Can the request itself be attacked?
Yes, where the papers do not meet Article 11, for example no international arrest warrant, no statement of facts, or no Arabic translation signed and stamped by the Central Authority of the requesting state.
The Central Authority may seek more information, and may dismiss the request if it is not supplied (Article 12).
What substantive grounds exist?
The one-year dual-offence threshold (Article 7), the grounds for refusal in Article 9 such as time bar, double jeopardy, a pending UAE case for the same offence or a final UAE judgment, and the risk of torture or an unfair trial.
Article 10 can stay extradition while the person is under investigation or prosecution in the UAE for another offence.
What about guarantees and limits after surrender?
Article 29 states the rule of specialty: the requesting state may not charge or sentence the person for earlier offences other than the one granted and related ones, except in limited cases.
Article 10 also allows temporary surrender for no more than 6 months on the condition that the person is returned.
What should I do first?
Compare the request with Article 11
A missing warrant, statement of facts, translation or stamp is the first line of attack.
Test the one-year threshold
Check the penalty in the requesting state and the matching UAE offence.
Check the grounds for refusal
Go through Article 9 point by point against your facts and papers.
Ask for guarantees on specialty
Article 29 limits what the requesting state may charge you with after surrender.
Call us on +971 50 653 1334 or message us on WhatsApp. We answer at any hour.
Frequently asked questions
What if the person is already facing charges in the UAE?
Article 10 stays extradition until a final decision in the UAE case, and a convicted person is extradited after serving the sentence.
Can a person be extradited for several offences?
Article 8 says the request may be approved for only one crime if the conditions are met, among multiple crimes in the request.
Related guides
Extradition Cases overview
The main points, the process and your first steps.
Read the overviewExtradition Defence
What an extradition defence covers in the UAE, from the first questioning to the court hearing and the Minister's decision.
Read the guideExtradition Appeals
Who can appeal an extradition decision, the time limit and what the appeal court does.
Read the guideSources
Source: Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 (International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters), official English text on the UAE Legislation portal, checked 15 October 2026. The portal lists the law as active and last updated on 28 September 2023. The Arabic text prevails over translations.
This page is general information, not legal advice.