Fees and steps checked on
Death certificate attestation is the chain of stamps that makes a death certificate valid outside the country that issued it. Families need it to settle an estate, close bank accounts, transfer property or claim a pension. A UAE death certificate goes to MOFA and then the destination country's embassy; a foreign one goes through its own foreign ministry, the UAE embassy, then MOFA attestation.
Price: a UAE-issued death certificate that only needs MOFA is from AED 250 plus VAT. A foreign certificate is from AED 985 plus VAT for the UK (standard route), AED 1,025 plus VAT for the USA, and from AED 1,900 plus VAT for Canada, all official fees and courier included. See attestation fees.
When a death certificate needs attestation
- Death in the UAE, affairs abroad. The family needs the UAE certificate accepted in the home country for inheritance, insurance, pensions or civil registration.
- Death abroad, affairs in the UAE. A foreign certificate is needed in the UAE to deal with a bank account, a property, a company share or a residence visa held here.
- Estate paperwork. Heirs often also need a power of attorney attestation so one person can act for the family.
Attesting a UAE death certificate for use abroad
- Check who issued it. For a certificate issued by MOHAP, MOFA attestation and embassy attestation can be done together in one procedure while you apply through MOHAP.
- MOFA attestation. Other UAE certificates go to MOFA online, by courier (1 to 3 business days), or on MOFA's digital route if the certificate is an eligible PDF with a QR code (usually within about 2 hours).
- Destination embassy. Most countries then want their own embassy or consulate in the UAE to attest it. See UAE embassy attestation.
More on this direction in attesting UAE documents for use abroad.
Attesting a foreign death certificate for use in the UAE
- Official copy from the civil registry of the country where the death was registered.
- Foreign ministry of that country: FCDO in the UK, the US Department of State after the Secretary of State, Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority.
- UAE embassy and MOFA. For the UK and USA both stamps are added together on MOFA's digital route, usually in 2 to 3 working days for that stage.
- Translation into Arabic or English if needed, by a legal translator.
| Country | Usual time | Our total price |
|---|---|---|
| UK, standard | 22 to 24 working days | from AED 985 plus VAT |
| UK, premium | 12 to 14 working days | from AED 1,600 |
| USA | about 7 weeks | from AED 1,025 plus VAT |
| Canada | 4 to 6 weeks | from AED 1,900 plus VAT |
| Other countries, see attestation by country | depends on the country | quoted after you share a copy |
| UAE-issued, MOFA only | 2 to 3 working days | from AED 250 plus VAT |
Documents you need
- The original death certificate or an official registry copy (not laminated)
- A copy of the applicant's passport
- The country where the certificate will be used
- A legal translation if it is not in Arabic or English
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Ordering too few copies. Banks, courts and registries may each keep one. Attest as many originals as you will need in one go, as each is a separate fee.
- Apostille only on a foreign certificate: not accepted in the UAE.
- Skipping the destination embassy for a UAE certificate used abroad.
See why attestation gets rejected. Every MOFA attestation can be checked at verify.mofa.gov.ae with its reference number and issue date.
