Affidavit of Support in the UAE: When You Need One and How to Notarise It

You are sponsoring a relative's visit, helping a family member settle in the UAE, or preparing marriage paperwork — and an official has asked for an "affidavit of support". The name sounds intimidating. The document itself is not. It is a short sworn statement, but it must be drafted, signed and notarised the right way, or the authority requesting it will send you back to the start.

Direct answer. Yes — when a UAE authority, embassy or sponsor-vetting process asks for an affidavit of support, it will generally not proceed without a properly notarised one. An affidavit of support is a written declaration, signed under oath before a notary, in which you undertake to financially support a named person. Once notarised, it carries weight as documentary evidence under Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2022 on Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (see the law). This guide covers what the document is, who asks for it in Dubai and the wider UAE, how to draft and notarise it, and how to attest an affidavit signed abroad.

What is an affidavit of support in the UAE?

An affidavit of support is a sworn, signed undertaking that you will bear the living costs of another person. Three elements make it what it is:

• A declaration of fact and commitment. You state who you are, your relationship to the supported person, and that you will cover their maintenance — typically housing, food, healthcare and day-to-day expenses — for a stated purpose or period.
• An oath. You sign it as a solemn statement of truth, not casual correspondence. Knowingly false statements in sworn documents can expose you to legal liability.
• Notarisation. A notary public verifies your identity, confirms you understand the content, witnesses your signature and seals the document. Without this step, most authorities treat the paper as a mere letter.

It is a close cousin of other notarised declarations UAE residents use, such as a power of attorney or a no-objection declaration. The mechanics — drafting, translating, appearing before the notary — are largely the same. What differs is the content: an affidavit of support is about money and maintenance, not about authorising someone to act for you.

One caution on the name. "Affidavit of support" is also the title of a specific United States immigration form. In the UAE context the term is used more loosely: it means any sworn support undertaking that a UAE authority, a foreign embassy or consulate in the UAE, or an overseas authority asks a UAE-based sponsor to provide.

When UAE processes ask for an affidavit of support

The document appears in four recurring situations: visa sponsorship, family visits, marriage files and embassy or consular procedures. Not every applicant needs one — it is requested case by case, usually where the relationship or the finances need extra proof.

Visa sponsorship and family residence

UAE residents who sponsor relatives must show they can support them. The core requirements — minimum salary, suitable accommodation, permitted relationships — are set by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and, in Dubai, administered through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. The exact salary and accommodation thresholds are set by these authorities and can change; confirm the current figures with GDRFA/ICP or a licensed UAE lawyer.

Where does an affidavit come in? In file-specific cases the authority may ask for a sworn undertaking on top of the standard proofs — for example, when a resident sponsors a parent and must declare being the parent's sole or primary supporter, or when income documents alone do not tell the full story. The affidavit turns an informal promise into a signed, notarised commitment on the file.

Family visit visas

A host inviting a relative for a visit may be asked to guarantee the visitor's expenses and departure. Some processes accept standard sponsorship forms; others — particularly where a third party is hosting, or the visitor has limited funds — ask the host to sign a sworn support and guarantee declaration. If you are asked for one, check exactly which authority wants it and in what form, because embassy formats and UAE-notary formats differ.

Marriage requirements

Marriage files in the UAE often require proof of financial capacity, and some sharia courts, civil marriage routes and foreign embassies ask for sworn declarations as part of the bundle. Two common examples: a groom declaring his income and capacity to maintain a household, or a parent or relative undertaking to support a spouse who will not initially work. Requirements vary by emirate and by the couple's nationalities, so confirm the checklist with the marriage authority handling your file before drafting anything.

Embassy and consular procedures

Foreign missions in the UAE regularly ask their nationals for affidavits of support — for a relative's tourist visit to the home country, for a minor travelling with one parent, or for student and dependant applications abroad. Each mission prescribes its own wording and its own execution rules. Some require signing at the consulate itself; others accept a UAE-notarised affidavit that is then legalised. Follow the mission's template exactly — a UAE notary can notarise your signature, but cannot fix a document drafted on the wrong form.

Requirement for affidavit of support in Dubai

In Dubai, the practical requirement comes down to five things: the right requesting authority, the right content, the right language, the right signatory, and notarisation. Here is the checklist most files need:

• Identify who is asking. GDRFA, a Dubai court, a foreign consulate and an overseas immigration office each have different format rules. Get the requirement in writing before drafting.
• Your identity documents. Original Emirates ID (and passport where requested) for the person signing. The supported person's full name, nationality and passport details go into the text.
• Proof of relationship. Birth or marriage certificates are commonly attached, attested where they originate abroad (attestation is its own process — see below).
• Proof of means. A salary certificate, bank statements or a trade licence, depending on what the requesting authority wants to see.
• Arabic text or [legal translation](/dictionary/legal-translation). Documents used before Dubai's notaries and courts must be in Arabic or accompanied by a translation from a legal translator licensed by the Ministry of Justice.
• Notarisation. Signature before the Notary Public at Dubai Courts or a licensed private notary, in person or through the approved remote channels where available.

There is no single government-published "affidavit of support fee" or universal template. Notary service fees are set by the relevant judicial authority and can change; confirm the current schedule with Dubai Courts or the notary office before you attend. If the requesting authority gave you a template, use it. If not, have the text drafted or reviewed by a lawyer so the undertaking is neither broader nor narrower than the situation needs — you are signing a commitment that can be held against you.

How to draft an affidavit of support

A well-drafted affidavit is short, specific and honest. Whether you draft it yourself, use the requesting authority's template or instruct a lawyer, it should cover:

1. Your full details. Name as per passport, nationality, Emirates ID and passport numbers, residential address in the UAE.
2. The supported person's details. Full name, nationality, passport number, relationship to you.
3. The undertaking itself. What you commit to pay or provide — accommodation, living expenses, medical costs, travel — and for what purpose (a visit, a residence period, studies, a marriage file).
4. Duration or trigger. The period of support or the event that ends it. Open-ended undertakings invite disputes; date-bound ones are cleaner.
5. Basis of means. A brief statement of your employment or business and income, consistent with the proof you attach.
6. The oath and signature block. A declaration that the contents are true, with space for your signature and the notary's attestation.

Keep the tone factual. Do not overstate income, and do not promise support you cannot deliver. A sworn undertaking is documentary evidence under the Evidence Law, and general obligation principles under the Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025) mean a specific written commitment is not something you can casually walk back. If the beneficiary or a counterparty ever relies on it in a dispute, the notarised text is what the court will read — and if a disagreement does escalate, it enters the same track as any other claim in the UAE civil lawsuit process.

How to notarise it in Dubai: notary public or private notary

You have two routes in Dubai: the Notary Public operating under Dubai Courts, and licensed private notaries. Both produce a notarised document with the same legal effect; the difference is where and how you are served. Public notary services run through the courts' official channels, while private notaries are licensed professionals — typically operating from law firms — offering the same core attestations, often with more scheduling flexibility. Our guide to notary public services in Dubai compares the two routes in detail.

The session itself is simple:

• Bring your original Emirates ID (and passport where required) plus the final text with its legal translation if the original is not in Arabic.
• The notary verifies your identity and capacity, confirms you understand what you are signing, and may decline documents with unlawful or unclear content.
• You sign before the notary; the notary attests and seals; you receive the notarised original.

Remote notarisation channels have expanded across UAE justice services in recent years — see the federal overview of justice and legal services. Availability depends on the document type and the notary, so ask when booking whether your affidavit qualifies for a video appearance or must be signed in person.

Signed abroad? Attest it before UAE use

An affidavit of support notarised in another country is not automatically usable in the UAE — it must be legalised through the attestation chain first. The standard route runs: notarisation in the country of signing, authentication by that country's foreign ministry, legalisation by the UAE embassy or consulate there, and final attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE. Documents not in Arabic will also need a licensed legal translation before they are presented to UAE authorities.

The same chain applies in reverse: a UAE-notarised affidavit destined for a foreign authority usually needs MOFA attestation and then legalisation by that country's mission. Timelines vary with the countries involved, and same-day channels exist for some steps — ask the attesting authority which fast-track options apply to your route. The step-by-step chain is worked through in our power of attorney attestation guide, which follows the identical route.

Common mistakes that get affidavits rejected

Most rejections are procedural, not substantive. The recurring ones:

• Wrong format for the requesting authority. A UAE-notarised affidavit where the consulate required signing on its own premises, or vice versa.
• Missing translation. English-only text presented to an Arabic-language authority without a Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation.
• Skipped attestation. A foreign affidavit presented in the UAE without the embassy and MOFA chain completed.
• Vague undertakings. "I will support my brother" with no scope, period or purpose — authorities and notaries push back on open-ended text.
• Inconsistent numbers. Declared income that does not match the attached salary certificate or bank statements.
• Expired supporting documents. Requesting authorities often want recently issued proofs; a months-old salary letter may be refused. Check the specific freshness rule with the authority handling your file.

What to do next

If you have been asked for an affidavit of support, take three steps in order. First, get the requirement in writing from the requesting authority — exact wording, language and execution rules. Second, assemble your identity, relationship and income documents, with translations and attestations where anything originates abroad. Third, have the text reviewed before you swear it: a short review costs little compared with unwinding a badly drafted sworn undertaking.

You can find a verified lawyer on LEXAI who handles notarial drafting and document legalisation — many list civil documentation and family sponsorship work among their practice areas. You deal with the lawyer directly and pay them directly; LEXAI verifies credentials and lists them, and is not part of the engagement. For a quick orientation before you engage anyone, you can also ask a free question through LEXAI's AI legal assistant — general information, not legal advice.