Fees and steps checked on
For the UAE, the UK divorce document to attest is the decree absolute or final order, the court order that actually ends the marriage. A copy with a wet ink court seal goes straight to the FCDO for its apostille, then to the UAE Embassy in London, which attests it together with MOFA. You need it to marry again in the UAE, to change the parent who sponsors a child's visa, or to show an employer, bank or court that you are divorced.
Price: standard from AED 985 plus VAT (22 to 24 working days), express from AED 1,200 (18 working days), premium from AED 1,600 (12 to 14 working days), FCDO, embassy and MOFA fees and courier included. See attestation fees.
Final order, decree absolute, or something else
| Document | What it means | Accepted in the UAE? |
|---|---|---|
| Decree nisi or conditional order | The court sees no reason the divorce cannot go ahead | No, the marriage still exists |
| Decree absolute or final order | The marriage is legally ended | Yes, this is the one to attest |
| Divorce extract (Scotland) | The registered record of a Scottish divorce | Yes, through the same chain |
If you hold a printout from the online divorce service, check for the court seal. Without it, a solicitor or notary certifies the copy before the FCDO will take it.
Getting a copy
GOV.UK explains how to get a copy. If you know the case number, the request goes to the Divorce Service Centre for a 16-digit number, or to the court that handled the case for other numbers. A copy then costs £14 and usually arrives within a week of payment. If you do not know the court, the Bury St Edmunds Divorce Unit searches the records, which can take up to 45 days.
Scottish divorces are handled by the Scottish courts, and Northern Ireland has its own court office.
Step by step
- Get the sealed copy of the decree absolute or final order.
- Solicitor or notary, only if the copy has no wet ink seal.
- FCDO apostille. Sealed court documents are legalised directly.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA, applied for on the MOFA portal, collected in the UK by VFS and attested digitally in about 2 to 3 working days.
- Arabic translation, if the UAE court or registry asks. See legal translation in Dubai.
Why the UAE asks for it
- Remarriage. The court or registry wants proof the earlier marriage ended. See divorce certificate for remarriage in the UAE.
- Single status. Your affirmation of marital status refers to the divorce, and the office may ask to see it. See UK single status attestation.
- A child's visa. Moving sponsorship from one parent to the other.
- Name change back. If you returned to your earlier name, the decree may help link your documents.
What goes wrong
- The decree nisi sent instead. It is the halfway point and is refused.
- No seal on the copy. The FCDO returns it unless a solicitor certified it.
- The marriage certificate missing. Some offices want to see the attested UK marriage certificate with the divorce.
- Several documents in one apostille. The UAE Embassy in London refuses bundled apostilles.
Divorces from other countries are on divorce certificate attestation, and other UK papers on UK certificate attestation.
