Fees and steps checked on
Philippines certificate attestation makes a Philippine diploma, transcript, PSA birth or marriage certificate or company document valid in the UAE. The chain is: notarisation where needed, a CAV from CHED, DepEd or TESDA for school records, the DFA apostille, the UAE Embassy in Manila, then MOFA attestation. Filipino professionals and families in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah need it for work visas, family visas and school places.
Price: the Philippines has no fixed price on our list. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
UAE attestation procedure in the Philippines, step by step
- Notarisation, where needed. Private documents, copies and powers of attorney are notarised first.
- CAV for school records. A Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) comes from CHED for college degrees, DepEd for basic education and TESDA for technical courses.
- DFA apostille. The Department of Foreign Affairs adds its apostille: about 4 working days on the regular service, or next business day on the expedited service.
- UAE Embassy in Manila. Since 1 May 2024 the embassy processes attestation through its partner VFS Global, booked on the MOFA portal.
- MOFA. The document receives MOFA attestation and is ready for use in the UAE.
Philippine documents and their first step
| Document | Issued by | First step before DFA | Our total price |
|---|---|---|---|
| College diploma and transcript | University | CHED CAV | quoted after you share a copy |
| High school diploma, Form 137 | School | DepEd CAV | quoted after you share a copy |
| TESDA certificate | TESDA | TESDA CAV | quoted after you share a copy |
| Birth, marriage certificate, CENOMAR | PSA | none, PSA copy goes to DFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| Company documents, power of attorney | Company or individual | notarisation | quoted after you share a copy |
Steps and times on the Philippine route
| Step | Who stamps it | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| CAV (school records) | CHED, DepEd or TESDA | confirmed with your quote |
| Apostille | DFA | about 4 working days, or next business day |
| PSA copy plus apostille, online | PSA and DFA | confirmed with your quote |
| UAE embassy | UAE Embassy in Manila via VFS Global | confirmed with your quote |
| MOFA | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | confirmed with your quote |
Our total includes every official fee and the courier.
DFA attestation, apostille and red ribbon
People still search for "red ribbon attestation in the Philippines" and "DFA attestation". Since 14 May 2019 the DFA issues an apostille instead of the red ribbon. For most countries that apostille is the end of the process. For the UAE it is not: the UAE Embassy in Manila and MOFA must follow. See attestation vs apostille.
Which Philippine documents need which step
- College degrees: CHED CAV, DFA, UAE Embassy, MOFA. Needed for skilled work permits and nursing or engineering licences. See Philippines degree attestation.
- PSA marriage certificates: to sponsor a spouse on a family visa. See Philippines marriage certificate attestation.
- PSA birth certificates: for a child's residence visa or school admission. See Philippines birth certificate attestation.
Where Philippine documents are used in the UAE
- Work permits and licences: nurses, engineers, accountants and teachers attest their college degree and transcript.
- Family visas: a PSA marriage certificate to sponsor a spouse and PSA birth certificates for children. See documents for a family visa.
- School admission: report cards and Form 137 for children joining a UAE school.
Already in the UAE?
Hand over the original in Dubai. It goes to Manila for the CAV, DFA and UAE Embassy steps, then MOFA in the UAE. You do not need to fly home, and family in the Philippines does not need to queue at the DFA for you. If you or your family are in the Philippines now, the UAE Embassy Manila stage is explained on UAE embassy attestation in the Philippines.
Families in the UAE often hold papers from more than one country. If some of yours come from Malaysia, use the route on Malaysia certificate attestation for those.
Common problems with Philippine documents
- Degree sent to the DFA without a CAV. The CAV comes first for school records.
- Old local civil registry copies. Use the PSA-issued certificate.
- An old red ribbon. It is no longer issued; the document may need a new DFA apostille.
- Stopping at the DFA. The apostille alone is not valid in the UAE.
- Laminated or scanned documents. MOFA needs the physical, unlaminated original.
What to send us
Send a clear photo or PDF of the document first, with a line on what it is for. We tell you the route before anything travels. Also have these ready:
- The original document, unlaminated, handed over when we confirm the route
- The photo page of your passport, so names can be matched
- A marriage certificate or other proof if your name on the document differs from your passport
The original leaves your hands once it goes to Manila, and it returns to you attested.
