Service hub
Attestation for a UAE visa: every family document, in the order you need it
Attestation for a UAE visa usually means getting a marriage certificate, a birth certificate or both attested so the visa office will accept them as proof of the family relationship. If the certificates were issued abroad, each one goes through the foreign ministry of the issuing country, the UAE embassy there and MOFA in the UAE. If one parent is not sponsoring or not travelling, a signed letter from that parent may be needed too, signed before a notary public and, if signed abroad, legalised.
This page puts the family visa file in order. It tells you which documents usually need attesting for each kind of visa, which must be done first, and where people lose time. Each document then has its own guide.
At a glance
- A certificate issued abroad is attested by the issuing country’s foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy or consulate there, then MOFA in the UAE. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- MOFA charges AED 150 to attest a personal document such as a marriage or birth certificate. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- The visa authorities (ICP, and GDRFA in Dubai) set the document list for each visa. Check their current list for your case before you start.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace the UAE embassy and MOFA stamps. Source: HCCH status table.
- A letter signed abroad by a parent needs notarising there and legalising before a UAE office will accept it.
In this hub
4 pages under Family visa documents
Guide
Child travel consent
Yes, a minor can travel to the UAE without parents, but the child needs paperwork that shows both parents agree, and the airline decides how young is too young to fly.
Guide
NOC for a child visa
An NOC from parents for a visa is a signed letter in which one parent says they do not object to something the other parent is doing for their child.
Guide
NOC for a visa
An NOC for a UAE visa is a no objection letter from someone whose consent the visa office wants to see: an employer, a sponsor, a spouse or a parent.
Guide
Affidavit of support
When a relative comes to the UAE on a tourist visa, the host often has to swear an affidavit of support: a statement, made under oath, that the host will house and pay.
Is certificate attestation mandatory for a UAE visa?
For a family residence visa, the visa office needs proof of the relationship, and for a certificate issued abroad that proof is normally the attested certificate. For a work visa, some jobs need an attested degree and others do not; it depends on the job title and the employer. For a visit visa, attestation is rarely asked for, but some consulates want a sponsor’s affidavit of support. The authority’s current list is the final word.
So when people ask whether MOFA attestation is mandatory for a UAE visa, the honest answer is: for a family residence visa based on a foreign certificate, plan for it. For other visas, ask the office first.
Side by side
Which documents, for which visa
| Visa | Documents that usually need attesting | Where they are usually needed |
|---|---|---|
| Wife sponsored by husband | Marriage certificate | Spouse residence visa file |
| Husband sponsored by wife | Marriage certificate; other papers the visa office asks for | Spouse residence visa file |
| Child sponsored by father | Birth certificate; often the marriage certificate | Child residence visa file |
| Child sponsored by mother | Birth certificate; marriage certificate; often an NOC from the father | Child residence visa file |
| Parent sponsored by son or daughter | Birth certificate of the sponsor, linking them to the parent | Parent residence visa file |
| Employment visa, some job titles | Degree, and sometimes transcripts | Work permit or licensing |
| Visit visa for a relative | Sometimes an affidavit of support, depending on the consulate | Consulate of the visitor’s country |
Step by step
The order that saves time
Do the documents in this order, and the visa file will not stall halfway:
01
Marriage certificate first.
It links the parents, and it is needed for a spouse visa and usually for a child visa too. See marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa.
02
Birth certificates next.
One for each child. If a child was born in the UAE, the certificate is a UAE document and does not need the foreign chain. See birth certificate attestation in Dubai.
03
The other parent’s NOC, if needed.
For example, when a mother sponsors a child, the father’s NOC is often asked for. If he is abroad, he signs before a notary where he lives and the letter is legalised. See the NOC from a parent for a child’s visa.
04
Translations last.
Once every stamp is on, a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice translates what the visa office wants in Arabic.
05
Submit the visa file
through the usual channel.
02
Certificates issued abroad: the part that takes longest
For certificates issued abroad, the UAE embassy step happens in the country that issued them. If you are already in the UAE, the document has to go back, or someone there must carry it through the home foreign ministry and the UAE embassy for you. This is where family files lose weeks. If your family is still at home, finish the home country steps before anyone flies.
Our embassy attestation by country page lists the home country offices for the countries our customers come from most.
Letters from parents and sponsors
Three kinds of letter come up again and again in family visa and travel files:
A parent’s NOC for a child’s visa or travel.
One parent confirms they do not object to the other parent sponsoring the child or travelling with the child. See NOC letter for a child travelling with one parent.
A sponsor’s NOC for a visa.
A sponsor, employer or spouse confirms they do not object to a visa being issued. See NOC for a UAE visa.
An affidavit of support.
A UAE resident states that they will support a visiting relative, often asked for by the visitor’s own consulate. See affidavit of support for a tourist visa to the UAE.
And when a child is travelling without both parents, the consent letter question is covered in our guide to whether a minor can travel to the UAE without parents.
A letter signed in the UAE is signed before a notary public here. A letter signed abroad is signed before a notary there and then legalised through that country’s foreign ministry, the UAE embassy and MOFA.
Step by step
How we put a family file together
01
We list every document your visa needs,
from your answers about who is sponsoring whom and where each certificate was issued.
02
We check each certificate
for stamps already present and stamps missing.
03
We quote the whole file
in one message, with our service price and each government fee at cost.
04
We coordinate the home country steps
where the chain is incomplete.
05
We draft the NOC or consent letter
where one is needed, book the notary public in the UAE, or tell the parent abroad exactly what to sign.
06
We take everything through MOFA
and handle the translations.
07
You receive the full file,
with a list of what each document is, ready for your typing centre.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Birth certificate or other personal certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| NOC for child sponsorship or child visa | From AED 1,200 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication, or AED 300 as an affidavit |
| Child travel consent | From AED 1,200 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication, or AED 300 as an affidavit |
| Affidavit of support | From AED 600 | AED 300 (federal item 12) |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
Checklist
What to send us for a quote
- Who is the sponsor, and who is being sponsored.
- A photo of both sides of each certificate: marriage, and a birth certificate for each child.
- Where each parent lives today, and whether both can sign in the UAE.
- The date of any visa appointment or deadline you already have.
From that we can tell you which documents need attestation for your UAE visa, which are already complete, and what the whole file will cost.
Watch for
Mistakes that delay a family visa
- Attesting the birth certificate but not the marriage certificate. The visa office may want both to link the child to the sponsor.
- Names that do not match across certificates. A father’s name spelled one way on the marriage certificate and another on the birth certificate. An affidavit linking the spellings, signed before a notary public, may be needed. See affidavits before a notary.
- A parent’s letter signed abroad but not legalised. A UAE office generally will not accept a foreign notary’s seal without the chain.
- A laminated certificate. MOFA will not attest it.
- Translating before attesting. Translate the finished, fully stamped document, so the stamps are translated too.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need attestation for a UAE family visa?
For a family residence visa based on a certificate issued abroad, the visa office normally needs the certificate attested. Check the current ICP or GDRFA list for your case.
Is MOFA attestation mandatory for a UAE visa?
For a foreign marriage or birth certificate used in a family visa file, MOFA is the last step of the attestation and is normally needed. For other visas, it depends on the visa and the office.
My child was born in Dubai. Does the birth certificate need attesting?
For a UAE visa, a UAE birth certificate is a UAE document and does not need the foreign chain. If the certificate will be used abroad, for a passport for example, it follows the outbound route. See document legalization for the UAE and abroad.
Can the father sign the NOC from outside the UAE?
Yes. He signs before a notary public where he lives, and the letter is legalised through that country’s foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there and MOFA.
How long does the family file take?
It depends on the countries involved and whether the home country steps are finished. We give you an expected date with the quote.
Family visa documents
Family visa documents guides
Family visa documents
NOC for a visa
An NOC for a UAE visa is a no objection letter from someone whose consent the visa office wants to see: an employer, a sponsor, a spouse or a parent.
Family visa documents
Affidavit of support
When a relative comes to the UAE on a tourist visa, the host often has to swear an affidavit of support: a statement, made under oath, that the host will house and pay.
Family visa documents
NOC for a child visa
An NOC from parents for a visa is a signed letter in which one parent says they do not object to something the other parent is doing for their child.
Start your family file
Tell us who is sponsoring whom, and where each certificate was issued.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Sources for this page
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (chain and fees): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491