Fees and steps checked on
A legal translation in Dubai is a translation made, stamped and signed by a translator registered and licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022. You need one when a document going to MOFA is not in Arabic or English, when a court or notary needs an Arabic version, and when a UAE office asks for Arabic. A certified translation from an unlicensed source, or an online tool, is not accepted. So if you are choosing a translation company or translation agency in Dubai for official papers, the first thing to check is that licence.
Price: legal translation is quoted per document after you share a copy on WhatsApp. You get the total price, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
When a legal translation is required
| Situation | Language needed | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA attestation of a document in another language | Arabic or English | MOFA accepts Arabic, English or a legally certified translation |
| Court case in Dubai | Arabic | Court documents are handled in Arabic |
| Notarising a power of attorney or contract | Often Arabic or bilingual | Depends on the notary and the act |
| School certificate equivalency at MOE | Arabic or English | Other languages need a legal translation |
| Family visa with a foreign marriage or birth certificate | Arabic or English, depending on the office | Check the visa checklist |
| UAE document going abroad | The destination country's language | Set by the receiving country |
If you are not sure, read the MOFA attestation requirements or ask us before you order.
Translation and attestation: the right order
The order matters, because a translation made at the wrong moment can miss a stamp or be refused.
- Home country attestation first. The document goes through the notary, the foreign ministry and the UAE embassy in its country.
- MOFA, or the digital embassy route that already includes MOFA.
- Legal translation in the UAE, covering the document and its stamps, by an MOJ-licensed translator.
- Notary attestation of the translator's signature, where the receiving office asks for it. The Dubai notary works under Executive Council Resolution No. 72 of 2025.
- Submit to the court, ministry, school or visa authority.
Some countries, such as Italy, Spain and Russia, translate before the foreign ministry step as part of their own chain. Our country pages show where the translation sits. A German marriage certificate and a Russian degree follow different orders.
Choosing a translation company in Dubai
Many translation agencies in Dubai translate marketing text, websites and menus. For a document going to MOFA, a court, a notary or a visa office, only a legal translation counts. Before you pay any translation company, check these points:
- MOJ licence. The translator who signs must be registered and licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice.
- Stamp and signature. Each page carries the translator's stamp and signature, attached to a copy of the original.
- The right order. Translate after the home country's stamps where the receiving office wants the stamps translated too. See translate before or after attestation.
- Name spelling. Names must match the passport in English and be consistent in Arabic across all your documents.
We arrange the legal translation through licensed translators and take care of the attestation around it, so one team handles the whole file.
Legal translation services in Dubai: documents we handle
- Birth, marriage and divorce certificates for visas and family matters. See marriage certificate attestation.
- Degree certificates and transcripts for equivalency and jobs
- Powers of attorney, contracts and declarations for the notary public
- Company documents: memorandum of association, board resolutions, trade licences
- Court documents, judgments and police certificates
- Medical reports and sick leave certificates
Arabic to English and English to Arabic
Most requests in Dubai are Arabic to English or English to Arabic. A UAE marriage contract going to a European country is translated from Arabic; an English contract going to a Dubai court is translated into Arabic. We also arrange translation from French, Russian, German, Spanish, Italian and other languages, through licensed translators.
Documents you need
- A clear scan of every page, including the back and every stamp
- The names as written in your passport, so spellings match
- Where the translation will be submitted, and the language required
- Deadline
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Translating before the stamps. The embassy and MOFA stamps are then missing from the translation, and you pay twice.
- Name spellings that differ from the passport. Give us the passport spelling at the start.
- An unlicensed translation. A translation from abroad or from an unlicensed office may be refused in the UAE.
- Missing pages. Every page and stamp has to be translated, not only the main text.
If a translated document has already been refused, see why attestation gets rejected.
Timing matters as much as the translator. Read translate before or after attestation to see where the translation fits in your chain.
How we help
We work with licensed legal translators and arrange the translation at the correct point in your attestation chain, then the notary step if needed. The licensed translator makes and stamps the translation; we prepare the file, check names and stamps against your passport and follow up until you have the finished set, anywhere in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the other emirates.
