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 a 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. An employer's NOC is usually a letter on company paper. A parent's or spouse's NOC often has to be signed before a notary.
We draft NOC letters, add Arabic where the receiving office wants it, and our in-house notary public notarises the signature in person at Business Bay, online, or at home. Service is available 24/7. Send the office's request on WhatsApp +971 52 947 5935.
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 | 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 in their own name | Personal letter quoting both IDs | 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 an address or changes the property | Letter quoting the title deed or tenancy | When the receiving office asks |
This is the usual pattern. The office that receives your letter has the final say.
Employer and sponsor NOCs
An employer NOC, also called a no objection certificate for work, comes from 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. It rarely needs a notary, unless it leaves the UAE and an embassy or foreign university asks for the signature to be notarised.
A sponsor NOC comes from the person or company that holds your residence visa. If the sponsor is a person, such as a husband sponsoring a wife, the 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 date, and a signature that matches the sponsor's ID.
Documents
Inside NOC letters
Sub-service
NOC for a child's visa
NOC from the 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.
Spouse and parent NOCs
A spouse NOC is a personal letter. Offices often ask for a notarised signature, handled as a signature authentication with the spouse's original ID.
Parent NOCs cover a child's visa, passport, travel or school matter. They most often need a notary, because the office wants certainty that the absent parent agreed. Two cases have their own guides:
A mother sponsoring her child, with the father's consent: the father's NOC for a child's visa.
A child travelling with one parent or without parents: travel consent for a minor.
01
When the signer is abroad or refuses
The signer does not have to fly to Dubai. There are three usual routes:
- An online session, where the document qualifies.
- A UAE consul. Accredited UAE consuls may perform notarial duties (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3).
- A local notary plus attestation by that country's foreign ministry, the UAE mission there, and MOFAIC. An apostille does not shorten this, because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.
A NOC is voluntary. If a parent or sponsor will not sign, a notary cannot sign for them. For family matters the route is usually an application to the personal status court, through a lawyer.
Step by step
Steps
Find out what the office wants:
signer, addressee, language, and whether it must be notarised. Send us their instructions.
We draft the NOC with every name and number copied from the IDs, and add the Arabic if the office or the notary needs it.
Our in-house notary public notarises the signature.
The signer attends with their original passport, and Emirates ID if a resident.
MOFAIC attestation follows if the NOC is used abroad: AED 150 for a personal document.
Fees
Cost
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our service: NOC for visa, general NOC, child's visa or child's travel | From AED 1,200 |
| Federal fee, signature authentication | AED 200 per party |
| Federal fee, 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. The fees page lists every other document.
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. We read what the office asked for and decide with you whether the NOC needs a notary at all. See the signature authentication guide and the 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. Both words describe the same signed statement.
Does every NOC need a notary?
No. Most employer NOCs need only a signature and stamp. Spouse and parent NOCs more often need a notary.
Can I write my own NOC and ask the signer to sign it?
Yes, if the office accepts a plain letter. If it must be notarised, the signer signs before the notary, not at home beforehand.
Can a NOC be in English only?
Many offices accept English. A notarised NOC may need Arabic text too. We check both.
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 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: 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