Can a Child Travel to Dubai With Grandparents?

When grandparents need a consent letter

You need a consent letter whenever grandparents are the travelling adults and one or both parents are not on the trip:

• Grandparents bringing a grandchild into Dubai, for example while the parents stay abroad or arrive separately.
• Grandparents taking a grandchild out of Dubai, for example to visit family in another country.
• Grandparents accompanying a grandchild on one leg of a trip, handing over to a parent at the other end.

In every case, the letter should match the actual itinerary: the grandparents named in it should be the same people travelling, and the dates should match the booking.

What the letter should include

• The child: full name as on their passport, date of birth, nationality, and passport number.
• The grandparents: full names, relationship to the child, and passport or Emirates ID numbers.
• The parents: full names, passport or Emirates ID numbers, and contact details.
• Travel dates and route: departure and return dates, and where the child is travelling from and to.
• A clear statement of consent naming the grandparents and the trip.
• Signature and date, signed in front of a notary public.

Sample layout:

CONSENT TO TRAVEL WITH GRANDPARENTS

We, [parents' full names], holders of passport/Emirates ID numbers [numbers], are the parents of [child's full name], date of birth [date], passport number [number].

We give our consent for our child to travel with [grandparents' full names], relationship: grandparents, from [departure point] to [destination] on [departure date], returning on [return date].

Grandparents' contact details while travelling: [phone/email]
Parents' contact details: [phone/email]

Signed: _____________________  Date: __________
[Parents' full names]

Who signs

Both parents normally sign the consent letter, even if only one grandparent is travelling with the child. Where one parent has sole legal custody, that parent can usually sign alone, supported by the custody order.

Visit visa for the child

If the child is not a UAE resident and grandparents are sponsoring or accompanying their entry, the child will usually need a UAE visit visa in their own right, separate from the consent letter. The consent letter proves the parents’ permission for the trip; it does not substitute for a visa.

Notarisation and attestation

The parents sign the consent letter in front of a notary public in Dubai (or, if they are abroad, before a notary or equivalent official in their own country, followed by attestation for use in the UAE). The notary checks ID and applies the seal, which is what makes the signature verifiable to immigration and airline staff.

If the letter is issued abroad for use in the UAE, or issued in the UAE for use abroad, it follows the attestation chain rather than an apostille: the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. That means attestation in the country of issue, then MOFAIC attestation in the UAE, and embassy attestation where the destination requires it. See our documents attestation in Dubai guide for the full chain.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Naming only one grandparent when both are travelling, or vice versa
• Passport numbers that do not match the booking
• Only one parent’s signature where both are required
• Assuming the consent letter also covers the visit visa
• Travelling with an unnotarised printed letter