Fees and steps checked on
Cambodia certificate attestation is how a Cambodian university degree, Bac II high school certificate, birth or marriage certificate, or notarised power of attorney becomes usable for a work permit or residence visa in the UAE. Three bodies touch the paper in turn: the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Phnom Penh, the UAE mission accredited to Cambodia, and MOFA attestation back in the UAE.
Price: There is no fixed price for Cambodia. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. What a quote includes is set out on attestation fees.
We are a private document service run from Bur Dubai, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office. Collection and return of your papers anywhere in Dubai is free.
No UAE embassy in Cambodia: what that means
The UAE ambassador to Cambodia presented credentials to King Norodom Sihamoni in February 2024 as a non-resident ambassador, and Cambodia's foreign ministry describes him as resident in Bangkok. We could not confirm any UAE embassy or consulate in Phnom Penh. So once the Cambodian stamp is on, your document leaves the country for the UAE step. We check which mission is taking Cambodian papers, and how, before the original goes anywhere.
Phnom Penh first
The foreign ministry's Department of Legal, Consular and Border Affairs authenticates Cambodian public documents for use abroad. Government papers such as birth, marriage and police certificates go straight to it. Private papers, for example an affidavit, a company letter or a power of attorney, are notarised by a Cambodian notary before the ministry will touch them. The ministry can also issue a legalised English version of some Cambodian documents, which helps with the translation question below.
Which paper do you hold?
University degree and transcript. The university signs, education authorities confirm where required, then the ministry. For the UAE work permit side, see degree certificate attestation.
Bac II certificate. The national upper secondary exam certificate. UAE schools and some employers ask for it.
Birth certificate. Issued by the commune or sangkat civil registry. Used for a child's visa, see birth certificate attestation.
Marriage certificate. Also from the civil registry. Needed to sponsor a spouse, see marriage certificate attestation.
Company documents. From the Ministry of Commerce register or a notary, then the ministry, and attested in the commercial category in the UAE.
Khmer script and translation
MOFA reads Arabic and English only. A Khmer only certificate needs a certified translation, and the Latin spelling of every name must follow your passport. Romanised Khmer names vary a lot between documents, so send your passport copy with the certificate. For an Arabic version for a UAE court, legal translation in Dubai can be arranged later.
Working from Dubai
Most Cambodians who contact us already live and work in the UAE. You keep your passport and your job. A relative in Phnom Penh or the provinces collects a fresh civil record and hands the file to the ministry, or the original goes there by courier. After the UAE step it comes back to Dubai, and we deliver it to your door.
Timing and cost
The Phnom Penh step and the cross border UAE step take most of the time, and you get a realistic timeline with the quote. When the document is back in the UAE, MOFA courier attestation usually takes 1 to 3 business days. Every Cambodian and UAE official charge, plus the courier, is inside the single total.
Avoid these
- Skipping the notary on a private document.
- Using an old, worn civil record when a fresh copy is easy to request.
- Laminating anything. MOFA refuses laminated papers.
Thai papers take a separate route, explained on Thailand certificate attestation. For other countries, browse attestation by country.
