How an Affidavit in Dubai Works
Affidavits and Declarations at EGSH
An affidavit in Dubai is the form in which banks, embassies, schools, universities and foreign courts receive a person's statement of facts made under oath. Typical statements concern marital status, a name written in different ways, income, address, an undertaking or a parent's consent to a child's travel.
Most affidavits and declarations are notarised by a notary public in Dubai. Marital and other personal status statements of Muslims are authenticated by the Personal Status Court of the Dubai Courts, and the DIFC Courts operate their own Notary Service.
At EGSH, the affidavit is drafted in Arabic or as a bilingual Arabic and English text in the wording the receiving authority requires, translated where needed and notarised through the EGSH Notary Department, which provides notary public services in Dubai without queues and in one visit. When the document is to be used outside the UAE, EGSH submits it for attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
Affidavits and Sworn Declarations in Dubai
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How to Make an Affidavit in Dubai
Drafting, Oath and Notary Record
01
Visit EGSH
The purpose of the statement and the authority that will receive it determine whether a sworn affidavit, a declaration with an attested signature or a Dubai Courts personal status document is required.
02
Statement Drafted and Translated
The statement is drafted in Arabic or as a bilingual Arabic and English text in the receiving authority’s wording, or an existing English text is legally translated into Arabic.
03
Oath and Signature Before the Notary
The declarant confirms the statement under oath and signs it before the notary, who attests the affidavit and enters it in the notary’s records.
04
Receive Your Notarised Affidavit
You receive the notarised affidavit for use in the UAE, and an affidavit intended for use abroad is then submitted by EGSH for MOFA attestation.
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What to Bring for an Affidavit in Dubai
Identity, Evidence and Required Wording
Identity of Each Signatory
The original passport or Emirates ID of each person who signs, and for a company, its trade licence and the document authorising the signatory to act for it.
Evidence for the Statement
Documents supporting the facts declared, such as passport pages showing both spellings of a name, a salary certificate, a tenancy contract, a birth certificate or a divorce decree.
The Receiving Authority’s Requirements
The letter, form or e-mail in which the bank, embassy, school or university states what the declaration must contain and in which language it is accepted.
For a Child Travel Consent
The child’s passport, the passport or Emirates ID of the consenting parent, and the destination country and dates of travel.
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What a Sworn Affidavit Is Under Dubai Law
A sworn affidavit is a written statement of facts that the declarant confirms under oath before a notary public, who attests it and enters it in the notary's records. Article 20 of Dubai Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai lists the registration and attestation of affidavits after administering the oath among a notary's functions. Under Article 35, an instrument processed by a notary has the evidentiary value of an official document, and its validity may only be challenged by a claim of forgery.
A declaration without an oath is a different instrument. The notary attests the authenticity of the signature, and the text remains the signatory's own statement. Both forms are notarised in Dubai, and the receiving authority's requirements determine which of them is prepared.
Requests from abroad name these documents in different ways. A sworn statement or sworn declaration corresponds to an affidavit, and a declaration letter to a declaration with an attested signature. The term statutory declaration comes from the legal practice of other countries and is not used in Dubai notarial legislation. A document requested under this name is prepared in Dubai as an affidavit or as a declaration with an attested signature, as the receiving authority requires.

Single Status, Name and Birth Details: Personal Status Declarations
A single status declaration is the declarant's notarised statement of not being married, prepared for a marriage or a visa application abroad where the receiving authority accepts this form. Where that authority requires an official certificate of single status, such as a certificate of no impediment, the certificate is issued by the declarant's home country through its civil registry or its embassy or consulate in the UAE.
Article 21(1) of Law No. (4) of 2013 prohibits notaries from registering or attesting instruments related to the family affairs of Muslims. Marital status and other personal status statements of Muslims are therefore authenticated by the Personal Status Court of the Dubai Courts. A joint declaration for marriage is signed by non-Muslim couples before a notary, and by Muslim couples before the Personal Status Court.
A one and the same person declaration states that two or more spellings of a name in a passport, a degree certificate or a birth certificate refer to the same person, and it is supported by the documents showing each spelling. A declaration of age or birth details records the declarant's own statement of the date and place of birth. Such declarations are made where the receiving authority requests them, and they do not amend a passport or a birth certificate, which only the issuing authority can correct.

Income, Address, Undertakings and Other Everyday Declarations
An income declaration is the declarant's own notarised statement of salary or other income, which embassies and consulates may request for a visa application. It does not replace a salary certificate from your employer, which the employer itself issues and signs. An address declaration is the declarant's notarised statement of the place of residence, supported by the tenancy contract, for an authority that accepts a declaration as proof of address.
For account matters and changes of signature, banks set their own requirements, and some accept only their own form or an electronically signed document. An undertaking letter is a commitment by the declarant to do or not to do something, such as returning documents, making a payment or not working for a competitor. Where the undertaking states a sum, the notary fee is calculated on that value. An undertaking to repay an existing debt is drawn up as an acknowledgement of debt with the amount and repayment terms.
A declaration of a cash gift to a relative records the amount, the parties and the date of the gift. Rights in real property cannot be created or transferred by a declaration, because Article 21(2) bars notaries from attesting such instruments. A gift of property in Dubai is registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) as a property gift registration. A vehicle ownership transfer is completed through the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and a declaration is prepared only where an authority asks for one.

Child Travel Consent: A Parent's Notarised Permission
A child travel consent is a parent's notarised permission for a child to travel abroad with the other parent, a relative or a school group. Airlines and the border authority of the destination country may ask for this consent from the parent who does not travel with the child, and the embassy of that country may require it for a visa application.
The consent states the child's full name and passport details, the details of the consenting parent or parents and of the accompanying adult, the destination country and travel dates, contact details and the period for which the consent is valid. For a trip outside the UAE, the receiving authority may also require the consent to be attested by the MOFA and by the embassy of the destination country.
A notarised consent records a parent's agreement. Where the parents disagree, a travel ban has been imposed on the child or custody is disputed, permission to travel is decided by the court competent in family matters, and a notarised consent cannot take the place of that decision.

How to Get an Affidavit Notarised in Dubai, in Person or Online
Under Article 26 of Law No. (4) of 2013, a notarial instrument must be written legibly and contain the full names and nationalities of the parties and, where necessary, their places and dates of birth and residence. An affidavit in Dubai gives the declarant's name exactly as in the passport, with the passport or Emirates ID number and address, and sets out the facts in the first person as numbered statements. It states the purpose for which it is made, the date and the place of signature, and includes other people's personal data only with their consent.
Article 27 requires notarial instruments to be written in Arabic. A bilingual instrument contains both texts in one continuous document, and the parties sign each page opposite each text. An instrument written only in a foreign language is accompanied by its Arabic translation, made by a legal translator and signed by the parties, and the notary attests the foreign-language text. Legal translators practise under Federal Decree-Law No. (22) of 2022 Regulating the Translation Profession, and a notary accepts only a legal translation by an MOJ-registered translator.
The notary verifies the declarant's identity under Article 25 through a passport or Emirates ID, another official document issued by a competent UAE entity, or two trustworthy witnesses who know the declarant. Under Article 24, the notary declines an application where the declarant lacks capacity or does not consent, the identity cannot be verified, or the content conflicts with the law or public order or is intended to deceive others.
Under Resolution No. (137) of 2022, the Dubai Courts also provide notary services without a personal visit, through the e-Notary Public system and by video conference with a notary who verifies identity and consent and signs with an electronic signature. The DIFC Courts Notary Service administers oaths and attests affidavits and declarations in person or by video conference under its own regulations. Whether an electronically notarised document is accepted is decided by the receiving authority, and a bank that asks for an electronic affidavit specifies the platform it accepts.

Using Your Affidavit Abroad: MOFA Attestation
An affidavit notarised in Dubai is recognised abroad once the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has attested the signature and seal on it. The MOFA attestation fee is AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial document. Attestation of a UAE-issued document through a courier service provider takes one to three business days, and an eligible digital document is attested within two hours during working hours. At EGSH, MOFA attestation of your affidavit follows directly after notarisation. Where the destination country requires it, the affidavit is then attested by that country's embassy in the UAE.
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an affidavit made in Dubai carries no apostille, and attestation is used instead of an apostille for documents travelling in either direction. An affidavit signed in another country for use in the UAE follows the sequence for documents signed and certified abroad: notarisation in that country, attestation by its foreign ministry, legalisation by the UAE embassy and final attestation by the MOFA.

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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an affidavit in Dubai?
The statement is drafted in Arabic or as a bilingual text, confirmed under oath and signed before a notary public in Dubai. Marital and other personal status statements of Muslims are authenticated by the Personal Status Court of the Dubai Courts. For use abroad, the notarised affidavit is then attested by the MOFA. At EGSH, drafting, translation and notarisation are completed in one visit.
How much does it cost to notarise an affidavit in Dubai?
Under Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025, attesting signatures on an instrument with no stated value costs AED 200 per signature, plus AED 100 per party for the electronic entry of transaction data. Where the document states a value, the fee is AED 300 per signature up to AED 100,000 and 0,5% of the value above that, up to AED 15,000. MOFA attestation for use abroad costs AED 150 for a personal document, and translation and the EGSH service fee are charged in addition.
What does a sworn affidavit mean?
A sworn affidavit is a written statement of facts that the declarant confirms under oath before a notary public, who attests it and records it in the notary’s register. In Dubai, it has the evidentiary value of an official document.
What is the difference between an affidavit and a declaration?
An affidavit is confirmed under oath and registered by the notary, while a declaration is signed and the notary attests the signature. A document requested abroad as a statutory declaration is prepared in Dubai in one of these two forms. The receiving authority decides which form it accepts.
How do I write an affidavit?
An affidavit names the declarant with nationality, passport or Emirates ID number and address, sets out the facts in the first person as numbered statements, and states its purpose and date. It is written in Arabic or as a bilingual text and follows the wording required by the receiving authority.
Can a parent give notarised consent for a child to travel from Dubai?
Yes. A parent can give a notarised child travel consent before a notary public in Dubai, stating the child’s and parent’s details, the destination and the travel dates. For a trip abroad, MOFA attestation is added where the receiving authority requires it. Where the parents disagree or a travel ban applies, the court competent in family matters decides.
Is an affidavit notarised in Dubai valid abroad?
An affidavit notarised in Dubai is used abroad after attestation by the MOFA and, where the destination country requires it, by that country’s embassy in the UAE. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so attestation takes the place of an apostille.
Does my affidavit have to be in Arabic?
Notarial instruments in Dubai are written in Arabic or as one bilingual document signed on each page opposite each text. A text written only in a foreign language is accepted with an attached Arabic translation by a legal translator registered with the Ministry of Justice.
Can I make an affidavit online in Dubai?
The Dubai Courts provide notary services through the e-Notary Public system and by video conference with a notary who verifies identity and consent. The notary confirms whether a particular affidavit can be completed this way, and a bank that asks for an electronic affidavit specifies the platform it accepts.
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Official Sources
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025 Amending Executive Council Resolution No. (4) of 2014 Approving the Fees and Fines Related to Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai
- Dubai Legislation Portal, Resolution No. (137) of 2022 Approving the Rules for Using Digital Processes in Providing Notary Public Services
- UAE Legislation, Federal Decree-Law No. (22) of 2022 Regulating the Translation Profession
- DIFC Courts, Notary Service
- DIFC Courts, Notary Service Fees
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Documents Attestation
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Frequently Asked Questions: Attestation Fees
Disclaimer
Updated October 2026: notarial rules checked against Law No. (4) of 2013, notary fees against Executive Council Resolution No. (72) of 2025, online notary services against Resolution No. (137) of 2022, and attestation requirements and fees against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the DIFC Courts.
This page provides general procedural information about affidavits and declarations in Dubai and is not legal advice on a particular matter. The oath is administered and the affidavit attested by a notary public, the Dubai Courts or the DIFC Courts, and acceptance of the document is at the discretion of the receiving authority. Fees are set by these authorities and may change.













































































































































