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Family visa documents in Dubai: notarised, attested and in the right order
Family visa documents in Dubai fall into two groups. The first is the letters a parent or sponsor signs: an NOC from a parent, a child travel consent letter, an affidavit of support, an affidavit that links two spellings of a name. These are signed before a notary public. The second is the certificates that prove the family link: the marriage certificate and each child’s birth certificate. If those were issued abroad, they go through the foreign ministry of the issuing country, the UAE embassy there and MOFA in the UAE.
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. That means the letters in your family file can be notarised in person, online or at your home, and we take the finished papers on to MOFA where the file needs it.
This page puts the whole family file in order: which papers you usually need for each kind of visa, which to do first, and where people lose time. Each document then has its own guide.
At a glance
- Letters from a parent or sponsor (NOCs, consent letters, affidavits) are signed before a notary public. Signed in the UAE, the federal fee is AED 200 per party as a signature authentication or AED 300 as an affidavit. Source: Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024.
- 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 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.
In this hub
4 pages under Family documents
Guide
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.
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 is sometimes asked for an affidavit of support: a statement, made under oath, that the host will house and.
Side by side
The notary side of a family file
These are the family papers that are signed before a notary public. Each has its own guide.
| Paper | Who signs it | When it is usually asked for | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent’s NOC for a child’s visa | The father, when the mother sponsors | Child residence visa file | NOC from parents for a visa |
| Child travel consent letter | The parent or parents not travelling | A child flying with one parent or another adult | Child travel consent |
| Sponsor or spouse NOC | A sponsor, spouse or employer | Some visa and embassy files | NOC for a UAE visa |
| Affidavit of support | The UAE resident hosting a visitor | Often asked for by the visitor’s own consulate | Affidavit of support |
| Name or other affidavit | The person whose name is spelled two ways | Certificates that do not match | Affidavits before a notary |
| Certified true copy | The document holder | When an office wants a verified copy, not the original | Certified true copies |
A letter signed in the UAE is signed before a notary public here. We notarise it in person, online or on a home visit. A letter signed abroad is signed before a notary there and then legalised through that country’s foreign ministry, the UAE embassy and MOFA.
Side by side
Which documents, for which visa
| Visa | Certificates that usually need attesting | Letters that may be needed |
|---|---|---|
| Wife sponsored by husband | Marriage certificate | None in most files |
| Husband sponsored by wife | Marriage certificate; other papers the visa office asks for | As the visa office asks |
| Child sponsored by father | Birth certificate; often the marriage certificate | None in most files |
| Child sponsored by mother | Birth certificate; marriage certificate | Often an NOC from the father |
| Parent sponsored by son or daughter | Birth certificate of the sponsor, linking them to the parent | As the visa office asks |
| Visit visa for a relative | Rarely any | Sometimes an affidavit of support, depending on the consulate |
The visa office’s current list is the final word for your case. Send it to us, or call us, and we go through it line by line.
Is certificate attestation needed for a family visa?
For a family residence visa, the visa office needs proof of the relationship. For a certificate issued abroad, that proof is normally the attested certificate. For a visit visa, attestation is rarely asked for, but some consulates want a sponsor’s affidavit of support.
So when people ask whether MOFA attestation is needed for their family visa documents, the plain answer is: for a family residence visa based on a foreign certificate, plan for it. For other visas, ask the office first.
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 in the UAE, we notarise it in person, online or at home. If he is abroad, he signs before a notary where he lives and the letter is legalised.
04
Any affidavit that links names.
If a name is spelled one way on the marriage certificate and another on the birth certificate, an affidavit signed before a notary public may be needed.
05
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. See legal translation.
06
Submit the visa file
through the visa office’s 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 each country.
Step by step
How we help with your family visa documents
01
We list every paper 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 draft the NOC, consent letter or affidavit
where one is needed, in English and Arabic where the office needs Arabic.
04
We notarise the letters.
The parent or sponsor signs before our in-house 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 at home on a home visit. We tell you if your document can be done online.
05
We tell a parent abroad exactly what to sign,
and where, so the letter matches what the UAE side needs.
06
We take the papers 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.
Home visits for family papers
Parents with young children, elderly relatives and anyone in hospital often cannot come to us. We come to your home, office, hospital or care home in the UAE. The signer shows their ID, signs in front of the notary, and the notary seals the letter there. See home visit notary.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Affidavit (general, name, same name) | From AED 600 | AED 300 (federal item 12) |
| Marriage certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Birth certificate or other personal certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
| Home visit | Quoted when you book | Dubai private notary trip fee AED 1,000 per trip outside the place of work |
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 of your family visa documents in Dubai need a notary, which need attestation, 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.
- 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 letter signed without a notary. A plain signature is not verified, and a UAE office will usually not accept it.
- 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 visa office’s current list for your case, and send it to us if anything is unclear.
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. If he is in the UAE, we notarise it in person, online or at his home.
Can a family letter be notarised 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 before you book.
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.
Is MOFA attestation needed for a family 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.
Family documents
Family documents 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
Affidavit of support
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.
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.
Start your family file
Tell us who is sponsoring whom, where each certificate was issued, and where each parent is today.
- 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
- 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, Hague Convention status table (the UAE is not a party): 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
- 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