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Affidavit attestation is the process that makes a sworn statement accepted outside the place it was signed. You swear the affidavit before a notary or magistrate, then the authorities stamp it in order: for an affidavit made abroad, the home country ministry, the UAE embassy and UAE MOFA; for one made in Dubai, the notary, MOFA and the destination country's embassy.
Price: affidavits vary by country and by who must sign. Send your details on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
When you need an attested affidavit
An affidavit is a written statement you swear is true. Offices in the UAE and abroad ask for one when an ordinary document cannot prove a fact on its own. Common cases:
- Name or identity affidavit, when your name is spelled differently on a passport, a degree and a birth certificate
- Single status or no-marriage affidavit, for a marriage abroad or a visa file
- Income or support affidavit, for a dependant's visa or a school
- Affidavit of loss, for a lost passport, title deed or certificate
- Consent affidavit, such as a parent's consent for a child's travel
The office that asked for it decides the wording and whether it must be attested. Ask them for a sample before you sign.
Two routes: affidavit made abroad or made in Dubai
| Where the affidavit is sworn | Route for use in the UAE or abroad | Last stamp |
|---|---|---|
| In your home country, for use in the UAE | Local notary or magistrate, then state or home ministry where required, then foreign ministry, then UAE embassy | UAE MOFA (included in the digital embassy route for many countries) |
| In Dubai, for use abroad | Dubai Courts notary or private notary, then MOFA | Embassy of the destination country in the UAE |
| In Dubai, for use in the UAE | Notary only, unless the receiving office asks for more | Notary |
For an affidavit made in Dubai, the notary attests your signature. See notary public in Dubai for how it works.
Indian affidavits: notary, SDM and MEA
Searches for "affidavit attested by SDM" or "affidavit attested by magistrate" usually come from Indian families. For an Indian affidavit used in the UAE, the usual order is:
- Notary in India attests your signature on stamp paper.
- SDM or state authority (Sub Divisional Magistrate, or the state Home or General Administration Department) authenticates the notary.
- Ministry of External Affairs stamps the document.
- UAE Embassy in India attests it.
- UAE MOFA gives the final stamp.
The full country route, with degrees and marriage certificates, is on India certificate attestation.
Affidavit attestation step by step
- Get the exact wording the receiving office wants, in English or Arabic. A text in another language needs a legal translation.
- Match every name and number to your passport. One wrong letter means a fresh affidavit.
- Swear it before the right person: a notary, a magistrate, or the Dubai notary, depending on where you are.
- Send us the original or have us collect it.
- We run the stamps in order, home ministry, embassy and MOFA attestation, or MOFA and the destination embassy for a Dubai affidavit.
- You receive the attested affidavit, with the MOFA reference you can check yourself on the MOFA verification site.
Documents you need
- The signed and sworn original affidavit
- A copy of your passport, and Emirates ID if you live in the UAE
- Copies of the documents the affidavit refers to, such as the certificate with the wrong spelling
- The name of the office and the country where it will be used
Official fees we pay on your behalf
Every official fee and the courier are included in the total price you get before any work starts.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Swearing before the wrong official. A self-declaration on plain paper is not an affidavit. It must be sworn before someone with authority to administer oaths.
- Skipping a step in the chain. The UAE embassy will not attest a document that lacks the foreign ministry stamp, and MOFA will not attest without the embassy.
- Old affidavits. Some offices only accept a recently sworn affidavit. Ask how old it may be before you start.
- Affidavit or power of attorney? If you are giving someone authority to act for you, you need a power of attorney, not an affidavit.
How we help
We check the draft against what the receiving office asked for, book the notary in Dubai or guide your notary abroad, and then take the affidavit through every stamp. Our processing partner, a licensed typing and attestation centre in Bur Dubai, prepares and submits the applications; the notaries, ministries and embassies issue the stamps. We work with clients in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and overseas.
