Dubai Health · MOFA · GDRFA · ICP

Newborn baby visa in Dubai: steps, deadline and cost in 2026

Birth certificate, MOFA attestation, passport, then residence and Emirates ID, all within 120 days of birth. See every step, document and fee first, then let us file it for you through Amer on your written instructions.

Fees at the counter fromAED 1,585Our fee AED 500 VAT incl.

The short answer · checked 28 October 2026

How a newborn gets a UAE residence visa

In short: a baby born in the UAE to resident parents needs four things in order: a birth certificate from the health authority, MOFA attestation of that certificate, a passport from the parents' embassy, and a residence permit with an Emirates ID on the sponsoring parent's file. UAE law gives four months from the date of birth (u.ae counts it as 120 days) to finish, or for the baby to leave. There is no medical test and no fingerprinting at this age. At the Amer counter in Dubai the four lines come to about AED 1,585, typing included, before the passport fee your embassy sets.

Reviewed by Mir Ali, founder of MIRDXB PRO · fees and rules checked 28 October 2026

  • Deadline120 daysfrom the date of birth, not from the certificate
  • Sponsor's salaryAED 4,000a month, or AED 3,000 with employer housing
  • Counter total, DubaiAED 1,585certificate, MOFA, Emirates ID and residence
  • Medical and biometricsNonemedical from 18, fingerprints from 15
  • Stages4certificate, attestation, passport, residence
  • After the deadlineAED 50a day on ICP's fine card, until the status is fixed

The deadline

The 120-day clock, and what it costs to miss it

Article 12 of Federal Decree-Law 29 of 2021 tells a foreign parent to do two things within four months of the birth: obtain the baby's identity documents under the law of their own country, and establish the baby's residence. The executive regulation (Cabinet Resolution 65 of 2022, Article 6) adds the alternative: the baby can instead leave the UAE within the same four months. The clock starts on the day of birth. A slow certificate, a late embassy appointment or a holiday does not pause it.

  • 30 days

    To register the birth

    u.ae gives residents up to 30 days to register a birth. In practice the hospital starts it before discharge.

  • 120 days

    To finish the residence

    Four months in the law, 120 days on u.ae. Passport, residence and Emirates ID must all be done inside it, or the baby leaves.

  • AED 50

    For each late day

    ICP's fine card lists AED 50 a day once a newborn's registration period has passed. It runs until the status is put right.

  • AED 20

    Late Emirates ID, per day

    A separate ICP fine for a child born in the UAE, counted after four months from birth and capped at AED 1,000.

Two official figures for the daily fine

u.ae's newborn page still says AED 100 a day after the 120 days and that the baby cannot leave the country until it is settled. ICP, which issues the fine, lists AED 50 a day for an expired newborn registration, and the executive regulation caps any daily residence fine at AED 100 (Article 64). We work on ICP's AED 50, and the payment screen for your file is final. Article 13 of the Decree-Law lets the ICP Chairman, or someone he delegates, waive all or part of the fine; there is no published automatic waiver.

The legal text, article by article, is in our family sponsorship and newborn law guide. The per-day fine for every other status is on our overstay fine guide.

Before the due date

What to sort out before the baby arrives

The hospital asks for the parents' documents to register the birth, and anything missing on that day costs you weeks later. Put these in one folder, with digital copies, before the due date.

Documents in hand

  • Both parents' passports, with valid residence
  • Both parents' Emirates IDs (originals; the facility checks them)
  • Marriage certificate, attested. A certificate issued abroad needs the home authorities, the UAE embassy there and UAE MOFA; one issued by a UAE court needs no foreign chain
  • An Arabic legal translation of the marriage certificate if it is in another language
  • The sponsoring parent's salary certificate or MOHRE contract

Decisions to make early

  • Who sponsors: the parent who clears the salary test and whose residence runs longest
  • The baby's full name, spelled exactly as it will appear in the passport
  • Your embassy's newborn passport rules: appointment wait, documents, and whether they want the birth certificate attested first
  • Health insurance: how the baby will be added to a policy after birth
  • Marriage certificate not attested yet? Start now. The chain abroad can take weeks, and the 120 days begin at birth.

Attesting the marriage certificate: marriage certificate attestation. The order of every stamp: attestation process explained.

The process

Newborn baby visa in Dubai: the 4 stages

Each stage needs the output of the one before it: the passport is issued from the birth certificate, and the residence is issued on the passport. Only the passport stage is outside UAE control, so plan everything around it.

Who issues itTypical timeCounter price, Dubai

  1. 1

    Birth certificate

    DHADaysAED 250

    The hospital issues the live-birth notification and checks the parents' originals. The certificate is then requested on DHA's website, paid online and delivered, in Arabic and English.

  2. 2

    MOFA attestation

    MOFAAbout 3 working daysAED 400

    u.ae says expatriates must have the birth certificate attested by the health authority and MOFA. A DHA stamp counts as the health ministry's. MOFA attests it through its website or app.

  3. 3

    Passport from your embassy

    Your embassyDays to weeksEmbassy fee

    The baby takes the nationality rules of the parents' country; u.ae notes that a child of mixed-nationality parents takes the father's. ICP needs a passport valid for at least 6 months.

  4. 4

    Residence and Emirates ID

    GDRFA · ICPAbout 48 hours + up to 5 daysAED 935

    The baby is already in the UAE, so there is no entry permit: the residence is issued inside the country on the sponsor's file, with the Emirates ID. Only a photo is needed for the baby.

No medical, no fingerprints

The medical fitness test applies from 18 (u.ae, GDRFA), and ICP takes fingerprints and a signature from age 15. A newborn needs neither.

No passport sticker

ICP replaced the residence sticker with the Emirates ID on 11 April 2022. The baby's residence is electronic and the card is the proof.

Already sponsor anyone?

If you have never sponsored a family member, a sponsor file is opened first: AED 253 at the counter (GDRFA's own lines are AED 230). If your spouse is on your visa, the file already exists.

Paperwork

Documents for each stage

Four short lists, in the order you will need them. Clear scans are enough to start; keep every original until the Emirates ID arrives.

1. Birth certificate

  • Live-birth notification, stamped by the hospital
  • Original Emirates ID or passport of the mother and father
  • Attested marriage certificate, or the parents' lineage acknowledgement authenticated by their embassy or a notary (DHA)
  • The baby's name in English, matching the passport you will apply for

2. MOFA attestation

  • The original birth certificate issued by the health authority
  • UAE PASS login for MOFA's website or app

3. Baby's passport

  • Birth certificate, attested if your embassy asks for it
  • Both parents' passports and residence details
  • Marriage certificate, as your embassy requires
  • Passport photos of the baby to your embassy's specification
  • Your embassy's own application form and fee

4. Residence and Emirates ID

  • The baby's passport, valid for at least 6 months
  • A recent colour photo on a white background
  • Attested birth certificate naming both parents
  • Sponsor's passport, residence, Emirates ID and salary document
  • Mother's passport and residence; the father's no-objection letter if the mother sponsors
  • Health insurance for the baby (ICP lists it; Dubai law makes the sponsor insure dependants)

A plan that leaves room

Your 120 days, day by day

The law sets only the end date. This is the plan we work to, with a month spare for an embassy delay or a returned document. Your embassy's passport time decides how much of the buffer you use.

Suggested timeline from the date of birth, Dubai. Official limits are marked; the rest is planning.
WhenWhat to doWhy then
Day 0 to 3Give the hospital both parents' originals and the attested marriage certificate; collect the birth notificationThe facility checks originals before the certificate request
Day 1 to 10Request the birth certificate on DHA's website and pay; book the embassy passport appointmentu.ae: register within 30 days; embassy slots are the slowest part
Day 7 to 20Attest the certificate at MOFAMOFA: about 1 to 3 working days
Day 14 to 60Apply for and collect the passport; add the baby to a health policyEmbassy times vary by country
Passport + 1 to 7Apply for the residence and Emirates IDGDRFA: about 48 hours; ICP: up to 5 days for the card
By day 90Residence issued, Emirates ID on its wayLeaves 30 days for anything that goes wrong
Day 120Last day of the four monthsDecree-Law 29 of 2021, Art. 12; u.ae: 120 days
From day 121AED 50 a day, plus AED 20 a day for the late Emirates ID (capped at AED 1,000)ICP fine cards

Put your own dates in the UAE visa deadline planner: it counts the newborn deadline from the date of birth.

Cost · checked 28 October 2026

How much a newborn baby visa costs in Dubai in 2026

Two tables, so you can see where every dirham goes. The first is what you pay at the Amer counter in Dubai, typing and service charges included. The second is what the authorities charge on their own fee cards, for comparison.

Counter price list

MirDxbPRO counter price list, October 2026, typing included, parent on an employment or partner visa
LineAED
Birth certificate Arabic and English, delivered250
MOFA attestation of the birth certificate400
Emirates ID 2 years385
Residence visa (stamping) 2 years, electronic550
Total excluding passport fees set by the embassyAED 1,585

MirDxbPRO counter price list, October 2026. Add AED 253 if a family sponsor file has to be opened first.

What the government charges

Official fees per line, from the authorities' fee cards, checked 28 October 2026
LineAED
Birth certificate DHA, per certificate70
MOFA attestation personal status document150
Emirates ID, 2 years ICP: AED 100 a year + AED 100300
Residence permit, 2 years GDRFA card lines: 200 + 10 + 10 + 20 delivery240
Sum of the lines one certificateAED 760

GDRFA's card also prints an AED 500 inside-country line, charged only where GDRFA applies it; the payment screen for your file is final.

Official fee (source, checked 28 Oct 2026): DHA birth certificate card, MOFA fees page, ICP new identity card service, GDRFA family residence service.

Why the two totals differ

The counter list is our package price for Dubai: on top of the government lines it covers typing, service-centre charges, delivery, both language certificates and MOFA handling. The sum of the official lines is lower, AED 760. We show you the payment screen for your file before you pay. Neither table includes the passport, health insurance or our own fee.

Worked examples

Parent on an employment visa, spouse already sponsored

Counter lines
AED 1,585
Our fee, VAT included
AED 500
Total before passport
AED 2,085

First family member on your file

Counter lines
AED 1,585
Family file opening
AED 253
Our fee, VAT included
AED 500
Total before passport
AED 2,338

Residence finished 10 days late

ICP fine, 10 x AED 50
AED 500
Late Emirates ID, 10 x AED 20
AED 200
Added to the bill
AED 700

The examples are illustrations on the October 2026 counter list, not quotes; your fixed quote comes in writing. A Golden Visa holder's baby uses different residence and Emirates ID lines: the calculator below shows them.

Your own total

Newborn visa cost calculator

The calculator uses the same counter price list, typing included. Choose the parent's visa; our fee is shown on its own line.

Fee calculator

Example: Newborn, parent on an employment visa.

The parent’s residence visa
Adjust details English certificate: Yes · Change
Do you also need the English birth certificate?Most embassies ask for it when you apply for the baby’s passport.

Your resultExample

Newborn visa: Sponsor: Employment visa

AED 2,085estimated total

Estimated total, before the baby’s passport (issued by your embassy).

Government and typing fees
AED 1,585
MirDxbPRO service fee
AED 500 (VAT included)

Apply within 120 days of birth to avoid daily fines.

Get my fixed quote on WhatsApp

Price list reviewed 1 Nov 2026; counter prices at Amer and Tasheel, typing included. Estimate, not legal advice; the authority's payment screen and decision are final.

Full breakdown
Press Show my result to list every fee line.
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Sponsoring other family members too? Use the visa cost estimator for every visa type in one place.

Dubai or another emirate

Dubai vs Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates

The deadline, the salary test and the order of the stages are national. Who issues the birth certificate and where you apply for the residence follow the emirate: the birth certificate goes by where the baby was born, the residence by the emirate that issued the sponsor's own visa.

Newborn steps by emirate, official fee cards checked 28 October 2026
ItemDubaiAbu DhabiNorthern emirates
Birth certificate issued byDHA, on its website after the hospital notificationDepartment of Health, through TAMMEmirates Health Services, with UAE PASS and the notification number
Certificate feeAED 70 per certificateAED 50 for the English certificateAED 65 per certificate, delivery AED 20.75
MOFA attestationSeparate step on MOFA's website or app, AED 150Can be added when the certificate is issued, AED 150MOFA digital attestation can be chosen at issuance
Residence issued byGDRFA Dubai: website, app, Amer centresICP: website or app with UAE PASSICP: website or app with UAE PASS
Residence fee, 2 yearsGDRFA card lines, AED 240; the card also prints an AED 500 inside-country line, charged where GDRFA applies itICP: AED 100 application + AED 100 a year + AED 100 smart serviceThe same as Abu Dhabi
Health insuranceNot on GDRFA's card; Dubai law makes the sponsor insure dependantsA valid policy is a listed ICP documentA valid policy is a listed ICP document
Service timeAbout 48 hoursAbout 2 daysAbout 2 days
Emirates IDICP everywhere: AED 100 a year + AED 100; no fingerprints under 15

Our counter price list covers Dubai. For a baby born in another emirate, or a sponsor whose visa was issued outside Dubai, the lines change and we quote them in writing.

When the file is not routine

Special cases, and what the rules actually say

Most newborn files are straightforward. These are the ones that are not, with only what the official sources state.

  • Parents not married, or no attested marriage certificate

    DHA's birth certificate card accepts, in place of a marriage certificate, the parents' acknowledgement of the child's lineage authenticated by their embassy or a notary public. Federal Decree-Law 31 of 2021, Article 410, says no case is brought where the parents marry, or both acknowledge the child and obtain identity and travel documents for it. Take legal advice for your own situation.

  • Names that do not match

    The birth certificate is the source for the passport, and the passport for the residence and Emirates ID. If a spelling differs, fix it at the source: the health authority amends the certificate, then the passport, then the residence follows. Our name correction guide sets out the order.

  • Travelling before the residence is done

    The executive regulation allows the baby to leave within the four months instead of taking residence. A baby who leaves has no UAE status to return on, so it comes back on an entry permit or visit visa like any foreign child. After the four months, u.ae says the baby cannot leave until the status is settled.

  • Already past 120 days

    The residence can still be issued; the daily fines are paid with it. Work out the amount first, then apply without further delay, because every day adds AED 50, plus AED 20 for the Emirates ID until the AED 1,000 cap. A waiver is at ICP's discretion only.

  • Golden Visa parent

    The baby follows the four stages, then joins the Golden file with its own residence and Emirates ID lines. The baby's residence is tied to the parent's and cannot run past it. See Golden Visa family sponsorship; our fee for Golden work is quoted with the file.

  • Born abroad, living in Dubai

    A baby born outside the UAE never enters this process. It comes in on a family entry permit, with the foreign birth certificate attested in the country of birth, at the UAE embassy there and by MOFA. Start on our family visa page.

Any of these apply to you?

Problem files (past the deadline or carrying fines, unmarried parents, a name mismatch, or a sponsor below the salary line) start with a file check: AED 100 (5% VAT included), fully credited to your fee if you go ahead. It tells you the route, the fines and the timeline before you spend anything else. Book a file check on WhatsApp

From our case desk

Mistakes that eat into the 120 days

  • Counting from the certificate date

    The four months run from the birth. A certificate collected in week three has already used three weeks.

  • Waiting to book the embassy

    Booking the passport appointment only after attestation, when many embassies take the request earlier. Ask yours in the first week.

  • An unattested marriage certificate

    Found at the hospital, when the foreign chain takes weeks. Attest it during the pregnancy.

  • Two spellings of one name

    A transliteration on the certificate that differs from the passport application. Agree the spelling before you register.

  • A sponsor visa about to expire

    The baby's residence cannot outlast yours. Renew your own first, or the baby's permit comes out short.

  • A trip home in month three

    Flying out with no residence, then needing an entry permit to bring the baby back. Finish the residence first if you can.

Our service

Let us run your baby's file

MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and visa services firm in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. On your written instructions we request the birth certificate, attest it at MOFA, tell you exactly what your embassy needs, then submit the residence and Emirates ID through Amer and GDRFA, or ICP, and track the card to your door.

What we handle

  • Document and salary check before anything is filed
  • Birth certificate request and MOFA attestation
  • Embassy passport checklist for your nationality
  • Residence and Emirates ID on the sponsor's file
  • Your 120-day dates tracked, with reminders

Our fee

AED 500 per new visa, VAT included

Counter and government lines are paid at cost, with a receipt for each. A Golden Visa holder's baby is quoted with the file. Your total is fixed in writing before you pay.

Get your fixed quote on WhatsApp

Questions

Newborn baby visa questions

Short answers to what new parents ask first. Anything else, ask us directly.

Ask us on WhatsApp

How long do I have to get a residence visa for my newborn in Dubai?

Four months from the date of birth, which u.ae counts as 120 days. Federal Decree-Law 29 of 2021 (Article 12) asks the parents to obtain the baby's identity documents and residence in that time; the executive regulation lets the baby leave the UAE instead. The clock starts at birth, not when the certificate is issued.

What is the fine if my baby's visa is late?

ICP's fine card lists AED 50 a day once a newborn's registration period has passed, and a separate AED 20 a day for the late Emirates ID, capped at AED 1,000. u.ae's newborn page still shows AED 100 a day. The payment screen for your file is final, and only the ICP Chairman, or someone he delegates, can waive a fine.

How much does a newborn baby visa cost in Dubai in 2026?

At the Amer counter, about AED 1,585 with typing included: birth certificate AED 250, MOFA attestation AED 400, Emirates ID AED 385 and residence AED 550 (MirDxbPRO counter price list, October 2026). The passport fee is set by your embassy. Add AED 253 if a family sponsor file must be opened first. Our own fee is AED 500, VAT included.

What does the government itself charge?

On the official cards checked on 28 October 2026: AED 70 per birth certificate (DHA), AED 150 for MOFA attestation, AED 300 for a 2-year Emirates ID (ICP) and AED 240 in GDRFA residence lines. That sums to AED 760 before typing. GDRFA's card also prints an AED 500 inside-country line, charged only where GDRFA applies it; the payment screen for your file is final.

Does a newborn need a medical test or fingerprints?

No. The medical fitness test applies from age 18, according to u.ae and GDRFA, and ICP takes fingerprints and a signature only from age 15. For the residence and Emirates ID, the baby needs a passport valid for at least 6 months and a recent photo on a white background.

Do I need an entry permit for a baby born in Dubai?

No. The baby is already in the UAE, so the residence is issued inside the country on the sponsoring parent's file, followed by the Emirates ID. An entry permit is only needed for a baby born abroad, or for a baby who left the UAE before its residence was issued.

How do I get my baby's birth certificate in Dubai?

The hospital issues the live-birth notification and checks both parents' original Emirates IDs or passports and the attested marriage certificate. The certificate is then requested on DHA's website, paid online and delivered. DHA lists AED 70 per certificate, issued in Arabic and English. u.ae gives residents 30 days to register a birth.

Does the birth certificate need MOFA attestation?

Yes. u.ae says expatriates must have birth certificates attested by the health authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; a DHA or DoH stamp counts as the health ministry's. MOFA charges AED 150 for a personal status document, applied for on its website or app.

Where does my baby's passport come from?

From the embassy or consulate of the parents' country, under that country's own rules; the UAE does not issue it. u.ae notes that when parents have different nationalities, the child takes the father's. Embassy times range from days to several weeks, so book the appointment in the first week after the birth.

Can the mother sponsor the newborn?

Yes, if she meets the same salary test of AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 with employer housing. GDRFA's family entry permit card lists a no-objection letter from the father when the wife is the sponsor. The residence card used for a baby born in Dubai publishes no separate newborn rule, so keep the father's letter ready.

What salary do I need to sponsor my baby?

AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month if your employer provides housing, the same test GDRFA, ICP and u.ae apply to any family visa. It is read from your MOHRE contract or salary certificate. If you earn less, the other parent may qualify, or GDRFA's humanitarian route can consider the case.

Can we travel with the baby before the residence is issued?

The executive regulation lets a newborn leave the UAE within the four months instead of taking residence. Once it leaves without a residence, it has no UAE status to return on and comes back on an entry permit or visit visa like any foreign child. After the four months, u.ae says the baby cannot leave until the status is settled.

What if the parents are not married?

DHA's birth certificate card accepts, instead of a marriage certificate, the parents' acknowledgement of the child's lineage authenticated by their embassy or a notary public. Federal Decree-Law 31 of 2021, Article 410, says no case is brought where the parents marry, or both acknowledge the child and obtain its identity and travel documents. Take legal advice first.

What if the names differ between the birth certificate and the passport?

Fix it at the source before applying. The health authority amends the birth certificate, the embassy issues or corrects the passport from it, and the residence and Emirates ID follow the passport. A mismatch caught after the residence means correcting several documents, so agree one spelling before the birth is registered.

My baby was born outside the UAE. Is the process the same?

No. A baby born abroad comes in on a family entry permit, and the foreign birth certificate must be attested in that country, at the UAE embassy there and by MOFA in the UAE. The steps and fees are on our family visa in Dubai page.

How does it work for a Golden Visa holder's baby?

The birth certificate, MOFA and passport stages are the same; the baby then joins the Golden Visa holder's file with its own residence and Emirates ID lines. ICP lets Golden holders sponsor children of any age, and a dependant's residence cannot run past the sponsor's. See Golden Visa family sponsorship.

Is it different in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the other emirates?

The four-month deadline and the salary test are the same everywhere. The birth certificate comes from the Department of Health through TAMM in Abu Dhabi or from Emirates Health Services in the northern emirates, and the residence is filed with ICP on its website or app with UAE PASS. ICP lists valid health insurance as a document.

Does my baby need health insurance for the visa?

ICP lists valid health insurance for family residence in the emirates it covers. GDRFA's Dubai card does not list a policy, but Dubai's Health Insurance Law (No. 11 of 2013) makes the sponsor responsible for insuring dependants when the employer does not. Add the baby to a policy before the residence is filed.

How long does the whole process take?

The UAE stages are quick: MOFA attestation takes about 1 to 3 working days, GDRFA issues the residence in about 48 hours and ICP completes the Emirates ID within 5 days. The passport is the variable, from days to weeks by embassy. We aim to finish by day 90, leaving a month spare.

What does MIRDXB PRO charge for a newborn visa?

AED 500 per new visa, VAT included. Counter and government lines are paid at cost with a receipt for each, and a Golden Visa holder's baby is quoted with the file. Send the date of birth and the sponsoring parent's visa on WhatsApp, and you receive a fixed quote in writing before you pay.

Your baby's visa, done well inside the 120 days

Send the date of birth and the sponsoring parent's visa. You get the route, every line and our fee in writing before you pay.

Knowledge Hub

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Send the date of birth and the sponsoring parent's visa. We confirm the route, every counter and government line and our own fee, in writing, before anything is paid.

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MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO services company acting solely on the written authorisation of its clients. We are not a government body and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of GDRFA Dubai, ICP, MOHRE, MOFA, Amer, Tasheel or any other authority. Government fees are passed on at cost; our own fee is quoted in writing before we start. Fees, eligibility rules and processing times are set by the relevant authority and can change without notice. This page is general information, not legal advice.

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