Fees and steps checked on
MOFA attestation for people in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain is an online application: you, or someone acting for you, sign in with UAE PASS, pay the ministry fee, and a courier picks up the original from your home or office. The ministry's Customer Happiness Centres have closed, so there is nothing to gain from a trip to Rolla, Al Nahda or the Rahmaniyah branch. A paper document from a UAE authority usually comes back within 1 to 3 business days.
Price: a UAE personal document from AED 250 plus VAT and a UAE commercial document from AED 2,600 plus VAT, usually ready in 2 to 3 working days, all official fees included. See attestation fees.
The MOFA Sharjah branch and the northern emirates
MOFA still publishes one address in this part of the country: its Sharjah branch in Rahmaniyah, listed as open 8:00 to 14:00. No MOFA office is listed in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah or Umm Al Quwain. Neither matters for attestation, because the ministry handles it through its website, its app and approved couriers. Older pages that send you to a counter in Sharjah describe a process that has ended. More background: MOFA attestation centres.
What residents here usually need attested
| Situation in the northern emirates | Document | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsoring a spouse or children | Marriage and birth certificates from abroad | Birth certificate attestation |
| Enrolling a child in a Sharjah or Ajman school | School certificates from abroad | Attestation for school admission |
| Taking a teaching or engineering job | Degree for a skilled work permit | Degree certificate attestation |
| Running a company in a Sharjah, Ajman or RAK free zone | Company documents and invoices | Commercial document attestation |
| Long medical leave from a northern emirates clinic | Sick leave or medical report | Sick leave attestation |
School certificates for Sharjah and Ajman families
The "TC attestation in Sharjah" question comes up every term. For school certificates up to Grade 12, equivalency stays with the Ministry of Education. A certificate from abroad needs attestation by the Ministry of Education and/or the education authority of the country that issued it, and a certificate in another language needs a legal translation. Schools differ in what they accept, so ask the admissions office for its list before ordering anything. KHDA transfer certificates apply to Dubai private schools only; see KHDA attestation if you are moving from a Dubai school.
Sick leave and medical reports
Outside Dubai, MOHAP attests sick leaves and medical reports from private and government facilities. Leave of 5 days or less is attested straight away; longer leave goes to a medical committee. Apply within one month of the leave being issued. Dubai-issued sick leave is the exception and goes to the Dubai Health Authority.
How the application works from your emirate
- First stamp from the issuer. A UAE document must carry the attestation of whoever issued it: the university, the court, the ministry or the chamber of commerce.
- UAE PASS sign-in. Open the MOFA site or app, state that the document is UAE-issued, then pick the issuing authority and document type.
- Pickup address. Give your address in Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, Fujairah or Umm Al Quwain.
- Courier choice and payment. The total appears on screen before you pay.
- Return. The courier brings the attested original back to the same address.
Documents from abroad follow a different path: the home foreign ministry first, then the UAE embassy in that country, which for the UK, the USA and several others now attests together with MOFA digitally. Screen-by-screen help is in MOFA attestation online.
Courier options and official fees
MOFA lists Emirates Post, Zajel, Tawzea and Aramex as couriers, each with a normal and an express option. Every official fee and the courier are included in the total price you get before any work starts. Commercial invoices for goods of AED 10,000 or more use eDAS 2.0.
Notary steps outside Dubai
A power of attorney or a declaration often needs a notary before MOFA. In emirates served by the federal courts, the Ministry of Justice offers e-Notary through UAE PASS. If the document will be signed in Dubai, the Dubai Courts notary handles it. See power of attorney attestation.
Avoid these mistakes
- A UAE document missing its first stamp. The ministry turns it down.
- Foreign papers with an apostille and nothing else. The UAE has not joined the Apostille Convention, so the UAE embassy step is still required.
- Laminated originals. They cannot be attested.
We are a private document service, not MOFA, and MOFA allows us to apply for you. For the full process and fees, see MOFA attestation.
What to have ready
Before you open the application, check four things: the document is the original, it is not laminated, it already carries the stamp of the authority that issued it, and it is in Arabic or English or has a legal translation. Then choose a pickup address where someone can hand the courier the document. Missing one of these is the usual reason a Sharjah or Ajman file is turned back, so a two minute check saves days.
