Fees and steps checked on
A foreign company that wants a UAE branch, subsidiary, corporate bank account or tender needs to show that it exists and that its directors approved the move. The UAE does that through attested corporate documents. We are a private document service, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office, and we run the chain for you from the country where the company is registered.
Price: UK company documents are from AED 4,200 plus VAT, a UK board resolution or power of attorney from AED 5,200 plus VAT, and USA company documents from AED 4,000 plus VAT, all official fees included. MOFA's own charge is AED 2,000 per commercial document, already inside our total. Other countries are quoted after you share a copy. See attestation fees.
The documents, one by one
| Document | What it proves | Usually certified first by |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of incorporation | The company legally exists | Registry-issued copy, or a notary for a copy |
| Memorandum and articles of association (MOA, AOA) | How the company is run and who may act | Registry certified copy, or a notary for a company copy |
| Board resolution | The directors approved the UAE entity or appointed a manager | A notary |
| Certificate of good standing | The company is active and its filings are up to date | The registry or Secretary of State |
| Certificate of incumbency | Who the current directors and officers are | Depends on the issuer, we check |
| Power of attorney for a company | A named person may sign for the company in the UAE | A notary |
The licensing authority, free zone or bank tells you which of these it wants. See company documents attestation for the general rules.
The chain depends on where the company is registered
There are two families of routes.
Hague Apostille countries. The UK, the USA and Canada are members. The document is certified at home, then carries an apostille from the competent authority in that country. The UAE is not a member, so the UAE embassy and MOFA stages still follow. For the UK and USA, the embassy and MOFA attest together on MOFA's digital route, usually in 2 to 3 working days.
Countries outside the Hague Convention. The document is certified or notarised, legalised by the country's foreign ministry, then attested by the UAE embassy in that country, then by MOFA in the UAE. Timings vary by country, so we quote after seeing a copy.
By country
| Country | Route | Usual time | Our total price |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Notary where needed, FCDO, UAE Embassy London with MOFA | 22 to 24 working days, about 24 for resolutions and POAs | from AED 4,200 plus VAT, from AED 5,200 plus VAT for resolutions and POAs |
| USA | Secretary of State, US Department of State, UAE Embassy with MOFA | about 7 weeks | from AED 4,000 plus VAT |
| Canada | Notary, apostille, UAE Embassy Ottawa, MOFA | quoted after a copy | quoted after a copy |
| UAE company, for use abroad | Chamber or issuing authority, MOFA, destination embassy | MOFA stage 2 to 3 working days | MOFA stage from AED 2,600 plus VAT |
| Any other country | Home country chain, UAE embassy, MOFA | depends on the country | quoted after you share a copy |
Good standing and powers of attorney
A certificate of good standing is often the document that expires first. UK companies order it as a certified Companies House certificate, covered on UK good standing attestation. US companies order it from the Secretary of State of their state, covered on USA good standing attestation. A company power of attorney for the UAE manager follows the notary route on power of attorney attestation.
What to send us
- A photo or scan of each corporate document, or the registry certified copy
- The country and registry where the company is incorporated
- Passport copies of the directors who sign the resolution or power of attorney
- The draft resolution, if it is not yet signed
- The document list from the UAE authority, free zone or bank
What usually causes delays
- A resolution signed before the wording is checked. If the authority rejects the text, it is signed and attested again.
- Old certificates. Some authorities want a recent good standing or incorporation certificate. Order fresh copies close to the start.
- Name mismatches. The company name must read the same on every document and on the UAE application.
- Relying on the apostille. It is only the middle of the chain for the UAE.
- Extra documents nobody asked for. Each one carries its own MOFA fee.
An Arabic version is often requested after attestation. A legal translation is arranged once the stamps are done.
Trade papers are a different route
Invoices and certificates of origin are not corporate documents. See commercial document attestation and MOFA invoice attestation.
