Fees and steps checked on
Spain certificate attestation is the chain of stamps that makes a Spanish degree, marriage certificate, birth certificate or company document valid in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates. The UAE is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a Spanish apostille on its own is not enough. The usual route is a Spanish notary where needed, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE Embassy in Madrid and finally MOFA attestation in the UAE.
Price: send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. Spain has no fixed price because the steps change with the document. See attestation fees.
The Spain to UAE attestation route
The chain for Spanish documents, as listed by VFS Global, MOFA's attestation service provider, usually runs in this order:
- Spanish notary and Colegio Notarial. Documents that need notarisation are signed off by a Spanish notary, and the notaries' college confirms the notary's signature.
- Translation. A document in Spanish needs a certified translation into Arabic or English for UAE use.
- Ministry of Education. Degrees, diplomas and transcripts pass through the Spanish education ministry before the foreign ministry.
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign ministry legalises the document.
- UAE Embassy in Madrid. The embassy attests the foreign ministry stamp. Spain is one of about 50 countries handled through VFS Global, and government fees are paid on the MOFA portal.
- MOFA in the UAE. The last stamp. Where the embassy issues a digital attestation, MOFA's stamp comes with it; otherwise MOFA is a separate step inside the UAE.
Spain is a member of the Apostille Convention, which is why many Spanish offices offer an apostille first. That apostille helps in Europe, but in the UAE it is only one step of the chain, never the end of it.
Spanish documents and their usual steps
| Document | Group | Usual steps in Spain | UAE steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| University degree (título), transcript | Educational | Notary if a copy, Ministry of Education, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA |
| School certificate | Educational | Education authority, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA |
| Birth certificate | Personal | Civil registry certificate, translation, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA |
| Marriage or divorce certificate | Personal | Civil registry or court document, translation, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA |
| Power of attorney | Personal or commercial | Spanish notary, Colegio Notarial, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA |
| Company deeds, board resolutions | Commercial | Notary, Colegio Notarial, Foreign Ministry | UAE Embassy Madrid, MOFA (commercial fee) |
The exact first step for your document, for example whether a registry certificate needs a notary or goes straight to the foreign ministry, is confirmed when you send a copy.
Fees
Our quote always includes every official fee, so the number you see is the number you pay.
Spanish translation in Dubai
MOFA accepts documents in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation. If your Spanish certificate is going to a UAE employer, school or court, it may also need an Arabic translation by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. We arrange Spanish to English or Arabic legal translation in Dubai and fit it into the chain at the right point, so nothing is translated twice.
Already in the UAE?
You do not need to fly to Madrid. The Spanish steps need the original document in Spain, so it goes there by courier or a family member hands it over, and the attested original comes back to you in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. MOFA allows anyone to apply on your behalf. If the document was issued in the UAE and is going to Spain instead, see UAE documents for use abroad.
Documents from Portugal follow a different chain, set out on Portugal certificate attestation, so if you hold papers from both countries the two routes can be planned side by side.
Common problems with Spanish documents
- Apostille only. People arrive in Dubai with an apostilled degree and are told it is not attested. The UAE Embassy and MOFA steps are still missing.
- Skipping the education ministry. A degree that goes straight to the foreign ministry can be refused. Academic documents need the education step first.
- Laminated originals. MOFA does not accept laminated documents. Do not laminate a Spanish certificate before it is attested.
- Wrong name format. Spanish documents show two surnames. If your UAE visa shows one, keep a copy of your passport with the file so the match is clear.
For a degree used for a work permit or the degree certificate attestation route, or a marriage certificate attestation for a family visa, the Spanish chain above is the same; only the first step changes. Other countries are listed on attestation by country.
