Fees and steps checked on
UK company documents attestation is needed when a British company sets up a branch or subsidiary in the UAE, appoints a local manager or opens a corporate account here. Each document is certified where needed, legalised by the FCDO and attested by the UAE Embassy in London, which adds the MOFA commercial attestation digitally. MOFA treats these as commercial documents.
Price: from AED 4,200 plus VAT per commercial document (22 to 24 working days), and from AED 5,200 plus VAT for a board resolution or power of attorney (about 24 working days), all official fees included. See attestation fees.
Which UK company documents are usually asked for
| Document | Issued by | Needs a UK notary first? |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of incorporation | Companies House | no, when it is a registry-issued copy |
| Articles of association | Companies House certified copy, or the company | no for a registry copy, yes for a company copy |
| Board resolution | the company's directors | yes |
| Power of attorney | the company | yes |
The FCDO legalises public registry documents directly. Company-made papers, including resolutions and powers of attorney, must first be certified by a UK notary or solicitor. The UAE authority or free zone handling your licence decides which of these it needs, so ask them for their list before you start.
UK company documents attestation step by step
- Collect the list. Get the exact document list from the UAE licensing authority, free zone or bank.
- Registry copies. Order certified copies from Companies House where possible, to skip the notary.
- Notary for company papers. Board resolutions and powers of attorney are signed and notarised by a UK notary.
- FCDO legalisation. Standard paper service up to 25 working days, or Next-Day and Restricted Urgent for registered businesses.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA. Filed on the MOFA portal, collected in the UK, and attested digitally by the embassy and MOFA, usually in 2 to 3 working days.
- Arabic translation, if requested. Many UAE authorities work in Arabic. A legal translation is prepared once the attestation is done.
Once the documents are attested
The digital attestation carries a reference number and issue date, which the licensing authority, free zone or bank can check at verify.mofa.gov.ae. Keep the paper originals together with the emailed attestation, because some offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah ask to see both.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- A director signs the resolution without a notary. The FCDO returns it. Plan the notary appointment before the board signs.
- Old certificates. Some authorities want recent registry copies. Order fresh ones rather than reusing documents from years ago.
- Name differences. The company name must match across every document and the UAE application, including "Limited" or "Ltd".
- Invoices mixed in. Commercial invoices use eDAS, not this route. See commercial document attestation.
- Relying on the UK apostille. The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so the UAE Embassy stage is always needed.
For powers of attorney on their own, see UK power of attorney attestation. The general rules for foreign company papers are on company documents attestation, and every other UK document is on UK certificate attestation.
