The UAE is undoubtedly a place on Earth’s map where several expats line up to take the chance of living and working there. Among many other benefits, a pristine career, top-notch infrastructure, and amazing quality of life are just a few things the country could offer. The next big move for numerous employees stationed in the UAE is, without doubt, their family reunification. Though, prior to submitting the application for a family UAE visa, there are certain obligatory formalities and attestation of marriage and birth certificates is the most important one.
Understanding Marriage and Birth Certificate Attestation
Attestation is a process defined by law which verifies the originality of personal, educational, and business papers that are given in one country so that they are recognized by officials in another country. These days for a family visa to the UAE, only two documents have to be attested first.
- Marriage Certificate – Verifies the legal marital relationship between husband and wife.
- Birth Certificate – Confirms the parent-child relationship and validates the child’s details.
Certificates without attestation have no use in the UAE and the application process for the visa cannot be finished. Marriage and Birth Certificate Attestation For UAE is an important step while thinking to go abroad.
Why Is Attestation Mandatory for UAE Family Visa?
- Legal Recognition of Foreign Documents: Documents from another country are not recognized in the UAE by default. A legal confirmation, known as attestation, is the process of authorizing these documents for use by the UAE government for immigration and visa-related purposes.
- Verification Against Fraud: UAE authorities are very severe in ensuring that forged or falsified documents are not used in any way. In order to reduce the possibility of fraud, attestation goes through several stages of confirmation.
- Smooth Visa Processing: One of the most frequent reasons for visa denial or delay is a certificate that is not attested. Application processing is facilitated by attestation, thus avoidance of needless holds is ensured.
- Compliance with UAE Immigration Laws: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the UAE and local embassies in the area expect certificates issued abroad to be attested first before they can be accepted. All expats shall ensure that they abide with this regulatory requirement.
- Broader Use Beyond Visa Applications: Visas are the main concern when there is a need for attested certificates. However, schools, health insurance, property transactions, and many other official transactions in the UAE may also require attested certificates.
Step-by-Step Process of Attestation
The attestation process generally involves several stages, each carried out by different authorities:
- Notary Attestation – First confirmation by a public notary.
- State or Home Department Attestation – Certificate authentication is carried out by the concerned state authority of the place where the certificate has been issued.
- Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Attestation – Valid all over the world after checking by the central government.
- UAE Embassy Attestation – A statement of support by the UAE Embassy in the country where the document was issued.
- MOFA Attestation in UAE – Final Recognition will be done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.
Every step of these is essential, and missing even one can lead to the visa application being declined.
Common Challenges Applicants Face
Often the lack of information or procedural errors during the attestations process cause many applicants to face various problems. Some of the frequent issues that people encounter are:
- Submitting document copies in place of originals
- Documents lacking signatures or stamps
- Incorrect names and dates
- Experiencing the delay caused by an incomplete verification process at the state level
Applicants who know about these difficulties are better prepared and they can also prevent unneeded delays.
In the case that you intend to support your better half or kids in the UAE then UAE Attestation of marriage and birth certificate not only is an obligatory legal requirement but also a must. These certifications keep family ties recognized by law, help prevent any illegal documents being used, and make the application for the visa process easier to handle.
Doing the attestation process in the right way is a time-saver, it can avoid issues and make the whole process of obtaining a visa for a family in the UAE more comfortable and stress-free. It is advisable for families who intend relocating to the UAE to file the certificates first and then start the visa application.