Fees and steps checked on
A UK deed poll is attested for the UAE when your passport shows one name and a degree, birth certificate or licence shows another. An enrolled deed poll, sealed by the Royal Courts of Justice, goes to the FCDO for its apostille. An unenrolled deed poll, the kind you make yourself with two witnesses, is a private document, so a UK solicitor certifies it first. In both cases the UAE Embassy in London then attests it together with MOFA. UAE employers, regulators and immigration offices compare every document with your passport, and the deed poll is how they connect the names.
Price: from AED 985 plus VAT on standard (22 to 24 working days), AED 1,200 on express (18 working days) or AED 1,600 on premium (12 to 14 working days). FCDO, embassy, MOFA and courier fees included; any solicitor's fee is confirmed in your quote. See attestation fees.
Enrolled or unenrolled
| Enrolled deed poll | Unenrolled deed poll | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | You, with forms signed before a solicitor, then sealed by the Deed Poll Office at the Royal Courts of Justice | You, signed with two witnesses |
| Public record | Published in The Gazette | No public record |
| First step for the UAE | Sealed court document; we confirm with the FCDO whether it goes direct | Solicitor or notary certifies it |
GOV.UK's enrolment guide sets out the forms and the court fee, and warns that enrolment can take several months. It is open to people aged 18 and over. Scotland has its own rules for changing a name.
Living in the UAE
GOV.UK says people who live abroad permanently cannot change their name by deed poll. If you made your deed poll before you moved, it can still be attested. If you have not made one yet, speak to a UK solicitor before you rely on this route.
Which document links your names
- Marriage: the marriage certificate. See UK marriage certificate attestation.
- Divorce, back to an earlier name: the decree absolute or final order, often with the marriage certificate. See UK decree absolute attestation.
- Any other change: the deed poll.
Step by step
- Find the deed poll, enrolled or unenrolled.
- Solicitor or notary, for an unenrolled deed or a copy.
- FCDO apostille.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA, through the MOFA portal, with VFS collecting the original. The attestation is digital.
- Send it with the document in your old name, so the UAE office sees both together. The degree route is on UK degree attestation.
What goes wrong
- The deed poll attested alone. It explains another document. Attest them as a pair.
- A photocopy of an unenrolled deed. The solicitor needs the original signed deed, or must certify the copy against it.
- Two name changes. You may need two linking documents. List them in order for us.
- Small differences only. A missing middle name may not need a deed poll. Ask the UAE office first. More in name mismatch and attestation.
