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Russia certificate attestation is the set of stamps that lets a Russian diploma, marriage certificate, birth certificate or company document be used in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or any other emirate. Because the UAE is not in the Hague Apostille Convention, a Russian apostille is not accepted on its own. The usual route is a notarised translation, the Russian Ministry of Justice, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE Embassy in Moscow and then MOFA attestation.
Price: send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. Russia has no fixed price; each document is quoted on its own route. See attestation fees.
The Russia to UAE attestation route
The chain listed by VFS Global, MOFA's attestation service provider, puts the translation first, which is the main difference from Western European routes:
- Notarisation and translation. A Russian notary certifies a copy or the document, and a translation into English or Arabic is notarised with it.
- Ministry of Justice. The Russian Ministry of Justice step follows the notary.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Department. The Russian foreign ministry legalises the document.
- UAE Embassy in Moscow. The embassy attests the Russian foreign ministry stamp.
- MOFA in the UAE. The final stamp that UAE authorities, employers and schools check.
Russia is a member of the Apostille Convention, so Russian offices often offer an apostille. For the UAE, the document must go down the consular legalisation chain above, ending at the UAE Embassy and MOFA.
Russian documents and their usual steps
| Document | Group | Usual steps in Russia | UAE steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma (higher education) with supplement | Educational | Notarised copy and translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA |
| School certificate (attestat) | Educational | Notarised copy and translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA |
| Birth certificate | Personal | Notarised copy and translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA |
| Marriage or divorce certificate | Personal | Notarised copy and translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA |
| Power of attorney | Personal or commercial | Signed before a Russian notary with translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA |
| Company charter, extract, board decision | Commercial | Notarised copy and translation, Ministry of Justice, MFA | UAE Embassy Moscow, MOFA (commercial fee) |
For some documents the chain is shorter or the ministry steps differ; your exact route is confirmed when you send a copy.
Fees and timing
Our quote includes every official fee, at the UAE end and in Russia. Russian processing times are confirmed with your quote; once the document is in the UAE, MOFA courier attestation usually takes 1 to 3 business days.
Russian legal translation in Dubai
Russian is not accepted by MOFA without a certified translation. The Russian chain includes a notarised translation, but a UAE court or other receiving office may still ask for an Arabic translation by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. We plan this at the start so you do not pay twice. See Russian to English and Arabic legal translation in Dubai.
Already in the UAE?
You do not need to fly to Moscow. You keep your passport; only the original document travels to Russia by courier, or a relative there hands it over. MOFA allows anyone to apply on your behalf, so you never stand in a queue.
Families in the UAE often hold papers from more than one country. If some of yours come from Belarus, use the route on Belarus certificate attestation for those.
Common problems with Russian documents
- Apostille instead of legalisation. The most common mistake: the document has an apostille but no UAE Embassy stamp.
- Transliteration mismatch. Your name in the translation must match your passport spelling exactly, or a UAE office may reject it. Send your passport copy with the document.
- Old or worn certificates. If a notary cannot work with an old original, a newly issued duplicate from the registry may be needed. You are told before any work starts.
- Lamination. MOFA does not attest laminated documents.
For a degree, see degree certificate attestation; for a family visa, marriage certificate attestation.
