Important Documents - More Information

Passports	Birth Certificates	Signed Letter from the Father/Mother	Verification of Qualifications
Marriage Certificates	Custody and Adoption Papers	Driving License

A.  Passports

Each member of your family, including dependent children, must obtain a separate passport. The Immigration Department will not give a residence visa to female employees who work at Zayed University with children on their passports.  

Each of the passports should have at least eighteen months’ validity, three blank pages (in addition to any pages set aside for "Amendments and Endorsements"), and no Israeli visa stamps.

Prior to your arrival in the U.A.E., Human Resources will require a photocopy of each of the passports of the family members taking up residence in the U.A.E. and the mother’s and father’s names for all (as specified on the Employee Information Form). This information is required in order to obtain an Employment Visa for the employee.  (The employment visa is a temporary visa that allows the employee to work in the U.A.E. until a residence visa is obtained.)  If there are any amendments to the passports after they are sent to Human Resources or if new passports are issued, make sure that you inform us and send us photocopies as soon as possible.  If Human Resources is not informed, delays in processing visas, extra fees, and perhaps even denial to enter the U.A.E. may result as you must enter the U.A.E. on the same passport on which your visa is issued.

Notes:

1.  If you hold a British Overseas Passport (eg, one issued in Hong Kong), notify Human Resources immediately.

2.  Obtain a new passport if the current passport contains an Israeli visa stamp.

If your passport is due to expire during your time in the U.A.E., you will probably be able to renew it at your respective Embassy or Consulate in the U.A.E.

B.  Marriage Certificates

An original marriage certificate is required for the married employee whose spouse will be residing in the U.A.E.  The original or a photocopy of the marriage certificate must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate. 

C.  Birth Certificates

Original birth certificates are required for dependent children who will be residing in the U.A.E. with the employee.  The original or a photocopy of the birth certificates must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate.  Birth certificates are not required for the employee or the spouse.

D.  Custody and Adoption Papers

In the case of adoption, the original or a photocopy of the adoption documents and the children's birth certificates must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate.

In the case of sole custody, the original or a photocopy of the custody agreement and the children's birth certificates must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate. Women who never married their child’s father have automatic sole custody in which case only the child’s birth certificate will need to be attested.

In the case of joint custody, the original or a photocopy of the custody agreement and the children's birth certificates must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate. In addition, a letter from the other parent with joint custody is required, clearly mentioning the following:

The letter should mention that the person with joint custody has no objection to the child(ren) living with you and residing in the U.A.E.  This letter must be endorsed by the legal authority which issued the joint custody agreement and must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate.

Note:  In addition to being attested, all custody and adoption documents must be translated into Arabic by an official translator, ie, a translator licensed in the U.A.E.

E.  Signed Letter from the Father/Mother

Original birth certificates and a signed letter from the father are required for the female employee whose children will reside in the U.A.E. without the father or where joint custody exists.  The originals or photocopies of each must be attested by a U.A.E. Consulate.

The letter from the father/mother should clearly mention:

The child’s full name (as per the passport and birth certificate)
Date and place of birth
Nationality
Passport Number

The letter should mention that the father/mother has no objection to his/her child(ren) living with you and residing in the U.A.E. 

F.  Verification of Qualifications

As a government institution, Zayed University must verify your degrees and qualifications.  Failure to produce the required documents will delay entering you into Zayed University’s payroll and is a requirement of employment.

Verification of Qualification form or Official Transcripts.   In both cases they are to be submitted to Human Resources directly from the issuing institution.

Click here for more information and all related forms. Employees whose highest qualification was issued by a university in Egypt should follow the procedure outlined here.

G.  Driving License

Bring your home country driving license with you if you intend to drive in the U.A.E.

Residents of the U.A.E. can obtain a ten-year U.A.E. driving license without having to take a driving test on producing a recognized driving license from one of the following countries:  UK, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, and Canada.  However, you cannot apply for your U.A.E. driving license until your residence visa has been processed, approximately three to four weeks after your arrival.  Canadian passport holders need to obtain a letter from their Consulate/Embassy before applying for their U.A.E. driving license.

**Please note that if you enter the U.A.E. on an employment visa, you will not be able to drive until your residence visa has been finalized and you have a U.A.E. driving license.  Fortunately, individuals, such as your spouse, who enter the country on a visit visa, can rent a car on arrival with an International Driving License, a temporary U.A.E. driving license or a G.C.C. driving license.

It is easy to buy, rent or lease a car and buses and taxis are plentiful.  Abu Dhabi is quite a compact city and taxi fares are reasonable.  Dubai is quite spread out, however, and taxi fares can be very high.  Therefore, most people, particularly in Dubai do buy or lease a car.

Well-known car rental chains such as Budget and Avis have offices in the U.A.E. and offer daily, weekend and monthly rates. There are also a large number of new and used car dealerships. Prices for new vehicles are typically a bit cheaper than in North America.

Before leaving the U.A.E. for good, you may want to cancel your U.A.E. driving license.  If you allow the license to expire while you are out of the country and you later return to the U.A.E. and apply for a new license, you will have to pay a fine before being able to apply for the new license.

 

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