Affidavits and Declarations

What Is a Statutory Declaration? Meaning and Use in the UAE

November 4, 20267 minute read

What is a statutory declaration? It is a written statement of facts that you sign and declare to be true, so another office can rely on it. In the UAE, we draft your declaration, handle the legal translation, and our in-house notary public notarises it, in person at our Business Bay office, online or at a home visit.

Man's hand holding a blue pen over a blank sheet of paper on a desk

WhatsApp +971 50 264 8766 and tell us who asked for your declaration.

  • It is a signed statement of facts, not a contract.
  • You sign it before a notary public, who checks your ID and applies the seal.
  • It must be true. You are the person responsible for what it says.
  • The receiving office decides what wording it accepts.
  • If it is used abroad, it may need attestation after the notary step.

What Is a Statutory Declaration?

A statutory declaration is a plain statement about one set of facts, such as where you live, your status or your income. You do not argue a case in it. You state what is true and sign it.

Offices in some countries use the term. When they ask for one, they want a signed, witnessed statement. In the UAE, a statement of this kind is usually prepared as a declaration or an affidavit and signed before a notary public. Ask the office that requested it what wording and format it wants, because it decides what it accepts.

Our page on what an affidavit is explains the closest UAE document.

Step by step

What Is a Statutory Declaration: Requirements

Three things make the document usable:

1

A clear subject

One declaration should cover one set of facts.

2

True statements

Only write what you know to be true.

3

A notary public

The notary checks your identity and watches you sign.

If the office abroad gave you a form or a fixed wording, bring it. We keep that wording and prepare the Arabic text where one is needed. Translations for official use are done by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice.

What Is a Statutory Declaration: Documents Required

Bring or send us:

  • Your passport and your Emirates ID.
  • The wording or form the receiving office asked for, if there is one.
  • The facts you want to state, with any papers that support them.
  • The name of the office or country that will receive the declaration.

A closely related document is the declaration of residency, which has its own page.

Step by step

What Is a Statutory Declaration: Procedure

  1. Tell us the use Message us the document and the office that asked for it.
  2. We draft We write the declaration in plain, exact words and send it to you to read.
  3. Legal translation If it needs Arabic or English, we handle the legal translation.
  4. You sign before the notary Our in-house notary public checks your ID and watches you sign. You can do this in person at our Business Bay office, online or at a home visit.
  5. Attestation, if abroad A document going abroad is attested by MOFAIC, then by the destination country's embassy or consulate in the UAE.

Notarial acts in the UAE are regulated by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022. Online notarisation goes through channels such as the Ministry of Justice E-Notary System. We tell you if your declaration can be done online.

Five steps showing what is a statutory declaration process from drafting to attestation
Hand signing a typed page with a fountain pen, as for a declaration

Ask about your document

Tell us the document and how many people will sign, and we will give you the government fee and our starting price in one message.

Which Office Handles It

A notary public in the UAE handles the signing. Dubai has a Government notary public at Dubai Courts and licensed private notaries on a roll kept by Dubai Courts. These are separate bodies. Our in-house notary public sits at our Business Bay office. For Dubai Courts timings and phone numbers, check the Dubai Courts website.

Prices

What Is a Statutory Declaration: Fees

Government fees and our service price are separate.

ItemOur service priceGovernment fee, paid on top at cost
Declaration or affidavit, drafted and notarisedfrom AED 600AED 300 for executing and notarising an affidavit on the federal schedule
Authenticating a signatureIncluded when it appliesAED 200 per party on the federal schedule
Legal translationfrom AED 50 per pageAED 50 per page to notarise a translation in the instrument
MOFA attestation handling, personal documentfrom AED 150AED 150 at MOFAIC
Home visitQuoted on requestQuoted when you book

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, a private notary on the federal schedule may add up to 30%. On the Dubai private notary route, the Dubai Media Office reports AED 100 per party for registration plus AED 100 per signature.

All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.

What Is a Statutory Declaration: Processing Time

The time depends on how complete your facts are, whether a translation is needed and whether attestation follows. We do not promise a number of days. The UAE government weekend is Saturday and Sunday, with Friday a half day.

Office appointments run Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time). WhatsApp answered 24/7.

Watch for

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Writing something you cannot prove.
  • Mixing several subjects in one declaration.
  • Signing before the notary has checked your ID.
  • Changing the wording the receiving office gave you.
  • Forgetting the attestation step for use abroad.

How We Help

We draft your document, handle the legal translation, and our in-house notary public notarises it, in person at our Business Bay office, online or at a home visit. An Arab notary public sits at our Business Bay office. For the wider picture, read what documents are notarised in the UAE and what notarized means.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Not answered here? Call or WhatsApp +971 50 264 8766.

How much does a statutory declaration cost?

Our price for a notarised declaration starts from AED 600. The government fee is paid on top, at cost. A home visit is quoted on request.

How long does a statutory declaration take?

It depends on your facts, the translation and any attestation, so we cannot give a fixed time. Tell us your date when you message and we explain what can be planned.

What documents are required for a statutory declaration?

You need your passport and Emirates ID, the wording the receiving office asked for, and the facts you want to state. Add any papers that support them.

Can a statutory declaration be done online?

We tell you if your declaration can be done online. Some notarial work can use remote channels, but we never promise that a particular document can be done remotely. Otherwise you sign in person or at a home visit.

Guides

More guides

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Talk to us

Next Step

Call or WhatsApp +971 50 264 8766, or email help@notaryservicesindubai.com. Tell us the document and how many people will sign, and we will give you the government fee and our starting price in one message. Our office is at 707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE. You can also message us on WhatsApp.

Ask for a starting price

We reply in working hours. For a faster answer, send the request on WhatsApp, answered 24/7.