Fees and steps checked on
UK diplomas and professional qualifications are attested for the UAE in the same order as a degree: a UK solicitor or notary certifies the certificate, the FCDO adds its apostille, and the UAE Embassy in London attests it together with MOFA. This covers the qualifications from awarding bodies and professional bodies that do not come from a university: BTEC and Higher National diplomas, City & Guilds, NVQs, and membership or qualification certificates from bodies such as ACCA. UAE employers ask for them for skilled job offers, and some regulators and free zones ask for them when you register a trade or profession.
Price: AED 985 plus VAT per certificate if 22 to 24 working days suits you. Express costs AED 1,200 and takes 18 working days; premium costs AED 1,600 and takes 12 to 14. Solicitor, FCDO, embassy and MOFA charges are all covered. See attestation fees.
Keep the certificate on your wall. Every speed runs on a certified copy made from your PDF, paid in advance.
Common UK qualifications and who issues them
| Qualification | Issued by | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| BTEC, HNC, HND | Pearson | Pearson replacement documents |
| City & Guilds certificates and diplomas | City & Guilds | City & Guilds replacement certificates |
| NVQs | The awarding body named on the certificate | From that body |
| ACCA and other professional bodies | The professional body | From that body |
City & Guilds charges for a replacement and says it takes up to 3 weeks, or free through your centre within a month of issue. If your certificate is lost or damaged, order the replacement before the attestation starts.
Membership or qualification?
Professional bodies issue two kinds of paper: the qualification certificate, which shows you passed, and the membership certificate, which shows you are a current member. A UAE employer counting your education wants the qualification. A regulator checking your standing may want a letter of good standing from the body instead, sometimes sent to the regulator directly. Ask which one before you attest.
Step by step
- A clear PDF of the certificate, every page in colour.
- Solicitor or notary certification. The FCDO requires it for qualification certificates.
- FCDO paper apostille. ACCA certificates cannot get an e-Apostille.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA, through the MOFA portal, with the certified copy collected in the UK and the attestation issued digitally.
- Translation or equivalency, only if the UAE office asks.
A diploma is not a degree
Attestation shows the certificate is genuine. It does not turn a diploma into a degree. Some UAE work permit categories and licences need a bachelor's degree. If you hold both, attest the degree first: see UK degree attestation and degree attestation for a UAE work visa.
Documents to send
- A clear PDF of each certificate, with the awarding body visible
- Your passport copy
- The UAE employer, regulator or free zone it is for
What goes wrong
- A results notification instead of the certificate. Online result pages and letters are not the award.
- Several units, one certificate expected. Some awarding bodies issue a certificate per unit. Ask the UAE office whether it needs all of them.
- Name changes. The certificate must match your passport, or be linked by a marriage certificate or deed poll.
- A blurry or cropped PDF. The solicitor can only certify what can be read.
Diplomas from other countries are on diploma certificate attestation. For marks, see UK transcript attestation.
