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Canada certificate attestation makes a Canadian degree, marriage certificate or birth certificate valid in the UAE. The chain is: a Canadian notary where needed, an apostille from Global Affairs Canada or your provincial authority, the UAE Embassy in Ottawa, then MOFA attestation. It applies to people moving to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah for work, family visas or school.
- Price: AED 1,900 per document plus VAT, all official fees included (degrees, diplomas and other educational documents, and personal documents).
- Time: 4 to 6 weeks.
- What we need: the original certificate and a copy of your passport.
Commercial documents are quoted: send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price before any work starts. See attestation fees.
The 4 attestation steps
A Canadian educational document is attested by these departments, in this order:
- Notary Public in Canada. A Canadian notary certifies the document.
- Apostille in Canada. Issued by Global Affairs Canada (formerly DFAT), or by the province for Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
- UAE Embassy in Ottawa. The embassy attests the apostilled document.
- MOFA UAE. The final attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which makes it valid in the UAE.
We handle and follow up every step for you.
How Canada document attestation works, step by step
- Notarisation, where needed. A copy of a degree, a transcript or a power of attorney is certified by a Canadian notary first. Whether a provincial vital statistics certificate needs it depends on the province; we confirm this from your copy.
- Canadian apostille. Since 11 January 2024 Canada is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Global Affairs Canada issues apostilles for federal documents and for provinces without their own authority. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan issue their own.
- UAE Embassy in Ottawa. The apostilled document is attested by the UAE Embassy. Payment is online only and the embassy needs at least 3 to 5 business days. The application is booked through the MOFA portal and VFS Global, MOFA's attestation service provider.
- MOFA. The document receives MOFA attestation and is ready for use in the UAE.
Who issues the Canadian apostille
| Where the document comes from | Apostille issued by |
|---|---|
| Alberta | Alberta's competent authority |
| British Columbia | British Columbia's competent authority |
| Ontario | Ontario's competent authority |
| Quebec | Quebec's competent authority |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan's competent authority |
| Any other province or territory | Global Affairs Canada |
| Federal documents | Global Affairs Canada |
Global Affairs Canada issues apostilles for every document it authenticates, including documents for countries outside the convention such as the UAE. That is why the UAE Embassy step still follows.
Canadian documents, times and prices
| Document | Examples | Usual time | Our total price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational and personal | Degree, diploma, transcript, marriage, birth certificate | 4 to 6 weeks | AED 1,900 per document |
| Commercial | Certificate of incorporation, board resolution, power of attorney | depends on the province | quoted after you share a copy |
Steps on the Canadian route
| Step | Who stamps it | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation (if needed) | Canadian notary | by appointment |
| Apostille | Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority | about 25 business days plus 5 to 10 business days mailing |
| UAE embassy | UAE Embassy in Ottawa | at least 3 to 5 business days |
| MOFA | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | included in the 4 to 6 weeks |
Global Affairs Canada has no expedited service, so the 4 to 6 week total is driven by its queue. Our price already covers every official fee plus the courier.
Which Canadian documents need which step
- Degrees and diplomas: notarised copy, then the apostille of the province or Global Affairs Canada. See Canada degree attestation, needed for most skilled work permits.
- Marriage certificates: the provincial vital statistics certificate, then the apostille. See Canada marriage certificate attestation.
- Birth certificates: for a child's residence visa or school admission. See Canada birth certificate attestation.
- Quebec documents in French: MOFA accepts Arabic or English, so a French document also needs a legal translation. See legal translation in Dubai.
Every Canadian document we attest
Each page below explains who issues the document in your province, what the UAE office will ask for and what to send us.
| Group | Canadian documents |
|---|---|
| Education | degree, transcript, high school diploma |
| Work | employment and experience letter, professional licence (nursing, teaching, engineering), RCMP police certificate |
| Family | marriage, birth, divorce, death, single status, name change |
| Health | medical certificate or report |
| Legal and business | power of attorney, company documents (incorporation, good standing, board resolution) |
Going the other way: UAE documents for Canada immigration
Many searches for "attestation Canada" come from people in the UAE applying for Canadian PR or a work permit. That is a different route.
- Dubai police clearance certificate for Canada: applied for on the Dubai Police app or website. See police clearance certificate in Dubai.
- UAE degrees, marriage and birth certificates for Canada: if the Canadian checklist asks for them to be attested, MOFA attestation is the UAE step, from AED 250 for a personal document in 2 to 3 working days. See attesting UAE documents for use abroad.
How the 4 to 6 weeks add up
| Stage | Usual time |
|---|---|
| Notary in Canada | by appointment |
| Global Affairs Canada queue | about 25 business days |
| Mailing to and from Global Affairs Canada | 5 to 10 business days |
| UAE Embassy in Ottawa | at least 3 to 5 business days |
| MOFA and return courier to the UAE | a few days |
Provincial authorities have their own queues, so a file from Ontario or British Columbia can move at a different pace. Your quote gives the timeline for your province.
Already in the UAE?
You give us the original certificate and a copy of your passport in Dubai. It is couriered to Canada for the notary and apostille, then to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa, and back to the UAE for MOFA. You do not need to fly to Canada or contact Global Affairs Canada yourself.
If you also studied, married or had a child in the USA, the steps for those papers are on USA certificate attestation.
Common problems with Canadian documents
- Sending a provincial document to the wrong authority. An Ontario or British Columbia document is apostilled by that province, not by Global Affairs Canada. Getting this wrong costs weeks.
- Expecting an express option. Global Affairs Canada has none. Plan for the queue.
- Stopping at the apostille. Since Canada joined the convention, some people assume the apostille is final. The UAE still needs the embassy and MOFA steps.
- French-only documents. Add the translation early so MOFA does not refuse the file.
- Laminated or scanned documents. MOFA needs the physical, unlaminated original.
