Notary services
No objection certificate from employer for a tourist visa: what it says and where it is signed
A no objection certificate from employer for tourist visa applications is a short letter in which your company confirms that it knows about your trip, has approved your leave, and expects you back at work. Many embassies ask for one in a visit visa file from UAE residents. In most cases the company signs and stamps it on its letterhead; a notary comes in only when the embassy or the receiving authority says so.
Notary services
This page explains what the letter should contain, the three levels of formality an embassy may ask for, and where each one is done in Dubai and the other emirates. It also covers the other travel NOC people ask about: a parent's NOC when a child travels.
Notary Services in Dubai drafts NOC letters and, when the embassy asks for a notarised letter, has the signatory's signature notarised by our in-house notary public at our Business Bay office or at a home visit. We take care of attestation after it.
- An NOC for a visa application is usually requested in the embassy's document checklist. Read that checklist first; it decides the format.
- Most employer NOCs are signed by an authorised person and stamped by the company. No notary is involved unless the checklist asks for one.
- If notarisation is asked for, the notary authenticates the signature of the company's signatory. On the federal schedule that is AED 200 per party; for a Dubai private notary, AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature.
- A parent's NOC for a child's travel is a different document, signed personally by the parent, often before a notary.
- We draft an NOC for visa from AED 1,200, with government fees paid on top at cost.
Is an NOC required for a tourist visa?
It depends entirely on the country you are visiting and on your situation. Some embassies list an employer NOC as a required document for employed applicants; others ask for a salary certificate or a leave letter instead; some ask for nothing of the kind. Self-employed applicants and business owners are usually asked for company documents such as a trade licence instead of a letter from an employer.
So the honest answer to "is NOC required for tourist visa" is: open the embassy's checklist or the visa centre's page for your nationality and your destination, and do exactly what it says. If the checklist is unclear, send it to us and we will read it with you.
The wording
What an employer NOC for a visa usually contains
When the embassy gives no template, a clear employer NOC letter for a visa includes:
NOC letter for a visa
- The company's letterhead, with address, phone and trade licence number.
- The date of the letter.
- The addressee, for example "The Visa Officer, Embassy of [country]" or "To whom it may concern".
- Your full name exactly as in your passport, your passport number and your nationality.
- Your position and the date you joined the company.
- Your salary, if the embassy asks for it.
- The travel dates and the destination, and a statement that your leave for those dates is approved.
- A statement that the company has no objection to your travel and that you will resume work on a given date.
- The name, title, signature and contact details of the person signing, and the company stamp.
Small errors are the usual reason these letters are sent back: a name spelled differently from the passport, travel dates that do not match the flight booking, or a signatory who has no authority to sign for the company.
Side by side
Signed, stamped, notarised or attested: four levels
| Level | What happens | Who does it | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed and stamped | An authorised person signs and the company stamps the letter | Your employer | The standard for most embassy checklists |
| Notarised | A notary checks the signatory's identity and authority and authenticates the signature | A UAE notary | When the checklist says "notarised" or "attested by a notary" |
| MOFAIC attested | MOFAIC confirms the notary's seal so a foreign authority accepts it | MOFAIC | When the letter is for use abroad and the checklist asks for attestation |
| Legalised by the embassy | The destination country's embassy confirms the MOFAIC stamp | The embassy | Only when the embassy asks for it |
Each level adds cost and time, so do only what the checklist asks. For the difference between the notary's seal and the attestation stamps, see difference between notary and attestation.
Side by side
Where an employer NOC is notarised in each emirate
When notarisation is needed, the company's authorised signatory attends the notary with their Emirates ID and proof of their authority to sign for the company, such as the trade licence and a document naming them as manager or authorised signatory.
| Company location | Where the signature is notarised | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai mainland | A Dubai Courts service centre or a private notary office on the Dubai Courts roll | Dubai Courts notary public locations |
| DIFC | The DIFC Courts notary service handles declarations and certified copies for DIFC matters; check it accepts your letter | Notary offices across the UAE |
| Abu Dhabi | A notary under the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department | Abu Dhabi notary guide |
| Sharjah, Ajman and the north | The notary in that emirate's court system | Sharjah notary locations |
A company in one emirate can often have its signatory's signature notarised in another. Check with the notary office first.
02
A parent's NOC for travel
The other NOC for travel is personal. When a child travels with one parent, with relatives, or alone, the parent who is not travelling often gives written consent. That letter is signed by the parent in person, and many airlines and immigration offices want it notarised.
Where each parent signs, and what to do when one parent is abroad, is covered on our child travel consent letter page. The father's NOC used to sponsor a child's residence visa is a different document again, handled under the residency process rather than for travel.
Watch for
Common reasons an NOC is rejected
- The name does not match the passport, letter for letter.
- The travel dates differ from the flight booking or the visa form.
- The letter is unsigned, unstamped, or signed by someone without authority.
- It is dated too long before the application. Many checklists want a recent date.
- It was notarised when the checklist did not ask for it, and the extra time made the file late.
How we help
- We read the embassy's checklist and tell you which level of formality it wants.
- We draft the NOC letter from employer for visa use, for your HR team to put on letterhead and sign.
- When notarisation is needed, the signatory signs before our in-house notary public, in person or at a home visit, with a checklist prepared first.
- We take care of MOFAIC attestation when the letter goes abroad.
- We draft a parent's travel NOC, and tell each parent where to sign.
Starting prices:
| Service | Service price |
|---|---|
| NOC for visa (general) | From AED 1,200 |
| Child travel consent (NOC for a minor travelling) | From AED 1,200 |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document (handling) | From AED 300 |
| Courier pickup and delivery | From AED 80 |
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.
Government fees with their sources are on notary public charges, and everything else we prepare is on our services.
Does an employer NOC for a tourist visa need to be notarised?
Usually not. Most embassies accept a letter signed by an authorised person and stamped by the company. Notarise it only if the checklist asks for a notarised or attested letter.
Who signs the NOC for a visa application from the company?
A person with authority to sign for the company, such as the manager named on the trade licence or an authorised HR signatory. If the letter is to be notarised, that person attends the notary with ID and proof of authority.
Can my employer refuse to give an NOC?
That is a matter between you and your employer, and company policies differ. If your company will not issue an NOC, ask the embassy whether a leave approval or salary certificate is acceptable instead.
What is the difference between an NOC and a leave letter?
A leave letter confirms your leave dates. An NOC goes further and says the company has no objection to the trip and expects you back. Some checklists accept either; use the wording the checklist asks for.
Can I write the NOC myself?
You can draft it, but it must be issued on the company's letterhead and signed by the company. A letter signed by you alone is a personal declaration, not an employer NOC.
Contact
Talk to us
Send us the embassy's checklist and your travel dates. We will draft the NOC and tell you whether it needs a notary.
Phone and WhatsApp
Office
707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)
Notary services
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Hub
Notarization services in Dubai: in-house notary public at our Business Bay office, online notary through the official channels, and home visits.
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 8 (authenticating signatures): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Dubai Courts private notary fee decision, Dubai Media Office: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 7: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- MOFAIC attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- DIFC Courts notary service: https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service