Death statistics
According to Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, in 2022, the statistics for deaths were as follows:
- 1,666 Emirati males, and
- 1,308 Emirati females.
While, amongst the foreigners, the statistics for deaths was as follows:
- 6,564 non-Emirati males, and
- 2,214 non-Emirati females.
|
|
Males |
Females |
Gender not stated |
Total |
|
Emirati |
1,666 |
1,308 |
1 |
2,975 |
|
Non-Emirati |
6,564 |
2,214 |
8 |
8,786 |
|
Nationality not stated |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
8,231 |
3,522 |
9 |
11,762 |
Reporting a death
To report a death outside a hospital, immediately call the police on 999 (from anywhere in the UAE) and inform them about the incident. The police will fill out an initial death report and move the deceased to the government morgue.
In case of death in a hospital, the authorities will fill out the initial death report and move the deceased to the government morgue. The authorities at the morgue will issue a death certificate declaration.
The death certificate declaration will need to be stamped by the police after which they will issue a no objection certificate (NOC). Separate NOCs might be needed for releasing the body, for embalming at the mortuary and if you wish to convey the deceased to his home country. You will get the official death certificate after producing this NOC.
Issuing a death certificate
You can request for a death certificate from the Emirates Health Services. The documents required for this vary depending on the nature and location of the death incident.
If the death occurred in the UAE, and was natural, the following documents are needed
• deceased burial permit from the district police
• valid passport or valid Emirates ID
In case of an unnatural death, the following documents are needed:
• medical report from the forensic doctor
• a no-objection certificate from the police station
• letter from the Public Prosecution.
If death of a UAE national occurs outside the country, the following documents are needed:
• a certified death certificate translated into Arabic by the UAE Embassy in the country in which death occurred
• a report from the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating the cause of death
• a death certificate duly attested by the country in which the death occurred
• a certified statement or proof of the deceased's burial outside of the country or within the UAE.
In the case of the death of an expatriate, contact the embassy or consulate of his/her country in the UAE and inform them about his/her death for further formalities.
A death certificate stamped by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority, or Emirates Health Services is considered equivalent to one stamped by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP).
The certificate may also need to be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the relevant embassy, depending on the purpose of use.
Useful links:
- Dead body transport permission – Ministry of Interior
- Report a death - General Pension and Social Security Authority
- Issue of death certificate – Emirates Health Services
- Death notification and certificate services - Abu Dhabi Government portal (TAMM)
- Dealing with death - TAMM
- Birth/death notification in Dubai - Dubai Health Authority
Updated on:
12 Feb 2026
