Guide: Family documents
Affidavit of support for a tourist visa to the UAE, sworn before a notary public
When a relative comes to the UAE on a tourist visa, the host is sometimes asked for an affidavit of support: a statement, made under oath, that the host will house and pay for the visitor during the stay. It is usually the visitor’s own country, consulate or airline that asks for it, not the UAE visa office. This page explains what an affidavit of support for a tourist visa to the UAE states, which papers go with it, and how it is sworn.
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. We draft the affidavit, you swear it before our notary public in person, online or at home, and if an office abroad asks for more, we take it on to MOFA and the destination embassy.
Some consulates in the UAE take the affidavit of support themselves, under their own rules. If yours does, the consulate’s rules apply, and we help you prepare the papers around it.
What the affidavit states
A clear affidavit of support is short. It usually includes:
- the sponsor’s full name, nationality, passport and Emirates ID numbers, and address in the UAE;
- the sponsor’s job and employer;
- the visitor’s full name, nationality and passport number;
- the relationship between the sponsor and the visitor;
- the dates of the visit;
- a plain sentence that the sponsor will provide housing and pay the visitor’s costs during the stay;
- the signature, made in front of the notary.
Side by side
The two sides of the file
| Sponsor in the UAE usually provides | Visitor usually carries |
|---|---|
| Passport and residence visa copy | Passport |
| Emirates ID copy | The UAE visit visa |
| Salary certificate or recent bank statement | The affidavit of support, as sworn |
| Tenancy contract for the home the visitor will stay in | Proof of relationship to the sponsor |
| Proof of relationship to the visitor | Return ticket, where asked |
The office that asks for the affidavit sets the final list. Send us its checklist and we match your papers to it.
Step by step
How the affidavit is sworn
01
Tell us the visitor’s nationality and relationship,
and who asked for the affidavit.
02
We draft the affidavit
in the form that office expects.
03
You swear it before our notary public.
In person, online by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS, or on a home visit to your home, office, hospital or care home. We tell you if your document can be done online.
04
The notary checks your ID, watches you sign and applies the seal.
05
MOFA and embassy, only if asked.
If an office abroad wants the affidavit attested, the notarised affidavit goes to MOFA and then that country’s embassy in the UAE.
Side by side
Which papers need attesting
| Paper | Used where | Attestation usually needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor’s tenancy contract, salary certificate, bank statement | Shown to the office that asked | Usually no; originals or copies as that office asks |
| An affidavit taken by a consulate | Executed at the consulate | The consulate’s own seal; no MOFA step in the usual case |
| Proof of relationship from the visitor’s home country | Carried by the visitor at home | Normally no attestation for use at home |
| A UAE notarised affidavit | Shown to an office abroad | Possibly MOFA and the destination embassy, if asked |
The last row is the one to watch. If an airline or foreign office asks for a UAE notarised affidavit, the chain question arises. See affidavits before a notary.
Proof of relationship
Relationship documents are where visitors are most often questioned. For a sibling, both birth certificates showing the same parents. For a spouse, the marriage certificate. For a cousin or friend, the relationship may be harder to prove, so ask the office what it accepts. If any home country certificate must later be used in the UAE, it goes through the foreign chain; for Philippine papers, see Philippine document attestation.
Other nationalities
Residents from many countries are sometimes asked for a sponsor letter by their own immigration authority or by an airline. There is no single UAE form. A letter sworn before a UAE notary public, with MOFA attestation and the visitor’s embassy stamp if their home country asks, is the usual answer. We check what the home country wants before drafting.
Watch for
Mistakes that cause trouble at departure
- The sponsor’s name on the affidavit differs from the residence visa.
- The relationship is stated but not proven with documents.
- The visit dates in the affidavit do not match the visa or ticket.
- The visitor travels with a photocopy when the original affidavit was needed.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit of support, drafted and notarised | From AED 600 | Federal item 12: AED 300 per affidavit |
| Drafting or typing (add-on) | From AED 200 | None |
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Home visit | Quoted when you book | Dubai private notary trip fee AED 1,000 per trip outside the place of work |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the affidavit of support get the visitor a UAE visa?
No. The UAE visit visa is issued under UAE rules. The affidavit supports the visitor when their own country, consulate or airline asks for it.
Does my tenancy contract need MOFA attestation for the affidavit of support?
Usually not. It is normally shown as it is. If an office abroad asks for it attested, we tell you the route.
Can a UAE notary take an affidavit of support for a Filipino visitor?
A UAE notary can notarise an affidavit, but the Philippine side may expect the consular version. Check with the consulate first, and tell us what it says.
Can I swear the affidavit online?
It depends on the document. Online notarisation runs by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. We tell you if your document can be done online.
I am not Filipino. Do I need an affidavit of support in Dubai?
Only if your relative’s country, airline or visa office asks for one. There is no single UAE form; we check what they want.
Family documents
More guides
Family 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 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.
Family documents
Child travel consent
Yes, a minor can travel to the UAE without parents, but the child needs papers that show both parents agree, and the airline decides how young is too young to fly alone.
Start with the list
Tell us the visitor’s nationality and relationship, and who asked for the affidavit. We send you the paper list and the wording.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
- Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees (item 12, affidavits): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (fees): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, notary services guidance manual: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/AR/Documents/%D8%AF%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84_%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%A8_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84_%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%82Eng.pdf
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the notary profession: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Media Office, Dubai Courts private notary fee decision: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public