If you have sponsored a sibling, niece, nephew, grandparent or other extended relative for a UAE residence visa, you have probably been asked for a “consanguinity proof”. The term throws most first-time applicants. Here is the 2026 expat guide to what it is, when you need it and how to get one issued and attested.
This is a practical guide for residents of Ras Al Khaimah and the wider UAE. Visa rules change and processing times shift. Always confirm current requirements with the UAE Identity and Citizenship Authority (ICP) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for Dubai cases before you start the paperwork.
What is consanguinity proof?
Consanguinity proof is a formal document issued by a competent authority in your home country that establishes a blood (or marriage) relationship between you and another person. The UAE uses it to verify family relationships that fall outside the standard primary categories of spouse, child or parent.
The document is normally called something different in your home country. Indian applicants will recognise it as a relationship affidavit or family tree certificate issued by a competent magistrate. Pakistani applicants get a similar relationship certificate from the NADRA / equivalent authority. British applicants may use a notarised statutory declaration. Filipino applicants use a sworn affidavit before a notary or government office. The UAE accepts the equivalent of all of these once attested.
When you need a consanguinity proof for a UAE visa
- Sponsoring a sibling: normally required to prove the brother-sister relationship
- Sponsoring a parent for residency (in specific scenarios): where the standard birth certificate trail is broken or unclear
- Sponsoring a grandparent: commonly required
- Sponsoring a niece or nephew: required to prove the second-degree relationship
- Sponsoring a stepchild or stepparent: often required alongside marriage documentation
- Some long-term residency (golden visa) family extensions: case-by-case requirement
You do not normally need it for a spouse (your marriage certificate is the proof), for your own biological children (their birth certificates are the proof) or for your parents under the standard parent-sponsorship route where birth and marriage records align cleanly.
How to get one issued (home country side)
- Identify the issuing authority in your home country. Common options: a competent magistrate court, the local civil registry, a notary public or a designated government office
- Gather supporting documents. Typically you need your passport, your dependant’s passport, birth certificates of both parties, marriage certificates if applicable and any prior family tree documents
- Apply for the document. The form varies by country. Most ask for a sworn declaration in front of the issuing officer
- Get the document issued. Processing time ranges from same-day to two weeks depending on country and queue
- Get it attested in your home country. Required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or equivalent) and then by the UAE Embassy/Consulate in your home country
How to attest it (UAE side)
- Bring the attested document to the UAE in original form (not photocopy)
- Submit it to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) for the final attestation. Online portal: mofaic.gov.ae. Fee approximately AED 150 per document
- If your document is not in Arabic, get a legal translation from a Ministry of Justice-approved translator. Fee approximately AED 70 to AED 150 per page
- Submit the attested and translated document with the rest of your visa application via ICP for Northern Emirates including RAK, or GDRFA for Dubai
UAE Identity and Citizenship Authority (ICP)
The federal authority processing residency visas for the Northern Emirates including Ras Al Khaimah.
Switchboard: 600 522 222
Website: icp.gov.ae
Mobile app: UAEICP app on iOS and Google Play
Service area: Federal, including Ras Al Khaimah residency cases
Map: Open in Maps
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFAIC) attestation service
The federal authority handling document attestation for foreign-issued certificates.
Switchboard: 800 4444
Website: mofaic.gov.ae
Fee: Approximately AED 150 per document
Service area: Federal
Map: Open in Maps
Costs and timelines
- Home country document issuance: typically free to AED 200 equivalent depending on country
- Home country MoFA attestation: typically AED 50 to AED 150 equivalent
- UAE Embassy/Consulate attestation: typically AED 100 to AED 200 equivalent
- UAE MoFAIC final attestation: approximately AED 150 per document
- Translation to Arabic (if needed): AED 70 to AED 150 per page
- Total typical cost: AED 500 to AED 1,000 per consanguinity proof end-to-end
- Total typical timeline: 2 to 6 weeks depending on home country processing
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: Get the document issued and attested before you fly back to the UAE if you can. Reissuing and attesting a missed document from inside the UAE means a return trip, courier costs and processing delays. A one-week home-country block at the start of the process saves months downstream.
Common mistakes that delay applications
- Submitting a photocopy instead of original: the UAE accepts only originals for the final attestation step
- Skipping the home-country MoFA stage: the UAE Embassy will not attest without prior MoFA attestation in your home country
- Not getting the document translated: non-Arabic documents must be legal-translated before the final ICP submission
- Document over six months old: some authorities prefer recent documents; if in doubt, get a fresh one issued
- Names that do not exactly match the passport: small spelling variations cause rejections; align spellings before the document is issued
Frequently asked questions
Consanguinity proof is a formal document from your home country that establishes a blood or marriage relationship between you and a dependant. The UAE uses it to verify family relationships outside the primary spouse, child or parent categories. It is commonly required when sponsoring siblings, grandparents, nieces, nephews or stepchildren.
No. For sponsoring a spouse, your attested marriage certificate is the relationship proof. Consanguinity proof is used for extended-family relationships (siblings, grandparents, nieces, nephews, step-relations) and for some specific scenarios where standard birth certificates do not cleanly establish the relationship.
End-to-end costs typically range from AED 500 to AED 1,000 per document. This includes the home-country issuance, home-country MoFA attestation, UAE Embassy/Consulate attestation, UAE MoFAIC final attestation (about AED 150) and a legal translation to Arabic if your document is in another language.
Allow 2 to 6 weeks end-to-end. Home-country issuance can be same-day or take up to two weeks. Home-country MoFA attestation and UAE Embassy attestation each take 1 to 2 weeks. UAE MoFAIC final attestation is typically same-day to a few days. Translation adds 1 to 3 days.
You can start the request through your home country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE, but most applicants find it faster and cheaper to handle issuance during a home-country trip. Some countries do not accept applications from their embassies for this document; others do. Confirm with your specific embassy first.
The bottom line
Consanguinity proof is a routine document for UAE residents sponsoring extended family. End-to-end cost is AED 500 to AED 1,000 per document and end-to-end timeline is 2 to 6 weeks. The biggest single saving is doing the home-country side during a planned trip back rather than over couriers and reissues from the UAE.
If you spot a rule change or fee update, message us at info@wow-rak.com or Instagram @wow.rak so we can keep this guide current.
