Start with each child’s actual circumstances

Record the child’s nationality, passport, UAE residence, age at application, travel dates and accompanying adults. A parent’s visa should not be treated as the child’s permission to travel.

For mixed-nationality families, check each passport rather than assuming everyone has identical visa requirements. Then use the actual destination’s checklist and appointment instructions.

One parent is staying in Dubai

Do not confuse financial support with consent. A parent paying for the holiday does not make the travel-authorisation question disappear.

The Dutch tourism checklist specifies consent from a parent or guardian who is not travelling with a minor, alongside supporting identity and family documents. Dutch checklist. Germany’s UAE checklist separately addresses parenthood evidence, translations and consent. German checklist.

Read the instructions for your destination before arranging signatures. Do not assume a basic signed note, notarisation or attestation is always required—or always sufficient.

Divorced parents, sole custody or a deceased parent

Identify the documents establishing the actual legal situation. Avoid treating “the child lives with me” as the same thing as sole legal authority. The Dutch checklist addresses guardianship, a deceased parent and relevant court permissions.

If there is a dispute, unclear custody wording or an unavailable parent, obtain qualified advice and official procedural guidance early. An internet sample cannot resolve parental authority or override a court order.

Use the correct forms

Italy’s Abu Dhabi embassy publishes several minor-related forms, including visa consent and travel/custody arrangements. Select the form for the actual circumstances rather than substituting an employer NOC. Italy forms directory.

For every required form, check:

  • Who must sign and whether signatures must be witnessed.
  • Whether originals or copies are needed.
  • Which supporting identity records accompany it.
  • Whether the language and translation meet the destination instructions.

These are questions to resolve, not a claim that all countries require the same procedure.

Does a young child need to attend?

Check attendance independently from fingerprints. The Dutch checklist says in-person submission normally applies to babies and children too. Do not infer an attendance exemption merely because a child is below the fingerprint age.

Confirm family booking arrangements with the operator. A parent’s appointment confirmation may not establish that every child is booked.

Funding and accommodation

Use the sponsorship guide to explain who pays. Check that the accommodation genuinely accommodates the travelling family and that names and dates are consistent. These are practical preparation checks, not a requirement to purchase a particular hotel package.

Keep the requested birth, identity and sponsor records securely. Do not post children’s passport details in public groups when asking for advice.

Check again before departure

Application consent and documents needed for travel are related but not identical. Confirm the carrier’s and relevant border authorities’ requirements for a child travelling with one parent or another adult. Carry the documents required for the actual journey, not just the visa sticker.