Documents
Declaration of residency: a notarised proof of residency letter for UAE residents
A declaration of residency is a signed statement that you live at a stated address in the UAE, since a stated date, often with your residence status. Foreign tax offices, pension funds, banks, universities and courts ask for one when they need your own account of where you live, backed by a notary. We draft it, and our in-house notary public notarises it in person at Business Bay, online, or at your home. Service is available 24/7.
Send the request you received on WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935.
Who asks for one
The request usually comes from outside the UAE:
- A tax office in your home country, deciding whether you still count as resident there.
- A pension fund, confirming the address to which it pays.
- A bank or investment platform, updating your country of residence.
- A university or student finance body, deciding fee status.
Each uses its own name: declaration of residency, statement of residence, proof of residency letter, residence affidavit. They want the same core facts in their own form.
Checklist
What goes into the declaration
What goes into the declaration
- Your full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number.
- Your Emirates ID number and residence visa details.
- Your full address in the UAE and the date you started living there.
- Earlier addresses, if the body asks for a history.
- Your occupation and employer, and who lives with you, if asked.
- A statement that the contents are true, signed or sworn before the notary.
Keep to facts. If the form asks you to state a legal conclusion, such as that you are "not resident for tax purposes" elsewhere, check that wording with an adviser first. The notary records that the statement is yours. It does not check that the conclusion is right.
Documents
Also in Documents
UAE domicile personal statement: signed letter and evidence
Some bodies ask for a personal statement about your UAE domicile, as a signed letter with evidence. Domicile is a legal idea in some countries and is not always the same as where you live today. We draft the facts: your address, your time in the UAE, your ties here. Whether those facts amount to domicile is for the body or your adviser to decide.
Evidence that commonly goes with such a statement:
- Copies of your passport, residence visa and Emirates ID.
- Your tenancy contract or title deed.
- Recent utility bills in your name.
- An employment letter or trade licence.
- School enrolment letters for children living with you.
Attach only what the body asks for.
Proof of residency in the UAE: when a declaration is not enough
A declaration is your own word, notarised. Some bodies want a document issued by a UAE authority instead. If a foreign tax office asks for a tax residency certificate, a notarised declaration does not replace it. In the UAE that certificate comes from the Federal Tax Authority. If the request says "certificate issued by the competent authority", a letter from you will be refused. Ask us, and we tell you before you pay.
Step by step
Declaration of residency notarization in Dubai, step by step
Send us the body's request.
Its words decide whether the declaration is sworn or signed.
We draft it.
Facts only, names exactly as in your passport, dates checked against your visa.
We prepare the Arabic through a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. You check the address and dates.
Our in-house notary public notarises it.
You sign or swear at Business Bay, in an online session, or at home with our home visit service. Bring your original passport and Emirates ID.
Attestation, if needed.
For use abroad, MOFAIC attestation usually follows.
Watch for
Mistakes to avoid
- The address is written differently from the tenancy contract.
- The start date does not match the residence visa.
- The declaration is only signed, when the body asked for a sworn statement.
- It is sent abroad without MOFAIC attestation.
Fees
Cost
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our service: drafting, Arabic and notarisation | From AED 600 |
| Federal fee, affidavit | AED 300 |
| Federal fee, signature authentication | AED 200 per party |
| Dubai private notary route | AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature |
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. See all our notary fees.
How we help
How we help
We have an in-house notary public at our Business Bay office, and we offer in person, online and home visit notary public services in Dubai and the UAE. We read the request, draft the declaration to it and list the evidence. If the body needs an official certificate rather than a declaration, we tell you before you spend anything. For other statements see the personal documents page, and for signatures on forms already written see the signature approval guide.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is a declaration of residency an official UAE document?
No. It is your own statement, notarised so the signature can be trusted. A certificate is issued by a UAE authority.
Do I need to be a UAE resident to sign one?
The declaration states where you live, so a UAE resident with an Emirates ID and residence visa normally signs it. A visitor cannot declare UAE residence.
Can I sign it online?
Possibly, in an online session if your document qualifies. We check before booking.
Does it need to be in Arabic?
For a notary in Dubai, yes: Arabic, or English with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, both signed.
How recent must the declaration be?
That depends on the body. Many want it dated close to the request, so ask before you sign.
Contact
Send us your question
Tell us the document, who signs it and where it will be used. We reply with the route, the list of what to bring and your price.
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, items 8 and 12: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Dubai private notary fees, Dubai Courts 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
- MOFAIC FAQ, attestation fees: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Federal Tax Authority, Issuance of Tax Residency Certificate: https://tax.gov.ae/en/services/issuance.of.tax.residency.certificate.aspx