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Russian birth certificate attestation is what Russian parents in the UAE need when they sponsor a child born in Russia for a residence visa, and what some schools ask for at admission. The certificate comes from a Russian ZAGS (civil registry) office. For the UAE it goes through a notarised translation, the Russian Ministry of Justice, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE Embassy in Moscow and then MOFA attestation.
Price: There is no fixed price for Russia. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts.
We are a private document service, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office. We collect and return your papers with free document pickup and delivery anywhere in Dubai.
When the UAE asks for it
- Child residence visa. When a parent sponsors a child born in Russia, the visa file asks for an attested birth certificate. The Emirates ID follows the visa. See family visa services in Dubai.
- School admission. Many schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah ask for an attested birth certificate when a child joins. See attestation for school admission.
- Adults. A parent's own Russian birth certificate is sometimes asked for in court, inheritance or name matters.
Original or repeat certificate
Russian birth certificates printed many years ago, including Soviet era forms, can be faded, torn or hard for a notary to work with. ZAGS can issue a repeat certificate (povtornoe svidetelstvo) from its records. A relative in Russia, or a person with a notarised power of attorney, can usually request it from the ZAGS office or a My Documents centre. When the original is in poor condition, starting from a repeat certificate saves a refusal later. We tell you which to send after we see a photo.
The Russian birth certificate chain
- Check the certificate. Send a photo of the certificate and the child's passport.
- Notarised copy and translation. A Russian notary certifies a copy and a translation into English or Arabic is notarised with it.
- Ministry of Justice. The Russian Ministry of Justice confirms the notary's signature.
- Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Consular Department legalises the document.
- UAE Embassy in Moscow. The embassy attests the foreign ministry stamp.
- MOFA in the UAE. The last stamp, which the visa and school systems check.
The exact first step can vary with the age and form of the certificate. We confirm it from your copy before anything is sent.
Documents you need
- The original birth certificate, or a repeat certificate from ZAGS.
- A copy of the child's international passport.
- Copies of both parents' passports.
- If a parent's surname changed, the marriage certificate, since the names on the birth certificate must link to the sponsoring parent.
Common problems with Russian birth certificates
- Patronymic and transliteration. The certificate shows the child's patronymic and the parents' full names in Cyrillic, while the passport shows a Latin spelling without the patronymic. The translation must make it obvious that it is the same child. We use the passport spellings.
- Apostille instead of legalisation. Parents often order a ZAGS certificate with an apostille, thinking it covers every country. For the UAE it does not, and the consular chain is still needed.
- Sponsoring parent not named. If the father is the sponsor but is not shown on the certificate, or the mother has since changed her name, extra papers are needed. Tell us early.
Timing
The Russian ministries set most of the time and do not publish fixed times, so your timeline comes with your quote. Once the certificate is back in the UAE, MOFA usually takes 1 to 3 business days. If a visa deadline is close, say so in your first message.
Do the family file together
Parents often also need a Russian marriage certificate attested for the spouse visa, or a diploma for the sponsor's job. See Russian degree attestation and the full Russia certificate attestation page. General rules for every country are on birth certificate attestation.
