Documents
Personal legal document notarization in Dubai: consents, NOCs, affidavits and declarations
The short answer
Personal legal document notarization in Dubai covers the letters and statements that a school, an airline, an embassy, an immigration office or a court asks you to have notarised: a parent's travel consent, a no objection letter, an affidavit of support, a declaration of where you live. Each one has a named signer, a receiving office and a notary act that fits it.
At a glance
NotaryPublicInDubai.com drafts these documents, prepares the Arabic, books the notary and tells you what the receiving office will want to see. This page sorts the common ones by who has to sign and which notary act is used, and explains what happens when the person who must sign will not, which is the point where a notary can no longer help and a court may have to.
The notary records what a person signs of their own free will. The notary does not decide a dispute or sign for someone who refuses.
A statement you swear to is usually made as an affidavit. A letter you sign is usually made as a signature authentication. The fee differs: AED 300 for executing and notarising an affidavit, AED 200 per party for authenticating signatures on an instrument of unspecified value (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, items 12 and 8).
A notarised instrument in Dubai is in Arabic; an English document needs an Arabic translation by a certified translator, signed with the original.
A document for use abroad usually needs MOFAIC attestation after notarisation. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention.
5 pages in this hub
Every page in Documents
Service
Child travel consent
Power of attorney for a traveling minor or a notarised travel consent letter in the UAE: which fits, what it says, and when a parent refuses.
Guide
NOC letters
A NOC letter sorted by signer: employer, visa sponsor, husband or wife, parent. Which ones need only a signature, which go to a notary, and the cost.
Service
Affidavit of support
How to get an affidavit of support in Abu Dhabi: what it states, where it is sworn, what to bring, fees, the alternative way and the Dubai difference.
Service
Declaration of residency
A declaration of residency for UAE residents: what it states, the evidence to attach, notarization in Dubai, fees and common mistakes.
Service
Notary on call
A notary on call in Dubai for a signer in hospital or at home: the private notary visit, the fee per trip, virtual attendance and what we prepare.
Side by side
Which document, who signs, which act
| Document | Who must sign | Usual notary act | Who reads it at the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel consent for a child | The parent who is not travelling, or both parents | Signature authentication or affidavit, sometimes a POA | Airline, immigration, the other country's border |
| NOC for a child's visa | The father, when the mother sponsors the child | Signature authentication or affidavit | Immigration authority |
| NOC letter for work or visa | The employer, sponsor, husband or parent, depending on the case | Often a signed letter only; notarised when the receiving office asks | Employer, immigration, embassy |
| Affidavit of support | The person promising to support someone | Affidavit | Embassy or immigration office |
| Declaration of residency | The person declaring where they live | Affidavit or signature authentication | Foreign tax, pension, school or government body |
| Witnessed signature on a form | The person named on the form | Signature authentication | Whoever issued the form |
The right act depends on the wording the receiving office wants. A form that says "sworn before a notary" needs an affidavit. A letter that just needs a trusted signature needs a signature authentication. We read the receiving office's instructions first and draft to match.
Travel consent for a child
A parent who is not travelling with the child signs a consent that names the child, the travelling adult, the destination and the dates. Where the other parent is abroad, separated or refusing, the consent becomes a legal question rather than a form. Our child travel consent and POA guide explains the notarised POA form of the consent and the court route when a parent will not sign.
NOC letters
"NOC" covers many letters. Some only need a signature on company letterhead; others must be notarised. The key question is who signs: an employer, a visa sponsor, a husband, a parent. Our NOC letter guide sorts every common type by the signer and says which ones need a notary. If you need a no objection letter from a sponsor to travel, the same logic applies: the sponsor signs, and the receiving office decides whether a signature alone is enough.
For the most searched case, a mother sponsoring her child's residence visa with the father's consent, see our page on the NOC from the father for a child's visa.
01
Affidavits
An affidavit is a written statement that you swear is true before a notary. The federal fee to execute and notarise one is AED 300. People search for a notarized affidavit in Dubai for many reasons: a name that is spelled differently across documents, proof of support for a visiting relative, a statement about marital status for an embassy. Each needs its own wording.
Our most read affidavit page covers the affidavit of support in Abu Dhabi, with a short section on doing the same in Dubai. To get a notarized affidavit in Dubai for another purpose, send us what the receiving office asked for and we draft to it.
Declarations
A declaration is close to an affidavit but is often signed rather than sworn. The most common one we prepare is the declaration of residency, a signed statement that you live at a UAE address, which foreign authorities, pension funds and schools ask for. Whether it is made as an affidavit or as a signature authentication depends on the words the receiving body uses.
In short
Signature authentication
Some documents are already written for you: a bank form, a foreign government form, a school's consent sheet. They only need the notary to confirm that the signature is yours. That is a signature authentication, and our signature approval guide explains how it runs and what the notary checks.
02
When the person who must sign will not
This is where many families get stuck. A notary can only record a signature or a statement that the person gives freely. If a father will not sign a child's NOC, or a parent will not consent to travel, no notary can sign in their place, and no letter from anyone else replaces theirs.
What remains is an application to the court. In Dubai, family matters go to the personal status court within Dubai Courts. A parent who needs permission the other parent refuses can apply there, usually with a lawyer. A lawyer you appoint for that application will need a power of attorney that names pleading before the court; our court case power of attorney page covers what it should say.
Step by step
Document drafting and notarization: step by step
Tell us who asked for the document and what they said.
Forward the email or the form. The receiving office's words decide the format.
We draft it.
Names exactly as in the passport, dates, addresses, and the statement or permission in plain words. Document drafting and notarization are done together so the text fits the notary act.
We prepare the Arabic.
A legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice translates it, and we lay out the bilingual version.
You approve the draft.
Nothing is booked until you have read it.
We book the notary.
The Dubai Courts notary public, a private notary on the Dubai Courts roll, or a remote session where the document allows it.
You sign or swear before the notary.
Bring your original passport and Emirates ID.
We tell you what comes next.
If the document is going abroad, the next step is usually MOFAIC attestation.
Checklist
Documents to take with you
Documents to take with you
- Original passport, and Emirates ID if you live in the UAE.
- The passport or Emirates ID copy of every other person named, such as the child or the relative you support.
- The receiving office's instructions or form.
- Supporting papers the statement refers to: a tenancy contract, a salary certificate, a birth certificate.
- For a foreign birth or marriage certificate, proof of attestation in the issuing country, by the UAE embassy there and by MOFAIC.
Fees
Prices for personal documents
| Document | Our service price | Government fee, paid at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Child travel consent | From AED 1,200 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication, or AED 300 as an affidavit |
| NOC for a child's visa | From AED 1,200 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication, or AED 300 as an affidavit |
| NOC for visa (general) | From AED 1,200 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication, or AED 300 as an affidavit |
| Affidavit of support or general affidavit | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit |
| Declaration of residency | From AED 600 | AED 300 as an affidavit, or AED 200 per party as a signature authentication |
| Witnessing of signature | From AED 900 | AED 200 per party |
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.
On the Dubai private notary route, a Dubai Courts decision sets AED 100 per party for registration plus AED 100 per signature. See our fees page for every document.
How we help
How we help
We start with the receiving office, because that is where a personal document is accepted or rejected. We draft the wording they expect, choose the notary act that matches it, have the Arabic prepared by a registered legal translator, and book the notary. You sign or swear; the notary checks your identity and applies the seal. If someone else must sign and will not, we tell you plainly and explain the court route rather than preparing a document that will be refused.
Questions
Questions about personal documents
What is the difference between an affidavit and a declaration?
An affidavit is sworn before the notary and costs AED 300 under the federal schedule. A declaration is often only signed, and the notary authenticates the signature at AED 200 per party. The receiving office's wording decides which one you need.
Does a notary public affidavit need to be in Arabic?
For a notary in Dubai, yes. The instrument is in Arabic, and an English version is accepted with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, both signed.
Can someone sign a consent or NOC for another person?
Only with a power of attorney that expressly gives them that act. A relative or friend cannot sign a parent's consent in their own name.
Do I need a notary for every NOC?
No. Many NOCs only need the signer's signature and stamp. Notarisation is needed when the receiving office asks for it, or when the signer is abroad and the office wants proof the signature is theirs.
Can I notarise a personal document while I am outside the UAE?
Yes, through a UAE consul where you live, a remote session if your document qualifies, or a local notary plus attestation in that country, by the UAE embassy there and by MOFAIC.
Documents
Guides in this hub
Documents
NOC letter in the UAE
A NOC letter sorted by signer: employer, visa sponsor, husband or wife, parent. Which ones need only a signature, which go to a notary, and the cost.
Contact
Get your document ready
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com and send us what the receiving office asked for. We reply with the right document, the notary act and your price. Our office is in Business Bay, Dubai. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time).
NotaryPublicInDubai.com
Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
support@notarypublicindubai.com
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees, items 8, 11 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
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Article 870: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
- MOFAIC attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table (the UAE is not listed): https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41