and Passports - Federal Law No. (5) of 1985 on issuance of the UAE Civil Transactions Law - Federal Law No. (35) of 1992 Promulgating the Criminal Procedure Code - Federal Law No. (11) of 1992 Issuing the Civil Procedure Law - Federal Law No. (28) of 2005 concerning Personal Status - Federal Law No. (11) of 2008 concerning the Regulation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Federal Law No. (18) of 2009 concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations (repealed by this law) - Federal Law No. (1) of 2012 concerning the Care of Children of Unknown Parentage - Federal Law No. (3) of 2016 on the Child Rights Law "Wadeema Law" - Federal Decree by Law No. (4) of 2016 concerning Medical Liability - Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on the Information Technology Use in the Health Fields and Communications - Federal Law No. (13) of 2020 concerning Public Health - Federal Law No. (10) of 2021 concerning the organisation of cemeteries and burial procedures - Federal Decree by Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Preamble)
When did this law come into effect?
This Federal Decree-Law came into effect on 15 October 2022, after being published in the Official Gazette No. 735 on 15 September 2022. (Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations, 2022, Issued Date, Effective Date)
Source Documents
This article analyses Federal Decree by Law Concerning the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations for legal research and educational purposes. For the purpose of interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text prevails. This does not constitute legal advice.