A process for the production of urea including reacting ammonia and carbon dioxide in a urea synthesis reactor at elevated temperature and pressure to form urea and ammonium carbamate followed by decomposing the ammonium carbamate into gaseous carbon dioxide and ammonia in a thin film heater at the same temperature and pressure as in the urea synthesis reactor, recycling the ammonia and carbon dioxide to the urea synthesis reactor and recovering an aqueous urea solution.