Fees and steps checked on
Colombia certificate attestation makes a Colombian diploma, acta de grado, registro civil de nacimiento or matrimonio, or notarial document valid for a visa, job or company file in the UAE. What sets Colombia apart is the translation loop: Cancillería legalises the Spanish document, the document is translated into English, and Cancillería legalises the English version as well. Then the UAE Embassy in Bogotá attests it and MOFA attestation completes the chain.
Price: Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
The Colombian sequence
The route below is how VFS Global, MOFA's attestation service provider, lists Colombia.
Academic documents (diploma, acta de grado, notas)
- Notary
- Ministry of Education
- Cancillería legalisation in Spanish
- English translation and Cancillería legalisation in English
- UAE Embassy in Bogotá
- MOFA, UAE
Personal documents (registro civil of birth or marriage)
- Regional registry (Registraduría or notaría that holds the record)
- Notary
- Cancillería legalisation in Spanish
- English translation and Cancillería legalisation in English
- UAE Embassy in Bogotá
- MOFA, UAE
Whether the UAE Embassy in Bogotá issues the embassy and MOFA stamps together on MOFA's digital route, as several embassies now do, is confirmed when you send a copy.
Cancillería is fully online
Since 1 July 2016 Colombia's foreign ministry has handled apostille and legalisation entirely online, around the clock, with no in-person counter for these services. That helps when you live in the UAE: the legalisation can be requested remotely once the document is in the system. Only the steps that need the paper original, such as the notary and the UAE embassy, need someone in Colombia.
Colombian documents and their use in the UAE
| Document | Common UAE use | Next page to read |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma and acta de grado | Skilled work permit, recognition | Degree certificate attestation |
| Registro civil de nacimiento | Child's residence visa | Birth certificate attestation |
| Registro civil de matrimonio | Spouse sponsorship | Marriage certificate attestation |
| Poder notarial, company certificates | Company or property matters | Commercial fee at the UAE stage |
Fees
Colombian fees are set per document by Cancillería and vary by department for apostilles issued by gobernaciones. Our total includes everything: the Colombian fees, the UAE mission fee and MOFA.
If you also studied, married or had a child in Venezuela, the steps for those papers are on Venezuela certificate attestation.
Points to watch with Colombian papers
- Apostille ordered by mistake. Cancillería's online form offers both apostille and legalisation. For the UAE, choose legalisation.
- Translation before the first legalisation. The English version is legalised after the Spanish one, so translating too early means repeating work.
- Old registro civil copies. Some authorities want a recently issued copy. Check the date before sending it.
- Two surnames. Colombian records show both. Keep a passport copy with the file.
Once the document arrives in the UAE, an Arabic version for a court or ministry can be done by a legal translator in Dubai. For other countries, see attestation by country.
