Immigration law in Yemen

A non-Yemeni generally enters Yemen through an official border point with a valid passport or equivalent return documentation and the required entry permission. Executive Regulation No. 4/1994 requires prior approval, no entry ban, no outstanding expulsion, an official health certificate and an arrival form. A short stay for visiting, tourism or trade can last up to 30 days without a fee, but it does not authorize different work and normally requires departure when it ends. Short-stay visitors may also need a departure visa. Since 24 June 2025, an official Aden-side electronic visa portal has been available at yemen evisa.org; recognition of that portal by other territorial authorities remains unclear. The Immigration, Passports and Nationality Authority, known as IPNA, and its branches handle many immigration documents. A person who remains longer generally needs legal entry, a residence licence from IPNA, personal registration with the foreigner register or police, a statement of identity and purpose, and the applicable fee. Temporary residence can last up to one year and may be extended. A special category for certain oil-company, company or bank managers can last up to three years. The five-year ordinary and ten-year special categories described in older legislation are historical transition categories tied to residence and qualifications before Law 47/1991, not a general current permanent-residence system. Residence applications commonly require a passport, health certificate, statement, two photographs and proof matching the purpose of stay. An employee needs an employment contract; a student needs confirmation from a university or educational institution; and a family applicant needs marriage, family or relationship evidence. A registered resident who moves to another area must report the address change within 48 hours. Passport loss or damage must be reported to the police within 48 hours and accompanied by a notice in a local newspaper. Work requires an employer's prior approval or recruitment consent, a work permit for a non-Yemeni and a matching residence or work authorisation. The applicant may need health evidence and proof of professional qualifications. The position is generally intended for cases in which no suitable Yemeni specialist is available. The employer's application covers the company, worker, job, duration, qualifications, contract and supporting documents. Non-Yemeni workers are generally limited to 10 percent of the Yemeni workforce, although the minister may change the quota. A work card should be renewed at least one month before expiry. Fees are set through Cabinet decisions, and the applicable current amount depends on the service. Family residence is available through specific legal categories rather than automatic family membership. A foreign wife of a Yemeni man may receive residence for up to five years if entry was lawful and the marriage continues. A foreign husband of a Yemeni woman may receive up to two years, subject to approval by the Minister of Interior and no objection to the mixed marriage. A foreign mother of a Yemeni child may receive up to two years. A child of a foreign father and Yemeni mother may receive up to four years where statutory special grounds apply, while other relatives generally need a documented emergency and may receive up to one year. Marriage or family residence does not itself confer Yemeni nationality. Yemen is party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, but the available evidence does not show a coherent national refugee-protection framework. Protection practice is divided between IPNA, the Bureau of Refugee Affairs (BRA), the National Committee for Refugee Affairs (NACRA) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Somali applicants in Aden may obtain refugee status through IPNA. Somali applicants in Sana'a may register as asylum seekers through IPNA or BRA. Other nationalities may use IPNA or BRA in Sana'a and UNHCR in Aden. BRA handles registration, renewal, replacement and file transfers; UNHCR and its partners provide registration, protection and legal aid. An asylum-seeker certificate confirms identity and can facilitate movement. Services from UNHCR and its partners are free. Yemenis do not apply for asylum in Yemen. People with protection needs are generally protected from return while the need continues, reflecting non-refoulement. Valid documentation can support movement and access to education, health care and legal identity on a basis comparable to Yemeni citizens and other foreign residents. The person must comply with Yemeni law and cooperate with status and administrative procedures. In practice, lawful work and access to services can remain severely restricted. Yemen has no general permanent-residence entitlement that arises automatically through the passage of time. Naturalisation requires a Presidential Decision on a ministerial recommendation. The standard conditions include age of at least 18, ten consecutive years of lawful residence, good conduct, no relevant conviction, a lawful livelihood and Arabic-language knowledge. A ministerially authorised settlement case can use five years of actual residence if the application is filed within three months, and an annual limit may apply. Certain language exceptions exist for applicants with needed special expertise. A foreign wife of a Yemeni man or of a naturalised Yemeni may have a separate application process, including four years of marriage and absence of a justified ministerial objection. Nationality can also arise through Yemeni descent, mainly through a Yemeni father, with limited maternal and foundling cases. A child born in Yemen to foreign parents may have a narrowly defined application opportunity within one year after reaching adulthood. Applications and declarations are submitted to the competent IPNA or Passports and Nationality office in the province, or to a Yemeni consulate abroad. A nationality certificate should be issued within one year after application; failure within the statutory period is treated as a refusal. Nationality disputes go to the courts, while false statements or documents can lead to criminal liability. Acquired nationality can be withdrawn in legally defined cases, including false facts, two years of unjustified absence or security and loyalty grounds. Entry can be refused for missing or invalid documents, lack of prior approval, an entry ban, an unrevoked expulsion or health and form defects. An irregular entrant may face إخراج, while a person who entered lawfully may face الإبعاد. The Minister of Interior can order expulsion with Cabinet approval, and an Expulsion Committee includes Interior, IPNA, Legal Affairs and Arab and Foreign Affairs representatives. Written notice and a departure period should be provided, although detention can continue until the matter is completed. Return after expulsion requires a ministerial decision. Failure to comply, unauthorised return or inaccurate information can lead to cancellation of residence and criminal or financial penalties. A general statutory appeal against an entry refusal or expulsion decision was not identified in the available sources; UNHCR partners may provide advice, representation, detention assistance and document support. The formal rules are old and their practical application differs sharply by territory, authority, security conditions and document status. Sana'a and Aden may require separate administrative handling, and a document accepted by one authority may not be recognised by another. Plan for residence, work and protection procedures separately, keep proof of lawful status and check the responsible IPNA, BRA or UNHCR office before travel or expiry. Fees are set by laws or ministerial and Cabinet decisions; a single complete current fee table is not established, while UNHCR and partner services are free.