Declaration of Residency in the UAE

What is a declaration of residency and who asks for it

A declaration of residency is a written statement, signed by you, that sets out where you currently live in the UAE. Unlike an Ejari certificate or a DEWA bill, it does not come from a landlord or a utility company. It comes from you, the declarant, and it is notarised so an authority can rely on it.

People typically need one when:

• Their name does not appear on the tenancy contract, for example a spouse or a live-in parent.
• A bank, school or government office asks for proof of address and the usual documents are not in the applicant’s name.
• A UAE resident needs to confirm their address for a matter abroad, such as a visa application, inheritance case or family sponsorship in another country.
• A landlord, employer or authority in the UAE specifically asks for a notarised declaration rather than a bill.

What it should state, with a sample layout

A declaration of residency in the UAE should be short, factual and free of anything you cannot personally confirm. A typical layout includes:

1. Your full name, nationality and Emirates ID or passport number.
2. Your current residential address, written exactly as it appears on any supporting document you hold.
3. A statement that you reside at that address, and since when, if known.
4. The purpose of the declaration, for example “for submission to [bank/school/embassy]”.
5. The date, city and your signature, followed by the notary’s attestation.

Sample wording: “I, [full name], holder of Emirates ID / passport number [number], hereby declare that I currently reside at [address], Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This declaration is made for the purpose of [purpose] and its contents are accurate and complete.”

Keep it in plain, factual language. A declaration that reads like a legal essay is more likely to be rejected than one that states the facts clearly.

Supporting documents: Ejari, DEWA bill, Emirates ID

A notary or the receiving authority will usually want to see something alongside the declaration itself, even if it is not in your name. Bring what you have:

• Emirates ID (original, for identity verification at the notary).
• Passport with residence visa page, if applicable.
• Ejari or tenancy contract, even if it is in a spouse’s, parent’s or landlord’s name, since it shows the address exists and is occupied.
• DEWA bill for the same address, if available.
• Any letter from an employer confirming company-provided accommodation, if that applies to you.

None of these documents need to be in your own name for a declaration of residency to make sense. That is the whole point of the document: it covers the gap between where you live and what the paperwork shows.

Notarisation and attestation if it goes abroad

You sign the declaration before a notary public in Dubai, who confirms your identity and witnesses your signature. That notarisation is normally enough for use inside the UAE.

If the declaration is going to be used outside the UAE, for example to support a family, immigration or inheritance matter in another country, it will usually need MOFAIC attestation after notarisation. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille route: the document goes through the standard legalisation chain instead, and depending on the destination country, may also need attestation by that country’s embassy in the UAE.

When a certified proof of address is the better route

If your name does appear on an Ejari, DEWA bill, tenancy contract or bank statement, a certified true copy of that document is often simpler and faster than drafting a fresh declaration. See proof of address certification in Dubai if that fits your situation better. A declaration of residency exists specifically for the cases where the standard documents are not in your name.