Fees and steps checked on
Nigeria certificate attestation makes a Nigerian degree, school certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate or company document valid for a UAE visa, job or licence. Nigeria is not in the Hague Apostille Convention, so authentication by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs replaces the apostille. After that, the UAE Embassy in Abuja attests the document digitally together with MOFA attestation, so it arrives ready for use in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or any emirate.
Price: send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. Nigeria has no fixed price because education documents need an extra federal step. See attestation fees.
The Nigeria to UAE attestation route
- Federal Ministry of Education (education documents only). Degrees, transcripts and school certificates are verified at federal level first.
- Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legal Services, Abuja. The ministry authenticates the document.
- Application on the MOFA portal. The UAE application is filed online with UAE PASS, Nigeria is selected as the issuing country, and the government fees are paid online.
- Collection of the original. A MOFA-approved provider collects the original document. The original is required, not a copy.
- Digital attestation by the UAE Embassy in Abuja and MOFA. The document is attested by both, sent by email, and the original is returned by courier.
The digital stage in step 5 usually takes 2 to 3 business days.
Nigerian documents and their usual steps
| Document | Group | Usual steps in Nigeria | UAE stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| University degree, transcript | Educational | University, Federal Ministry of Education, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA |
| School certificate (for example WAEC or NECO) | Educational | Federal Ministry of Education, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA |
| Birth certificate | Personal | Issuing registry, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA |
| Marriage certificate | Personal | Issuing registry, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA |
| Affidavit, power of attorney | Personal or commercial | Notary or court, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA |
| CAC documents, board resolutions | Commercial | Issuing body or notary, MFA Abuja | Digital: UAE Embassy Abuja plus MOFA (commercial fee) |
The exact first step for your document is confirmed from your copy.
Fees and timing
Every official fee and the courier are included in the total price you get before any work starts. If the embassy rejects an application on the digital route, the attestation fee is refunded automatically, but the provider's service and delivery fee is not, which is why we check every document before it is filed.
Already in the UAE?
Many people only find out their Nigerian degree needs attestation when a UAE employer asks for it. You do not need to travel. The original goes to Nigeria for the federal steps, and the UAE stage is handled online, because MOFA allows anyone to apply on your behalf. You receive the digitally attested document by email and can check it on MOFA attestation verification.
Documents from Ghana follow a different chain, set out on Ghana certificate attestation, so if you hold papers from both countries the two routes can be planned side by side.
Common problems with Nigerian documents
- Skipping the Federal Ministry of Education. A degree sent straight to the foreign ministry is refused.
- Name differences. If your certificate, passport and UAE visa show different name orders or spellings, a sworn affidavit may be needed. We tell you from your copy.
- Sending a copy instead of the original. The digital route still needs the original paper document.
- Lamination. MOFA does not attest laminated certificates.
A Nigerian degree used for a skilled work permit or a golden visa may also need an equivalency certificate after attestation. See degree certificate attestation and, for children's visas, birth certificate attestation.
