Fees and steps checked on
Belgium certificate attestation makes a Belgian diploma, birth or marriage certificate, or company paper valid in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE. The route is short: the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs legalises the document, then the UAE Embassy in Brussels attests it digitally, and that digital result already carries MOFA attestation. An apostille alone does not count, because the UAE never joined the Apostille Convention.
Price: Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees for how our quotes work.
What makes Belgium different
Two things stand out. Belgium stopped issuing paper apostilles on 1 May 2018, so every Belgian apostille is now electronic. Legalisation, which is what a UAE file needs, can still be on paper or electronic, and the FPS asks you to check first that the receiving embassy accepts the electronic version. We choose the format the UAE Embassy in Brussels will take, so the file is not stamped twice.
The second point helps with timing. Brussels is one of the UAE missions on the digital attestation model: one application covers the embassy and UAE MOFA, a MOFA approved courier collects the original, and the attested document arrives by email.
Step by step
- First certification in Belgium. The competent Belgian authority signs off the document first, for example the commune for civil records or the education authority for diplomas.
- FPS Foreign Affairs. The Legalisation service in Brussels legalises the signature. It only handles documents issued in Belgium.
- Online application. We apply on the MOFA portal with UAE PASS, choosing Belgium as the country of issue, and pay the UAE fees.
- Courier collection. A MOFA approved courier picks up the original, usually within 24 hours.
- Digital attestation. The UAE Embassy in Brussels and UAE MOFA certify it together. The original comes back by courier, usually 24 to 48 hours after release.
You can check the result yourself on verify.mofa.gov.ae with the reference number and issue date, as explained on our MOFA attestation verification page.
Belgian documents we handle
| Document | Before the FPS | After the FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor or master diploma | Education authority of the community that issued it | UAE Embassy Brussels with MOFA, digital |
| Birth or marriage certificate (original) | Issuing commune | UAE Embassy Brussels with MOFA, digital |
| Power of attorney | Signed before a Belgian notary | UAE Embassy Brussels with MOFA, digital |
| Articles of association, board resolutions | Notary or company register extract | UAE Embassy Brussels with MOFA, commercial fee |
Articles and memoranda of association are attested as separate documents, never as one bundle. Commercial invoices and certificates of origin follow MOFA's eDAS system instead.
Languages and names
The FPS accepts documents in French, Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese; anything else needs a sworn translation first. In the UAE, MOFA accepts Arabic or English, or a legally certified translation, so a French or Dutch certificate usually needs one. We arrange legal translation in Dubai at the right point in the chain. If your Belgian record shows a married name and your passport does not, send both so the match is clear.
From inside the UAE
You do not need to fly to Brussels. Anyone may apply on your behalf, so a relative can hand the original to the courier, or we arrange the Belgian steps for you. Luxembourg documents use the same embassy; see Luxembourg certificate attestation.
Common problems
- Apostille instead of legalisation. A Belgian e-apostille is the wrong product for the UAE file.
- Laminated originals. The embassy cannot attest laminated documents.
- Bundled papers. Each document is attested on its own.
- Copy of a civil record. Birth, marriage and death certificates must be originals.
For a degree used for a work permit, see degree certificate attestation; for a family visa, see marriage certificate attestation.
