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Divorce certificate attestation is the chain of stamps that makes a divorce decree or certificate issued abroad legally valid in the UAE. You may need it to remarry in the UAE, to show your civil status to an authority or employer, or to change who sponsors a family member's visa. The route is: the court or registry copy in the issuing country, its foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there, then MOFA attestation.
Price: from AED 985 plus VAT for a UK divorce document (standard route), AED 1,025 plus VAT for a USA one, and from AED 1,900 plus VAT for a Canadian one, all official fees and courier included. A UAE-issued divorce document that only needs MOFA is from AED 250 plus VAT. See attestation fees.
Which divorce document to attest
The document that counts is the final order of the court or the registry record, not an interim order. In the UK that is the decree absolute or final order; elsewhere it may be a divorce certificate from the civil registry or a court judgment. Court-sealed documents and registry documents are usually accepted by the foreign ministry without a notary step.
If you are unsure which paper you hold, send a photo first. Attesting the wrong document costs the full chain twice.
Step by step: a divorce issued abroad
- Get a sealed or certified copy from the court or registry that issued the divorce. It must not be laminated.
- Notary, only if needed. In the UK, court-sealed documents go straight to the FCDO. A photocopy would need a solicitor or notary first.
- Foreign ministry. FCDO in the UK, the US Department of State, Global Affairs Canada or the provincial authority.
- UAE embassy and MOFA. For the UK and the USA the embassy and MOFA stamps are added together on MOFA's digital route, usually in 2 to 3 working days for that stage. For countries still on the paper route, MOFA adds the last stamp in the UAE.
- Translation. If the document is not in Arabic or English, add a legal translation.
Divorce certificate attestation by country
| 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 |
| Australia, South Africa, Philippines and others | depends on the country | quoted after you share a copy |
| UAE-issued divorce document | 2 to 3 working days | from AED 250 plus VAT |
Every other country is listed on attestation by country.
A UAE divorce for use abroad
If your divorce was issued by a UAE court and you need it recognised at home, it goes to MOFA (2 to 3 working days by courier) and then usually to the embassy of the country where you will use it. An eligible digital court document with a QR code can use MOFA's digital route, usually within about 2 hours. See attesting UAE documents for use abroad.
Documents you need
- The sealed or certified copy of the final divorce order or certificate
- A copy of your passport
- Your previous marriage certificate attestation, if the receiving authority wants to see both
- A legal translation if the document is not in Arabic or English
How long it takes
The foreign ministry sets the pace: 22 to 24 working days for the UK on the standard route, about 7 weeks for the USA, 4 to 6 weeks for Canada. The digital embassy and MOFA stage adds 2 to 3 working days. See how long attestation takes.
If you plan to marry again in the UAE, divorce certificate for remarriage in the UAE explains what each marriage route asks for.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Interim order instead of the final order. Only the final decree or certificate proves the divorce.
- Apostille only. Not accepted in the UAE without the embassy and MOFA stamps.
- Plain photocopy. Get a sealed copy from the court, or have the copy certified first.
- Missing translation. Needed for any language other than Arabic or English.
More in why attestation gets rejected. You can check a finished attestation at verify.mofa.gov.ae with its reference number and issue date.
