American Institute for Yemeni Studies

Digital Library
for International
Research

the Amiriya at Rada

Yemen Update online/
Yemen Webdate

AIYS survey

contacting AIYS

Yemen Forum

Guidelines
for Foreign Researchers in Yemen

Foreign scholars who intend to conduct research in Yemen are required to obtain formal permission from the appropriate Yemeni authorities. For all North American researchers this process is coordinated through the AIYS offices in the U.S. and in Yemen, at a fee.

General:
The Yemen Center for Studies and Research (YCSR) has been designated as a coordinating center to promote and facilitate the smooth and orderly conduct of research in Yemen, and is responsible for supervising almost all foreign researchers in Yemen. Application forms and instructions should be obtained from the U.S. office of AIYS and submitted to the AIYS office in Sana'a, which will submit the applications to YCSR and request research clearance. Researchers should NOT contact YCSR or other permit-granting agencies directly.
If a researcher intends to undertake archaeological or a historical preservation project a permit will need to be obtained from the General Organization of Antiquities and Museums (GOAM); archival research, previously under the purview of what was then GOAMM must now be cleared through the separate archival authority.
In addition, permissions from other organizations may also be necessary, depending on the nature and discipline of the proposed research. For example, researchers whose topics relate to environmental questions must obtain permission from the Environmental Protection Authority; any activity planned on Socotra requires permission from the Socotra Project; and projects involving filming or videotaping need permits from the Ministry of Information.
The AIYS Resident director in Sana'a should be contacted well in advance of the proposed research period for advice concerning the timely processing of all applicable permits. It is essential for archaeologists planning to initiate new projects to contact the AIYS Resident Director in Sana'a early in the planning stage of the proposed project concerning GOAM regulations and requirements.

How to Apply for a Research Permit from GOAM or YCSR:
To apply for a research permit from GOAM:
Send the AIYS Resident Director in Sana'a by fax (011-967-1-285-071), as an email attachment using letterhead stationary, or by express mail or courier service a detailed but concise project description, including the following, preferably no less than two months before proposed arrival in Yemen:
*the nature of the project;
*the precise location(s) of the proposed work;
*a proposed work schedule;
*a list of team members;
*if desired, the name(s) of specific GOAM staff member(s) requested as representative(s) to be assigned to the project

To apply for a research permit from YCSR:
Request an application form for conducting research in Yemen from the U.S. office of AIYS. This should be done at least three and a half months in advance of intended arrival in Yemen. The address of AIYS in the U.S. is:

P.O. Box 311
Ardmore PA 19003-0311
telephone: 610-896-5412
fax: 610-896-9049
e-mail: aiys@aiys.org

One set of forms and the appropriate processing fee should be sent immediately to the AIYS office in the U.S. A complete application packet, as described below, should be received by the Resident Director of AIYS in Sana'a three and a half months before the researcher's intended arrival in Yemen. The packet should be sent to Sana'a by express mail or courier service and should be addressed, in block letters, as indicated below. At the time the package is dispatched, the tracking information for the package should be sent to the Resident Director by fax (967-1-285-071) or by email (aiysyem@y.net.ye).

Dr. Christopher M. Edens
Resident Director
AIYS
P.O. Box 2658
Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
Tel.: 967-1-278-816

The application packet sent to AIYS/Sana'a should include the following items:

* Five copies of the completed permit application form;
* Two copies of a letter from the institutional sponsor, usually the applicant's academic institution, introducing him/her and his purpose in Yemen, and guaranteeing a report on the proposed research;
* Three copies each of two letters of reference (applicants may use fellowship application letters, if applicable, or may request new letters);
* Two copies of a brief explanation of the proposed research project;
* Seven passport-size photos;
* Two photocopies of the information page of your passport (the one with the photograph).

Questions about the preparation of the application should be addressed to the AIYS Resident Director in Sana'a at aiysyem@y.net.ye.
Written confirmation of permission to conduct the proposed research will not be issued by YCSR until the researcher arrives in Yemen, but the AIYS Resident Director, who follows up on the application process, will notify the researcher when the application has been approved. Upon arrival in Yemen, the researcher must report to AIYS and to YCSR.
A current schedule of applicable fees imposed by the Yemeni agencies and by AIYS for its facilitative services may be obtained from the AIYS Resident Director in Sana'a. We also try to keep an up-to-date schedule on this site, but that information may be superseded at any one time.
Foreign researchers are required to submit to the YCSR a copy of the original text resulting from the research whether published or not. The researcher's sponsoring institution is responsible for this, and is required to furnish a written guarantee to the YCSR confirming that a complete copy of the written results of the research will be supplied to YCSR. This guarantee should be a part of the institutional letter of introduction mentioned above.
YCSR may, if it so chooses, appoint a local scholar as a mentor for the foreign researcher while in Yemen. In order to obtain an exit visa, a foreign researcher must submit a report on his/her research activities in English and in Arabic; these reports should be submitted to AIYS for transmittal to YCSR; a copy will be kept by AIYS. Researchers are also required to send to AIYS and YCSR a copy each of any publications that result from the research. YCSR reserves the right to publish the complete research report, as submitted, if the researcher does not publish the research within a period of five years.
Permits from Other Agencies:
Other official Yemeni permit-granting agencies may impose similar requirements of permits and fees; information on specific applicable requirements may be obtained from the AIYS Resident Director.
top of page