Fees and steps checked on
Canada degree attestation makes a Canadian university degree valid in the UAE for a work permit, a golden visa or degree recognition. A Canadian notary certifies the degree, Global Affairs Canada or your province's competent authority issues the apostille, the UAE Embassy in Ottawa attests it, and MOFA attestation completes it for use in the UAE. Our service takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Price: from AED 1,900 plus VAT, 4 to 6 weeks, all official fees and courier included. See attestation fees.
Who needs a Canadian degree attested
- Skilled jobs. The UAE work permit for skilled roles requires an attested education certificate. See degree attestation for a UAE work visa.
- Golden visa. The skilled professional route asks for an attested bachelor's degree or equivalent, a salary of at least AED 30,000 and a qualifying job level. See attestation for the golden visa.
- Recognition. Degree recognition, the successor of the equivalency certificate, starts from the attested degree.
Who issues the apostille in Canada
Canada has applied the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024. Global Affairs Canada issues apostilles nationally, but Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan have their own competent authority. A degree from a university in Toronto goes to Ontario's authority; a degree from Halifax goes to Global Affairs Canada.
Because the UAE is not a Convention member, the apostille is only the Canadian half. The UAE Embassy and MOFA stamps are still required.
Canada degree attestation step by step
- Notarisation. A Canadian notary certifies a copy of the degree, since a university diploma is not a government record.
- Apostille. Global Affairs Canada or the provincial competent authority verifies the notary and issues the apostille.
- UAE Embassy Ottawa. The embassy attests the document. It asks for at least 3 to 5 business days and takes online payment only.
- MOFA. MOFA attestation is applied for online, as MOFA counters in the UAE are closed. We file it for you.
- Delivery. The attested degree is returned to you in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE.
Official fees and timing
| Stage | Who stamps it | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | Canadian notary | varies |
| Apostille | Global Affairs Canada or province | about 25 business days in queue, plus mailing |
| UAE Embassy | UAE Embassy Ottawa | at least 3 to 5 business days |
| MOFA | MOFA, online | 1 to 3 business days |
Our AED 1,900 from-price includes every official fee and courier. The full Canadian chain for other documents is on Canada certificate attestation.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Wrong authority. Sending an Ontario-notarised degree to Global Affairs Canada, or the reverse, adds weeks. The province of the notary decides.
- No expedited option. Global Affairs Canada does not offer one. Start before you accept the job offer if you can.
- French-language degrees. Degrees from Quebec may be in French. MOFA accepts Arabic or English, so a legal translation may be needed.
- Laminated diplomas. MOFA does not accept laminated documents.
- Confusing the direction. If you need a UAE degree accepted in Canada, see UAE documents for use abroad instead.
For degrees from any country, the general route is on degree certificate attestation.
