Fees and steps checked on
A UK medical certificate signed by a registered doctor is attested for the UAE in two steps: the FCDO legalises the doctor's signature with its apostille, and the UAE Embassy in London attests it together with MOFA. No solicitor is needed when the doctor signs in ink, because GOV.UK lists a medical certificate signed by a doctor among the documents the FCDO takes directly. People use it in the UAE for insurance claims, school and university support, employer leave after treatment in Britain, court cases, and to continue care with a UAE specialist.
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, MOFA and courier fees are all inside the price. See attestation fees.
What the letter should look like
- On the practice or hospital letterhead
- Dated, with the patient's full name as in the passport and date of birth
- Signed in ink by a named doctor, with the doctor's printed name
- Saying clearly what the UAE office needs to know: the diagnosis, the dates of treatment, fitness to work or study
Typed letters signed on behalf of the doctor, or printouts from the NHS app, are not signed by the doctor. A solicitor or notary would have to certify those, and the UAE office may still ask for a signed letter.
Direct to the FCDO or solicitor first
| Document | First step |
|---|---|
| Letter signed in ink by a registered doctor | Straight to the FCDO |
| Copy of medical records | Solicitor or notary certifies the copy |
| Letter signed by a practice manager or administrator | Solicitor or notary first |
| Hospital discharge summary without a doctor's signature | Ask the hospital for a signed letter |
The FCDO legalises the signature, not the medical content. A clear ink signature with the doctor's printed name avoids a returned document.
Step by step
- Ask the GP or hospital doctor for a signed letter for use abroad.
- FCDO apostille, directly for a doctor's signed letter.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA, applied for on the MOFA portal with UAE Pass. VFS collects the paper letter, and the attestation is digital.
- Arabic translation, if the UAE office works in Arabic. See legal translation in Dubai.
Medical documents and UAE uses
- Insurance claims for treatment received in the UK.
- Schools and universities, for support plans or exam arrangements.
- Employers, to explain an absence spent in Britain.
- Courts, in personal injury or family cases.
A UAE sick leave note is a UAE document attested by MOHAP or the DHA. See sick leave attestation. For nurses and doctors moving to the UAE, professional documents are on NMC and GMC documents for the UAE.
What goes wrong
- Signed on behalf of the doctor. It is not a doctor's signature, so it needs a solicitor first.
- Old reports. Insurers and schools often want a recent one.
- Laminated letters. MOFA refuses them.
- Medical words in English only, where the court wants Arabic. Plan the translation.
Medical reports from other countries, and UAE reports going abroad, are on medical certificate attestation.
