A baby born in the UAE must hold a residence visa within 120 days of birth. Inside that window you need the DHA birth certificate, MOFA attestation, a passport from your home-country embassy, an Emirates ID and the stamped residence visa — five phases across three different authorities. We run the phases in parallel, collect and return documents from your door, and keep you clear of the AED 100 per day overstay fine while you focus on your baby.
- Grace period
- 120 days from birth
- Overstay fine
- 100/ day
- Medical test
- Not required
- Biometrics
- Not required under 15
The 120-day rule
The clock starts on the date of birth, not on the day you collect the first document. Everything — birth certificate, attestation, passport, Emirates ID and visa stamping — must be finished before day 121, after which daily fines accrue and the baby cannot leave the UAE.
- Start within the first two weeks — embassy passport timelines are the least predictable stage
- The sponsoring parent needs a minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with company accommodation
- A mother can sponsor the newborn directly; no NOC from the father is required
- Fines can sometimes be reduced or waived with documented proof of an embassy delay
The five phases
Each phase feeds the next, so the order matters. We keep the file moving between DHA, MOFA, your consulate and GDRFA/ICP without you visiting an office.
- Pre-documentation — both parents' passports and Emirates IDs plus an attested marriage certificate
- Birth certificate — hospital birth notification, DHA upload, online payment and courier delivery
- MOFA attestation — door-to-door collection of the original certificate and return once attested
- Passport — appointment and application at your home-country embassy or consulate
- Visa issuance — Emirates ID application, visa stamping, approval and card delivery
Documents by stage
Three stages, three checklists. A single missing copy holds up the whole stage, so we confirm the full set before submitting.
- Birth certificate — both parents' passport and Emirates ID copies, attested marriage certificate
- Baby's passport — both parents' passports, attested birth certificate, white-background photo
- Visa issuance — sponsor's passport, Emirates ID and labour contract, baby's passport and photo, attested birth certificate
- Health insurance compliant with the Dubai Essential Benefits Plan before the Emirates ID is issued
Cost and inclusions
Government fees for a newborn are modest compared with an adult file because there is no medical test and no biometrics. Typical items are the birth certificate, English copy if requested, MOFA attestation, Emirates ID and visa stamping. Passport fees are set by your embassy and vary by nationality.
- Arabic birth certificate is mandatory; the English version is optional but usually needed by the embassy
- Emirates ID and stamping fees depend on the sponsor's visa type (employee, investor or Golden Visa)
- Use our calculator for an itemised estimate before you commit
- Marriage-certificate attestation, if not yet done, is handled by our attestation team
Frequently asked
120 days from the date of birth for a baby born in the UAE. Within that window you need the birth certificate, MOFA attestation, the baby's passport and the stamped residence visa, so it is best to start in the first week.
AED 100 per day until the residence visa is issued. The baby also cannot travel out of the UAE until the visa is stamped and the fines are settled.
Birth certificate from the hospital and DHA (Arabic, with English if needed), MOFA attestation, the baby's passport from your consulate, then the residence file with GDRFA and finally the Emirates ID with health insurance. We run stages in parallel wherever possible.
No. The medical fitness test only applies from age 18, so newborns and children are fully exempt.
Yes, every resident of any age needs one. No fingerprints are taken under age 15, so the baby does not need to attend a biometrics appointment.
Yes, if she meets the criteria. Mothers in professions such as medicine, engineering or teaching can sponsor at the standard salary level; others typically need a higher income and special GDRFA approval in Dubai.
Get the baby's passport first, then we apply for an entry permit through GDRFA or ICP so the baby can enter the UAE, and complete the residence visa and Emirates ID after arrival.
There is no automatic waiver, but immigration can reduce or waive fines when the delay is documented, for example with embassy correspondence. We prepare and submit the waiver request with the supporting evidence.
Yes. A policy compliant with Dubai's Essential Benefits Plan must be active before the Emirates ID is issued. Many insurers cover newborns under the mother's policy for the first 30 days, but the baby needs their own policy for the visa.
It depends on the sponsor's visa type and whether you request the English birth certificate. A typical file covers the birth certificate, MOFA attestation, Emirates ID and visa stamping — use our calculator for an itemised figure, and note that passport fees are set by your embassy.