Fees and steps checked on
Experience certificate attestation is the chain of stamps that makes an employment, experience or salary letter legally valid in another country. In the UAE it is asked for by some employers, licensing bodies and visa routes; abroad, it is often needed for immigration or a new job. Because the letter is a private document, the route starts with a notary, then the foreign ministry, the UAE embassy, and finally MOFA attestation.
Price: a UK experience letter is from AED 985 plus VAT on the standard route, with the solicitor's fee confirmed in your quote, and a notarised US letter is AED 1,025 plus VAT. Letters from other countries are quoted after you send a copy, because the notary step depends on the country and the employer. A UAE letter that only needs MOFA starts from AED 250 plus VAT when processed as a personal document. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
Who needs an attested experience or salary letter
- Professionals moving to the UAE whose new employer or licensing body wants proof of past work. Your degree usually matters more for the work permit, so start with degree certificate attestation and check degree attestation for a work visa.
- UAE residents moving abroad who need a UAE experience letter for a job, a professional registration or an immigration file.
- Salary letters for visa applications, bank files or family sponsorship abroad.
Step by step: an experience letter from abroad
- Letter on company letterhead, signed and stamped by the employer, with your dates of employment and job title.
- Notary or solicitor. In the UK, private documents and copies must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor before the FCDO will legalise them. Other countries have a similar notary or chamber of commerce step.
- 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. On the paper route, MOFA adds the last stamp in the UAE.
- 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, solicitor fee quoted |
| UK, premium | 12 to 14 working days | from AED 1,600, solicitor fee quoted |
| USA | about 7 weeks | from AED 1,025 plus VAT |
| Canada | 4 to 6 weeks | quoted after you share a copy |
| Other countries, see attestation by country | depends on the country | quoted after you share a copy |
Step by step: a UAE experience letter for use abroad
- Employer letter on letterhead, signed and stamped.
- Chamber of commerce. Dubai Chambers attests the signature of member companies, usually in about 2 hours. Companies in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates use their own chamber.
- MOFA attestation online or by courier, usually 2 to 3 working days.
- Destination embassy in the UAE, if the receiving country asks for it. See attesting UAE documents for use abroad.
If the employer cannot use the chamber route, a notary public in Dubai may be an alternative for the signature; we confirm the right route when you send the letter.
Documents you need
- The original letter on letterhead, signed and stamped, not laminated
- A copy of your passport
- The employer's trade licence copy, for the chamber step on a UAE letter
- The destination country, so the final embassy step is planned
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Unsigned or unstamped letter. The notary or chamber cannot attest a signature that is not there.
- Letter from a company that has closed. The signature may no longer be verifiable. Tell us early so we can look for another route.
- Apostille only on a foreign letter: not accepted in the UAE.
- Missing details. A letter without dates or job title may be rejected by the receiving authority even after attestation.
See why attestation gets rejected. For invoices and other company paperwork, see commercial document attestation.
