Last updated
Attestation for school admission in the UAE depends on three things: where the school records were issued, the grade your child is entering, and the school's own rules. Records from abroad may need the home country's education authority and the UAE embassy, some students may need an equivalency from the Ministry of Education (MOE), and moves between Dubai private schools use a KHDA-attested transfer certificate. Some schools also ask for an attested birth certificate, which you need for the residence visa anyway.
The single most useful step is to ask the school for its admission document list in writing. Then each document can be attested once, correctly.
Which documents a UAE school may ask for
| Document | When it is asked for | What attestation it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer certificate from a Dubai school | Moving between Dubai private schools or leaving Dubai | KHDA smart attestation through the school, usually 1 working day |
| School records or transfer certificate from abroad | Joining from a school outside the UAE | Depends on the country: school stamp only, or education ministry plus UAE embassy |
| Grade certificates for equivalency | When the school or an authority asks for equivalency | Attested by the MOE and or the issuing country's education authority |
| Birth certificate | Some schools at admission, and the residence visa | Full chain for a foreign certificate; MOFA only for a UAE one |
School records from abroad
Schools in Dubai often accept transfer records from the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand with the school's own stamp. For many other countries, the school may ask for the records to be attested by the home education ministry and the UAE embassy. This is set school by school, so confirm it before you pay for any attestation.
If attestation is needed, the usual route is:
- The issuing school signs and stamps the record.
- The education authority of that country certifies it, where that country requires it.
- The foreign ministry legalises or apostilles it. The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so this is never the last step.
- The UAE embassy in that country attests it.
- MOFA attests it in the UAE, unless the embassy issued embassy and MOFA attestation together digitally.
See MOE attestation for the education side.
School equivalency from the MOE
Equivalency for school certificates (Grade 12 and below) stays with the Ministry of Education. The certificates must be attested by the MOE and or the education authority in the issuing country, and anything not in Arabic or English needs a legal translation in Dubai. Degree recognition for university graduates is a different process with a different ministry, covered on equivalency certificate in the UAE.
KHDA transfer certificates inside Dubai
KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) regulates private schools in Dubai. When your child moves from one Dubai private school to another, or leaves Dubai, the current school issues a transfer certificate and has it attested through KHDA with a smart QR attestation, usually within 1 working day. See KHDA attestation.
Schools in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates follow their own education authorities, so ask the new school what it needs.
The birth certificate
Your child's birth certificate can serve both the school and the residence visa. Attest it once, early:
- Born abroad: home country chain, UAE embassy, MOFA. See birth certificate attestation.
- Born in the UAE: MOFA only if an office asks for attestation.
The same attested birth certificate goes into the visa file described in documents to attest for a UAE family visa.
Costs
Official fees vary by country. Our prices are totals with every official fee and the courier included, plus VAT:
| Documents from | Usual time | Our price per document |
|---|---|---|
| UK, standard | 22 to 24 working days | from AED 985 plus VAT |
| UK, premium | 12 to 14 working days | from AED 1,600 |
| USA | about 7 weeks | from AED 1,025 plus VAT |
| Canada | 4 to 6 weeks | from AED 1,900 plus VAT |
| UAE-issued, MOFA only | 2 to 3 working days | from AED 250 plus VAT |
For other countries, send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price, all official fees included, before any work starts. Full list: attestation fees.
Leaving the UAE: school certificates for use abroad
If your family is moving out of the UAE, the new school abroad may want UAE school records attested. Digital certificates from the Emirates Schools Establishment are attested there first, then by MOFA, then by the destination country's embassy. See UAE documents for use abroad.
Timing tips for parents
- Ask the school for its document list the day you accept a place.
- Start foreign attestation first: it is the slowest part, often several weeks.
- Do the birth certificate and marriage certificate together with the school records, so one courier run covers the family.
- Keep the original transfer certificate safe, and give the school a copy unless it asks for the original.
If a document comes back refused, why attestation gets rejected lists the usual causes.
