Right to Contact Embassy or Consulate in UAE
Reviewed by the Commoner Law Editorial Team. Sourced from UAE federal decrees, laws, and ministerial decisions. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
If you are a foreign national arrested or detained in the UAE, you have the right to contact your country's embassy or consulate. With over 80% of the UAE population being expatriates, this right is exercised frequently:
- You have the right to notify your embassy or consulate of your arrest without delay.
- Your embassy can arrange for a consular visit to check on your welfare and conditions of detention.
- The embassy can help you find a local lawyer who speaks your language and has experience with cases involving foreign nationals.
- The embassy can contact your family back home on your behalf.
- This right comes from the Vienna Convention, which the UAE has signed. Police are supposed to inform you of this right at the time of arrest.
- Most countries maintain embassies in Abu Dhabi and consulates in Dubai — both are typically reachable during business hours and have emergency after-hours lines.
When does it apply?
- You are a foreign national (not a UAE citizen) who has been arrested, detained, or imprisoned in any emirate.
- This applies regardless of the type or severity of the alleged crime — from traffic offences to felonies.
- The right applies from the moment of arrest.
What to Do If the UAE Police Refuse to Let You Contact Your Embassy
- Tell the police immediately that you are a foreign national and want to contact your embassy or consulate.
- Provide the police with your nationality and passport information.
- If the police do not contact the embassy, ask your lawyer or family members to do so on your behalf.
- Keep your embassy's local contact number saved in your phone — most embassies are in Abu Dhabi with consulates in Dubai.
- If you cannot reach your embassy, call 999 (emergency) or 901 (Dubai non-emergency) and request they facilitate contact.
What should you NOT do?
- Do not assume the police will automatically contact your embassy — you may need to request it explicitly and repeatedly.
- Do not refuse consular assistance — even if you think you can handle the situation alone, an embassy visit can provide crucial support and an independent record of your treatment.
- Do not share sensitive legal strategy with embassy staff that you have not discussed with your lawyer first — embassy communications do not have the same legal privilege as lawyer communications.
Common Questions
When does it apply — right to contact embassy or consulate?
You are a foreign national (not a UAE citizen) who has been arrested, detained, or imprisoned in any emirate.This applies regardless of the type or severity of the alleged crime — from traffic offences to felonies.The right applies from the moment of arrest.
What should I do if I am arrested in the UAE and not allowed to contact my embassy?
Tell the police immediately that you are a foreign national and want to contact your embassy or consulate.Provide the police with your nationality and passport information.If the police do not contact the embassy, ask your lawyer or family members to do so on your behalf.Keep your embassy's local contact number saved in your phone — most embassies are in Abu Dhabi with consulates in Dubai.If you cannot reach your embassy, call 999 (emergency) or 901 (Dubai non-emergency) and request they facilitate contact.
What should you NOT do — right to contact embassy or consulate?
Do not assume the police will automatically contact your embassy — you may need to request it explicitly and repeatedly.Do not refuse consular assistance — even if you think you can handle the situation alone, an embassy visit can provide crucial support and an independent record of your treatment.Do not share sensitive legal strategy with embassy staff that you have not discussed with your lawyer first — embassy communications do not have the same legal privilege as lawyer communications.