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UAE: How expats can apply for residency visa, birth certificate for newborns

Parents must register their child and obtain the necessary documents within 120 days of the birth to avoid paying penalties

Published: Tue 20 Feb 2024, 6:44 PM

Updated: Tue 20 Feb 2024, 10:47 PM

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The UAE is a great place to raise families. Expats flock to the country for precisely this reason - the safety, the high standard of healthcare and education, and enormous opportunities the Emirates presents are all great draws for newlyweds looking for a place to start their lives together.

The government also makes it easy for expats to register the births of their children in the country. Here is all you need to know about the procedures you have to follow to register the birth of a newborn and to apply for their residency visa and Emirates ID.

Birth certificate

The first document you need to obtain for your newborn is the birth certificate. According to the UAE government website, residents have a maximum of 30 days to register the birth of their child in the UAE. If the nationalities of the mother and father are different, the child will be given the nationality of the father.

You need to submit the following documents to get a birth certificate:

1. An attested Arabic translated marriage certificate, if the original is in a language other than Arabic

2. Both the copy and original of father's and mother's passport and residence visa

3. Birth details from the hospital

4. Discharge summary from the hospital

For expats, all birth certificates need to be attested by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa). You can also get the birth certificate stamped by the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (Doh) or the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). These stamps are equivalent to attestation by Mohap.

The fee for applying for a birth certificate is Dh60. You can apply through the Mohap website or in person at a public health centre.

Residence visa

In the UAE, you have 120 days from the birth of your child to get their residency visa, Emirates ID, and passport made.

In order to apply for a passport, you need to approach your country's embassy in the UAE.

The residence visa process for a newborn is the same as that for sponsoring your child's visa in the UAE. You need to fulfil certain sponsorship requirements before you can apply. First, you must have a valid residence visa. You must also have a minimum salary of Dh4,000, or Dh3,000 plus accommodation.

If you are the mother, you can only sponsor your child if approved by the ICP.

If the residence visa is not obtained within 120 days of birth, a fee of Dh100 will be charged for each day over the deadline, and the baby will not be allowed to leave the country.

In order to apply for your newborn's residency visa, you will need (in addition to your own identification) the child's passport and birth certificate. You can apply by filling out a form and submitting documents on the GDRFA website, or by visiting and Amer centre in person.

The fees are Dh100 for the urgent service, plus Dh10 as the knowledge and innovation fee.

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