Fees and steps checked on
Turkmenistan certificate attestation is the full, old-style legalisation chain, because neither Turkmenistan nor the UAE belongs to the Apostille Convention. A Turkmen diploma or civil certificate is checked by the Ministry of Justice, legalised by the Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ashgabat, attested by the UAE Embassy in Ashgabat and finished with 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. See attestation fees.
What makes Turkmenistan different
Two habits of the Turkmen system shape every file. First, the foreign ministry checks the Ministry of Justice seal and the official's signature, so the justice step cannot be skipped. Second, documents are legalised, as a rule, as notarised copies rather than originals. That matters for the UAE, where MOFA attests the document that carries the full chain of stamps and refuses anything incomplete. We plan the set of copies and originals at the start, so you are not asked for a second round later.
Route from Ashgabat to the UAE
- Notary. A Turkmen notary prepares the certified copy and, where needed, a certified translation into English or Arabic.
- Ministry of Justice. Confirms the notary's seal and signature.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Service Department. Legalises the justice stamp. The ministry charges a consular fee, a fee for actual expenses and a sticker.
- UAE Embassy in Ashgabat. Attests the foreign ministry stamp. The embassy has been in Ashgabat since 2002.
- MOFA in the UAE. The final stamp.
Documents and what to expect
| Document | Can it be legalised? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Higher education diploma | Yes | Used for skilled work permits and degree certificate attestation |
| Birth certificate | Yes | Child residence visa |
| Marriage certificate | Yes | Spouse visa, see marriage certificate attestation |
| Power of attorney | Yes, through a notary | Personal or commercial at MOFA, depending on content |
| Passport, ID card | No | Not legalised; use a passport copy for name matching |
| Work record book, military card | No | Listed by Turkmen embassies as not legalised |
| Commercial or customs papers | Listed as not legalised by one embassy | Ask before sending |
Language and name issues
Turkmen documents are often in Turkmen, sometimes with Russian. Both need translation into English or Arabic for MOFA. Turkmen letters such as ň, ş and ž can be written in Latin script in more than one way, so the translator should follow your current passport. For a UAE court or ministry, an extra Arabic version by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice may be needed; we arrange legal translation in Dubai after the stamps.
If you also studied, married or had a child in Uzbekistan, the steps for those papers are on Uzbekistan certificate attestation.
If you are already in the UAE
You do not need to fly to Ashgabat. Family can deal with the notary and ministries, and the embassy and MOFA stages are coordinated from Dubai. If a UAE office only needs a copy of an attested certificate, a certified true copy in Dubai may save sending the original again.
