Fees and steps checked on
Finland certificate attestation prepares a Finnish degree, population register certificate, marriage certificate or company document for use in the UAE. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs legalises it, the UAE Embassy in Helsinki attests the ministry's stamp, and MOFA attestation in the UAE completes it. The detail that trips most Finnish files is the certificate itself: a printout from an online service is not enough.
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.
Start with the right Finnish certificate
Finland runs many records online, and people naturally print an extract from the e-services of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). The Finnish ministry states that such printouts are not valid for legalisation. For a birth certificate, marriage certificate or extract from the population register, order an official certificate signed by the authority, ideally in English, and tell the authority it is for use abroad.
What the Finnish ministry legalises
According to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, it legalises:
- documents issued by Finnish authorities
- the signature and position of a Notary Public
- extracts from registers
- marriage certificates and certificates of no impediment
- university diplomas
- documents signed by a chamber of commerce
- translations made by authorised translators
Anything outside that list, for example a private employer's reference letter, first needs a Notary Public.
Step by step
- Official certificate or notarised copy from the right Finnish authority.
- Authorised translation if the document is in Finnish or Swedish and no English version exists.
- Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs legalisation.
- UAE Embassy in Helsinki. The embassy of the destination country confirms the ministry's stamp.
- MOFA in the UAE. The final UAE stamp.
The UAE Embassy in Helsinki has not published its current attestation procedure online. We confirm whether it takes documents in person or through a digital application when you send a copy.
Finnish documents for common UAE needs
| UAE need | Finnish document | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit or golden visa | University degree (tutkintotodistus) | See degree certificate attestation |
| Child's residence visa | Birth certificate from DVV, official version | See birth certificate attestation |
| Spouse visa | Marriage certificate | Original, not a printout |
| Company set-up | Trade Register extract | Commercial fee in the UAE |
| Property or banking | Power of attorney | Signed before a Notary Public |
Two official languages
Finland has two official languages, so a document may be in Finnish, Swedish or both. Either way, MOFA accepts Arabic or English, or a legally certified translation. A translation made by a Finnish authorised translator can be legalised by the ministry alongside the original, which is often the cleanest route. If a UAE court asks for Arabic, we add a legal translation in Dubai.
Holding a second set of papers from Sweden? The route is on Sweden certificate attestation, and both sets can go into one request.
If you live in the UAE
The Finnish embassy in Abu Dhabi cannot do the Finnish ministry step, so there is no point queuing there. You do not need to fly home either: anyone may apply on your behalf, and the original travels to Finland and back by courier.
