Fees and steps checked on
Kenya certificate attestation makes a Kenyan degree, KCSE certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate or certificate of good conduct valid for use in the UAE. The usual chain is notarisation and verification, the registry or issuing office, attestation by the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE Embassy in Nairobi, and finally MOFA attestation in the UAE.
Price: send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. Kenya has no fixed price because the first steps differ for each document. See attestation fees.
The Kenya to UAE attestation route
The Kenyan chain listed by VFS Global, the service provider that processes UAE embassy attestation for about 50 countries including Kenya, runs in five steps:
- Notarisation and verification. Copies and private documents are notarised, and the document is verified as genuine.
- Registry or issuing office. The registry that issued a civil certificate, or the relevant office for other documents, confirms it.
- Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry attests the document. This is the step people search for as "certificate attestation in Kenya".
- UAE Embassy in Nairobi. The embassy attests the Kenyan ministry stamp. You apply through the MOFA portal, where the government fees are paid.
- MOFA in the UAE. The final stamp. If the embassy issues a digital attestation, MOFA's stamp is included; if not, it is a separate step in the UAE.
The Kenyan foreign ministry step is not enough on its own for the UAE. Without the UAE Embassy in Nairobi and MOFA, a Kenyan certificate is not accepted by a UAE visa office or employer.
Kenyan documents and their usual steps
| Document | Group | Usual steps in Kenya | UAE steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| University degree, transcript | Educational | Verification with the university, notarised copy, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA |
| KCSE or school certificate | Educational | Verification, notarised copy, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA |
| Birth certificate | Personal | Registry confirmation, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA |
| Marriage certificate | Personal | Registry confirmation, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA |
| Certificate of good conduct | Personal | Issuing office confirmation, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA |
| Company registration, board resolution | Commercial | Registry or notary, MFA | UAE Embassy Nairobi, MOFA (commercial fee) |
Your exact first step is confirmed when you send a copy.
Fees and timing
Our quote includes every official fee, in Kenya and in the UAE. Kenyan processing times are confirmed with your quote; at the UAE end, MOFA courier attestation usually takes 1 to 3 business days.
Good conduct and marriage certificates
Two Kenyan documents come up again and again. A certificate of good conduct is often asked for by UAE employers; because police certificates are judged by their issue date, check how recent your employer wants it before starting the chain. A marriage certificate is needed to sponsor a spouse: see marriage certificate attestation for what the family visa office asks for. If you need a UAE police certificate instead, see police clearance certificate in Dubai.
Already in the UAE?
You do not need to fly to Nairobi. The original goes to Kenya by courier or with a relative, and comes back attested. MOFA allows anyone to submit the UAE application on your behalf. Kenyan documents are in English, so there is no translation cost for MOFA.
Holding a second set of papers from Uganda? The route is on Uganda certificate attestation, and both sets can go into one request.
Common problems with Kenyan documents
- Ministry stamp only. A document attested by the Kenyan foreign ministry but not by the UAE Embassy is not accepted in the UAE.
- Unverified degree. Education documents that skip verification can be refused at the ministry.
- Old good conduct certificate. An older certificate may be attested but then rejected by the employer for its date.
- Lamination. MOFA does not attest laminated documents.
For a work permit, see degree certificate attestation. For children's visas, see birth certificate attestation.
