Document attestation for the UAE
Degrees, marriage and birth certificates and company documents, made valid for use here. We tell you the exact route for your country, collect the originals, and track every stamp until MOFA.
- Foreign document
- AED 450 service fee
- UAE document
- AED 150 service fee
- Legal translation
- from AED 120 a page
- Typical time
- 1 to 6 weeks
- Govt and embassy fees
- At cost
- Route
- Home country, embassy, MOFA
The route for a foreign document
Each stop puts its stamp on the original. Miss one and the next one refuses it.
- Issuer or notary Home country
- Ministry stamp Home country
- UAE embassy Legalisation
- MOFA In the UAE
- Translation If needed
- Ready to use Visa, MOHRE, school
What it costs
Government and embassy fees at cost, our fee on top, before VAT. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
| MOFA, personal document | AED 150 |
|---|---|
| MOFA, commercial document | AED 2,000 |
| UAE embassy abroad | Set by each mission (Pretoria, for example, lists AED 150 personal and AED 2,000 commercial) |
| Home-country steps | Set by the issuing country; we quote them before starting |
| Our fee: foreign document, full chain: home country, UAE embassy, MOFA | AED 450 |
| Our fee: mOFA attestation only (UAE-issued or already legalised) | AED 150 |
| Our fee: legal translation of a certificate, per page | AED 120 |
Digital attestation for UAE documents
Since 27 April 2026, MOFA has offered digital attestation, launched as a pilot, for electronic UAE-issued documents that carry a QR code, barcode or reference number. You apply through UAE Pass, and the attested copy usually arrives by email within about two hours in working time. This is separate from eDAS, which only covers commercial invoices and certificates of origin.
Legal translation
Since Federal Decree-Law 22 of 2022, legal translation is a licensed profession: translators must be on the Ministry of Justice register, and translation houses must insure them. We never certify translations ourselves; we use registered translators, name them on your quote and pass their fee through at cost.
When you need it
Start the day the offer is accepted. It is the step that delays most visas.
- Degree certificate
- Often needed to register a skilled role at the right MOHRE skill level.
- Marriage certificate
- Sponsoring a spouse on a family visa.
- Birth certificates
- Sponsoring children, and school registration.
- Company documents
- Powers of attorney, board resolutions and certificates of incorporation for licences, bank accounts and branch set-up.
- Police clearance
- Some licensed professions and some visa categories.
Why documents get sent back
-
A copy instead of the original
Each authority stamps the original. Attested photocopies are refused at the next step.
-
Laminated certificates
Stamps cannot go on lamination. Ask the issuer for a fresh original first.
-
Names that do not match
One letter different between the passport, the degree and the offer letter is enough to stop a visa. Fix it before you start.
-
Translated too early
Translate after attestation, so the translation covers the stamps as well.
-
Degree not recognised
Some roles need the degree checked or made equivalent by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. We check before you pay for the chain.
Questions we get asked
Something else? Ask us directly. A person answers, usually the same working day.
Does the UAE accept an apostille?
No. MOFA requires the full chain for foreign documents: authentication in the country that issued them, legalisation at the UAE embassy or consulate there, then attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.
How long does it take?
From one week for documents from countries with a fast embassy process to around six weeks where the home-country steps are slow. The MOFA step in the UAE is quick. We give you the route and a realistic date for your country before we start.
Do I need to send the originals?
Usually yes, for foreign documents: each stamp goes on the original. We collect them in the UAE or arrange courier collection in the home country, and track them at every step.
Do documents need to be translated?
Courts and notaries may ask for a legal translation into Arabic. Legal translation must be done by a translator licensed by the Ministry of Justice; we work with licensed translators and add their fee at cost.
What about documents issued in the UAE?
UAE-issued documents skip the home-country and embassy steps. MOFA attests them here, and electronic UAE documents with a QR code, barcode or reference number can now be attested digitally. That is the cheaper, faster route.
Often used together
All services- Visa services Employment, family and Golden visas, with or without our EOR. from AED 850 per employment visa
- PRO services Trade licence, establishment cards, visas and MOHRE work for your entity. from AED 1,250 per month
- Arrival and relocation Airport, first home, bank, schools: a named person for 90 days. from AED 2,900 once per arrival
Tell us which document and which country.
We reply with the exact route, the fees at each stop and a realistic date, usually the same working day.