Fees and steps checked on
Russian degree attestation makes a diploma from a Russian university (bachelor, specialist, master or candidate of sciences) valid in the UAE for a work permit, a professional licence, a golden visa or a Ministry of Higher Education equivalency. The diploma has to go through consular legalisation in Russia, then the UAE Embassy in Moscow, then MOFA attestation in the UAE.
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 arrange the Russian and UAE steps for you, with free document pickup and delivery anywhere in Dubai.
Why the apostille route does not work
In Russia, education documents are apostilled by Rosobrnadzor, the federal education supervision service. Many graduates already have that apostille, because Russian universities often suggest it. It is valid only in Hague Convention countries. The UAE is not a member, so a Russian diploma with only a Rosobrnadzor apostille is refused at MOFA. For the UAE you need the consular legalisation chain instead.
The Russian degree chain for the UAE
- Notarised copy and translation. A Russian notary certifies a copy of the diploma (and the supplement if needed) 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, Consular Department. The foreign ministry legalises the Ministry of Justice stamp.
- UAE Embassy in Moscow. The embassy attests the Russian foreign ministry stamp.
- MOFA in the UAE. The final stamp that employers, MOHRE and the Ministry of Higher Education check.
For some files the exact form of the first step can differ, for example whether the notary works from the original or a copy. We confirm this from your copy before you send anything.
Documents you need
- The original Russian diploma, not laminated.
- The diploma supplement (prilozhenie) with subjects, hours and grades, if you need equivalency or a licence.
- A clear copy of your international passport, so the Latin spelling in the translation matches it.
- If your surname changed after graduation, the marriage certificate or other proof of the change.
- For a candidate or doctor of sciences degree, the state diploma issued for that degree.
Diploma, supplement and equivalency
A UAE employer hiring an engineer, doctor or teacher may only name the diploma. The Ministry of Higher Education is stricter. For a UAE equivalency certificate it looks at the programme, so it usually wants the supplement too, attested in the same way. Attesting both together costs less than going back to Moscow a second time. Our transcript attestation page explains how mark sheets fit in.
Russian specialist degrees (specialitet) of five years are a common case. The UAE side reads the title and the hours from the supplement, so a clean translation of the supplement matters as much as the stamps.
Common problems with Russian diplomas
- Rosobrnadzor apostille only. The most frequent issue. The apostille does not replace the UAE Embassy step, and the chain has to be done again.
- Name transliteration. Russian names can be written in Latin letters in more than one way, and passport spellings changed over the years. If the translation says Iuliia and your passport says Yulia, a UAE office can reject the file. We match the translation to your current passport.
- Soviet era diploma from another republic. A USSR diploma follows the route of the country where the university is now. A Kyiv or Minsk diploma does not go through Moscow.
- Lost supplement. The university can usually issue a duplicate. Ask for it before you start, since the chain cannot be done on a photocopy of a missing page.
Timing
The Russian Ministry of Justice and foreign ministry set most of the time and do not publish fixed times. Your timeline is confirmed with your quote. Once the diploma is back in the UAE, MOFA usually finishes in 1 to 3 business days.
Other Russian documents
Families sponsoring children also need Russian birth certificate attestation. For every Russian document type and the general route, see Russia certificate attestation. The rules that apply to degrees from every country are on degree certificate attestation.
