Fees and steps checked on
A UAE document for use abroad, such as a UAE marriage certificate, birth certificate, degree, police certificate or company document, is attested in three steps: the authority that issued it, then MOFA, then the destination country's embassy or consulate in the UAE if that country requires it. The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so no apostille is possible, even for an apostille country.
Price: MOFA attestation of a UAE-issued personal document from AED 250 plus VAT and a commercial document from AED 2,600 plus VAT, all official fees included, usually 2 to 3 working days. The destination embassy step is quoted after you share a copy on WhatsApp, with the total price before any work starts. See attestation fees.
The route for UAE documents going abroad
- Issuing authority. The body that issued the document confirms it: for example a Dubai court, the health authority for a birth certificate, Emirates Schools Establishment for a school certificate, or Dubai Chambers for a commercial document.
- MOFA attestation. Applied for online, on the MOFA website or app with UAE PASS. You choose the destination country. See MOFA attestation.
- Destination embassy or consulate in the UAE, if that country requires its own legalisation.
- Translation, if the receiving office abroad asks for its own language.
MOFA Customer Happiness Centres are closed, so there is no counter to visit. You apply online, or a service provider applies for you.
Common UAE documents and their first step
| Document | First step |
|---|---|
| Birth or death certificate (MOHAP) | Digital MOFA and embassy attestation while applying through MOHAP |
| UAE school certificate | Emirates Schools Establishment digital attestation |
| Dubai private school transfer certificate | KHDA through the school |
| Marriage contract, divorce, court judgment | The court that issued it |
| Police clearance certificate | Issued by Dubai Police |
| Power of attorney, declaration | Dubai Courts or private notary |
| Certificate of origin, company documents | Dubai Chambers |
| Commercial invoice | eDAS 2.0 |
For specific documents, see police clearance certificate in Dubai and power of attorney in Dubai. School documents are covered on MOE attestation.
MOFA routes and times
| MOFA route | Which documents | Official time |
|---|---|---|
| Digital attestation | Eligible UAE-issued digital PDFs with a QR code, barcode, link or reference number | Within 2 hours in working hours |
| Courier route, inside the UAE | Other UAE-issued documents | 1 to 3 business days |
| Courier route, outside the UAE | UAE documents collected abroad | Up to 7 business days |
The digital route, piloted from 27 April 2026, accepts up to 5 documents per application. Scans and photos are not accepted, password-protected files are refused, and the destination country cannot be changed after you submit. MOFA's courier options are normal delivery in 3 working days or express delivery in 1 working day with Aramex.
Requirements MOFA checks
- An original document, or a digital original with a verification feature
- In Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation
- Already attested by the issuing authority
- Not laminated
Do you need the destination embassy as well?
It depends on the country receiving the document. Because the UAE cannot issue apostilles, even apostille countries may ask for their embassy's legalisation of a UAE document; others accept MOFA attestation alone. Ask the receiving office what it needs, or ask us. Why the UAE route works this way is explained on apostille in Dubai.
If you have left the UAE
You can still attest UAE documents after moving abroad. MOFA allows anyone to submit an application on someone else's behalf, so we can apply from Dubai, collect the original from a family member or your former employer, and courier the attested document to you.
Verifying the attestation abroad
A digitally attested document carries the MOFA attestation on its last page, with a reference number, date and verification element. The receiving office can check it on verify.mofa.gov.ae under Document Status. See MOFA attestation verification.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Skipping the issuing authority. MOFA refuses a document its issuer has not attested first.
- Wrong destination country on the MOFA application. It cannot be changed later.
- Photos instead of the digital original. Only the original PDF qualifies for the digital route.
- Laminated certificates. Refused. Ask the issuer for a new original.
How we help
We confirm what the destination country accepts, arrange the issuing authority's step, file the MOFA application and take the document to the destination embassy in the UAE. The authorities issue every stamp; we prepare, submit and follow up, for clients in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, and for former residents abroad.
