NOC for a Child Visa in the UAE

When a NOC is needed for a child residence visa

Under UAE family visa processes, a mother can generally sponsor her own child, but where the father is a UAE resident, authorities typically require his no objection before the mother’s sponsorship is processed. If the father does not hold UAE residency, or the family circumstances are different, for example the father has passed away or a custody order exists, a different document may apply instead of a standard NOC.

What the letter must state, with a sample format

A NOC for a child visa needs to identify both parents clearly, name the child, and state plainly that the father consents to the mother’s sponsorship. A structure to work from:

I, [father’s full name], holder of passport number [number] and Emirates ID [number], being the father of [child’s full name], born [date], confirm that I have no objection to my son/daughter being sponsored on a UAE residence visa by their mother, [mother’s full name], holder of passport number [number]. Signed. Date.

This is a structure, not final legal wording. We draft the exact letter to match the format the receiving authority expects, and add the notary’s seal, signature and reference when it is executed.

Father inside the UAE vs abroad

If the father is in the UAE, he attends a notary public appointment in person, brings his original passport and Emirates ID, and signs the NOC in front of the notary, who verifies his identity and applies the seal.

If the father is outside the UAE, the letter is generally notarised in his country of residence, then attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there, and finally attested by MOFAIC once it reaches the UAE. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille is never the right route; this legalisation chain is used instead. Timing for this route takes longer than a signature obtained locally, since it depends on the notary, the embassy, and MOFAIC in sequence.

Supporting documents that usually go with it

• Father’s passport copy and Emirates ID, if he holds one.
• Mother’s passport copy and Emirates ID.
• Child’s birth certificate.
• Parents’ marriage certificate.

Arabic translation of the NOC

Notarised instruments in the UAE are generally issued in Arabic, sometimes with a conditional exception, and a bilingual Arabic-English version is common practice for this kind of document. Where translation is needed, it is carried out by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, not a general translation service, so the wording holds up with the receiving authority.