Documents
NOC letter in the UAE: sorted by who signs, and when it needs a notary
A NOC letter, or no objection letter, is a short signed statement in which one person or company says it does not object to something another person wants to do: take a job, travel, get a visa, or sponsor a child. What decides how you prepare it is who must sign it. An employer's NOC is usually a letter on company paper. A parent's or a spouse's NOC often has to be signed before a notary.
NotaryPublicInDubai.com drafts NOCs, adds Arabic where the receiving office wants it, and books the notary when a notarised signature is needed. This page sorts the common NOCs by signer, says which ones usually need a notary and which do not, and explains what to do when the person who must sign is abroad or refuses.
Side by side
NOC letters by who signs them
| Signer | Common purpose | Usual form | Needs a notary? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer | Staff member takes a second job, applies for a visa abroad, or studies | Letter on company letterhead, signed and stamped by an authorised person | Rarely; only if the receiving office asks |
| Visa sponsor | A sponsored person works, travels or changes status | Signed letter, sometimes with the sponsor's ID copy | Sometimes, especially when the sponsor is an individual |
| Husband or wife | The other spouse works, travels, or applies for something in their own name | Personal letter with both IDs quoted | Often, when the office wants proof the spouse signed |
| Parent | A child's visa, passport, travel or school matter | Personal letter naming the child | Usually, and nearly always when the parent is abroad |
| Property owner | A tenant registers a business address or makes changes to the property | Letter quoting the title deed or tenancy details | When the receiving office asks for it |
This table is a guide to the usual pattern. The office that receives your letter has the final say.
Employer NOCs
An employer NOC, also called a no objection certificate for work, is the most common kind. A no objection certificate from a sponsor to work in the UAE, for example for a second job, is normally issued by the company's HR or an authorised manager on letterhead, with the company stamp. A NOC letter for a work permit in the UAE is normally the same kind of company document. Because a company letter carries its own authority, it rarely needs a notary.
Where an employer NOC does end up at a notary is when it leaves the UAE: an embassy or a foreign university may ask for the signature to be notarised, and then attested by MOFAIC.
Documents
Inside NOC letters
Sub-service
NOC for a child's visa
The NOC from a father so the mother can sponsor the child's visa in Dubai: what it says, signing in the UAE or abroad, and what to do if he refuses.
Visa sponsor NOCs
A sponsor NOC comes from the person or company that holds your residence visa. If the sponsor is a company, it looks like an employer letter. If the sponsor is a person, such as a husband sponsoring a wife or a parent sponsoring an adult child, the letter is personal, and the receiving office is more likely to want the signature notarised. The general no objection letter from a sponsor for travel follows the same rule.
A sponsor NOC letter format in the UAE usually has these parts:
- the sponsor's full name, nationality, Emirates ID number and passport number;
- the sponsored person's full name, relationship, passport number and visa details;
- one sentence saying exactly what the sponsor does not object to;
- the name of the office or company the letter is for;
- the date, and a signature that matches the sponsor's ID.
We describe the parts rather than hand out a fill-in form, because offices word their requests differently and a letter written for the wrong office is a common reason for refusal.
Husband or wife NOCs
A spouse's NOC is a personal letter. Offices use it when a wife works or opens something in her own name and the husband is her visa sponsor, or the reverse. Because the office cannot phone a spouse to check, it often asks for the signature to be notarised. A notarised spouse NOC in Dubai is usually handled as a signature authentication: the spouse signs in front of the notary with their original ID.
Parent NOCs
Parent NOCs cover the child's residence visa, a passport renewal, travel without that parent, or a school matter. These are the NOCs most likely to need a notary, because the office wants certainty that the absent parent agreed. Two situations have their own guides on this site:
A mother sponsoring her child, with the father's consent: see the father's NOC for a child's visa.
A child travelling with one parent or without parents: our guide to travel consent for a minor.
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When the signer is abroad
The person who must sign does not have to fly to Dubai. There are two usual routes:
- A UAE consul. Accredited UAE consuls may perform notarial duties (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3). The signer attends the UAE embassy or consulate in their country.
- A local notary plus attestation. The signer signs before a notary where they live. Three attestations follow: the foreign ministry of that country, then the UAE mission in that country, then MOFAIC once the paper reaches the UAE. An apostille does not shorten this chain, because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.
We draft the NOC in Dubai, send it in English and Arabic, and tell the signer which route the receiving office will accept.
When the signer refuses
A NOC is a voluntary statement. If a parent will not sign a child's NOC, or a sponsor will not sign, a notary cannot sign in their place. For family matters the route is usually an application to the Dubai Courts personal status court. For employment matters, the employment contract and labour rules decide what happens next, and that is a question for a lawyer or the labour authority rather than a notary.
Step by step
Getting a NOC notarised, step by step
Find out what the office wants.
Signer, addressee, language, and whether it must be notarised. If you have their instructions in writing, send them to us.
We draft the NOC with every name and number copied from the IDs.
We add the Arabic if the office wants it, or if the notary needs it for the certificate.
We book the notary, in person or by virtual attendance where the document qualifies.
The signer attends with their original passport, and Emirates ID if a resident, and signs before the notary.
MOFAIC attestation follows if the NOC will be used abroad: AED 150 for a personal document.
Fees
Cost
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our service: NOC for visa or general NOC, drafting and notary booking | From AED 1,200 |
| Our service: NOC for a child's visa or a child's travel | From AED 1,200 |
| Federal fee if signed as a signature authentication | AED 200 per party |
| Federal fee if executed as an affidavit | AED 300 |
| 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.
An employer letter that needs no notary has no notary fee at all. Our fees page lists every other document.
How we help
How we help
We read what the receiving office has asked for and decide with you whether the NOC needs a notary at all. If it does, we draft it, check every name and number against the IDs, prepare the Arabic, and book the notary for the signer. If the signer is abroad, we send them the text and the route. You or the signer attend; the notary authenticates the signature. For how the notary confirms a signature, see our page on signature authentication, and for other letters see our personal documents page.
Questions
Questions about no objection letters
What is the difference between a no objection letter and a no objection certificate?
None in practice. "Letter" and "certificate" are both used for the same signed statement. Some offices also write "non objection letter".
Does every NOC need a notary?
No. Most employer NOCs are company letters and need only a signature and stamp. Personal NOCs from a spouse or parent more often need a notary.
Can I write my own NOC and ask the signer to sign it?
Yes, if the receiving office accepts a plain letter. If it must be notarised, the signer must sign before the notary, not at home beforehand.
Can a NOC be in English only?
Many offices accept English. The notary works in Arabic, so a notarised NOC may need Arabic text too. We check both.
How long is a NOC valid?
No general rule sets a period. Many offices want a recent NOC, and each decides how recent.
Can a company sign a NOC for an employee's family member?
A company can only confirm matters within its own knowledge, such as employment. A parent's or spouse's consent must come from that parent or spouse.
Contact
Get your NOC prepared
Send the receiving office's instructions and the signer's ID copy. Call or WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935, or email support@notarypublicindubai.com with both. We tell you whether it needs a notary 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).
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 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. 20 of 2022, Article 3 (accredited consuls): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- MOFAIC attestation and fees: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41