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Attestation questions, answered

Short, practical answers to the questions we hear every day at our Bur Dubai office. Each article says what the rule is, where it comes from and what to do next.

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Latest answers

17 October 2026 · 5 min read Common MOFA attestation mistakes, and how to avoid them before you start The mistakes that cost weeks before MOFA attestation: wrong order, name mismatches, lamination, apostille confusion, missing translation and fake agents.
17 October 2026 · 4 min read Online and distance learning degrees in the UAE Online and distance learning degrees can be attested in the UAE, but MoHESR recognition is case by case. What changed in 2023 and 2025, and what usually fails.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read How to get documents attested without travelling home You can attest most documents from the UAE without flying home: courier the original, let someone apply for you, and do the UAE steps online with MOFA.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Authorisation letter for document attestation When you need an authorisation letter so an agent or relative can attest your documents, what to put in it, when a power of attorney is needed, plus a sample.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Baby born in the UAE: birth certificate, passport, visa and attestation Baby born in the UAE: register the birth, get the birth certificate, then the passport and residence within 4 months. When attestation is needed.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Original or copy: what can be attested for the UAE? MOFA attests originals, not photocopies. When a notarised copy is accepted in the home country chain, why lamination blocks it, and what to do with only a copy.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read DataFlow verification or MOFA attestation: which one do you need? DataFlow checks your degree with the university; MOFA attestation proves the stamps are official. Which UAE office asks for which, and can one replace another?
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Doctors, nurses and allied health staff: attestation or DataFlow for a DHA licence? For a DHA, DOH or MOHAP licence, papers go through DataFlow verification. When doctors and nurses still need MOFA attestation, and in what order.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Do you need a police clearance certificate for a UAE visa? Most UAE visas do not need a police clearance, but some work, free zone, teaching and licensing files do. Who is asked, and how to attest a home country PCC.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Does attestation expire? How long attested documents stay valid MOFA says an attested document has no expiry date. A police check, medical report or reissued certificate can still need fresh attestation. Here is when.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Dubai police clearance certificate: how to apply, check status and how long it is valid Police check in Dubai: apply online, track it with your reference number, often issued the same day, and reported valid for three months.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Fake attestation: how to spot a fake stamp and an unlicensed agent Fake attestation stamps get degrees and visas refused. Check any MOFA stamp at verify.mofa.gov.ae, know the warning signs, and ask agents 7 questions first.
17 October 2026 · 4 min read GED certificate attestation in the UAE, and is a GED accepted? GED certificate attestation for the UAE: US state and Department of State steps, UAE Embassy and MOFA, then MOE equivalency. US papers from AED 1,025 plus VAT.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Name on your certificate does not match your passport Name on your degree or marriage certificate differs from your passport? How a one and the same person affidavit or an attested name change deed fixes it.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read How to make a power of attorney online in Dubai Make a power of attorney online in Dubai through the Dubai Courts e-notary with a valid Emirates ID: online payment, OTP signing, then MOFA for abroad.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Getting married again in the UAE after a divorce abroad: the papers you need Divorced abroad and remarrying in the UAE? Courts ask for proof your marriage ended: the final divorce decree, attested, with an Arabic translation for Dubai.
17 October 2026 · 6 min read School transfer certificate attestation: moving your child into a UAE school Moving a child to a Dubai school from abroad? KHDA wants a transfer certificate from Grade 2 or Year 3, attested at home and by the UAE embassy. Here is how.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read Teacher certificate attestation: what to attest before you teach in the UAE Teaching in the UAE: attest your degree, teaching qualification and experience letters before KHDA, ADEK or MOE checks. Which papers, in what order, and when.
17 October 2026 · 4 min read Should you translate before or after attestation? Translate after attestation in most cases, in the UAE by an MOJ-licensed translator, so every stamp is covered. When the home chain needs a translation first.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read My university has closed, merged or changed its name: can my degree still be attested? A degree from a closed, merged or renamed university can often still be attested. Who holds the records now, which letters to ask for, where checks stall.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read WES evaluation from the UAE: what WES needs and how to send it WES evaluation from the UAE for Canada or the US: documents come from your university, not MOFA stamps. A WES ECA for Canada is valid for five years.
17 October 2026 · 5 min read What an equivalency certificate means, and who actually needs one An equivalency certificate states the UAE level of a foreign degree or school certificate. Who needs one, who does not, and how it differs from attestation.

Last updated 17 October 2026

Every article here answers one question in the first paragraph, then explains the detail: which office applies which stamp, what it costs where an official fee is published, and what usually goes wrong. If your case is different, send a photo of the document on WhatsApp and we tell you the exact steps and the total price before any work starts.

For the full process from start to finish, read what attestation is and how MOFA attestation works. Fees are on the attestation fees page.