Fees and steps checked on
GCSE and A level certificates are attested for the UAE by having a UK solicitor or notary certify each one, sending it to the FCDO for an apostille, and then to the UAE Embassy in London, which attests it together with MOFA. Students need them for Ministry of Education equivalency and university entry in the UAE. Parents are sometimes asked for them when an older child moves into a UAE school after Year 11, and some employers ask adults without a degree for their highest school result.
Price: per exam certificate, AED 985 plus VAT on standard, which takes 22 to 24 working days. Faster options: AED 1,200 for 18 working days, or AED 1,600 for 12 to 14. That covers the solicitor's certification and every official fee. See attestation fees.
Your certificates stay at home. A scan of each one, in colour, is enough: the solicitor in the UK certifies a copy, and payment is taken before the work begins.
Exam boards and lost certificates
GOV.UK says you cannot get a replacement GCSE, A level, O level or CSE certificate. The exam board sends a certified statement of results instead, and that statement is attested the same way. Each board runs its own service:
| Board | What it issues | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | Certified statement of results | AQA past results |
| Pearson Edexcel | Certifying statement of results | Pearson replacement documents |
| OCR | Certified statement of results | OCR replacement certificates |
| WJEC and Eduqas | Certifying statement, or an electronic letter of confirmation | WJEC proof of results |
| CCEA | Statement of results | CCEA certificates |
Boards take from about 2 to 6 weeks, and fees differ. AQA, for example, quotes up to 20 working days plus post. If your old board no longer exists, the GOV.UK page lists which board now holds its records. For UAE use, order the paper statement, not WJEC's electronic letter. Scottish qualifications come from SQA.
Step by step
- Gather the certificates, or order certified statements from each board.
- A UK solicitor or notary certifies a copy of each one, worked from your PDF. The FCDO requires this for qualification certificates.
- FCDO apostille on each certificate.
- UAE Embassy London and MOFA, applied for on the MOFA portal and attested digitally, usually within 2 to 3 working days.
- MOE equivalency, if you are applying to a UAE university. See MOE attestation.
GCSEs, A levels and UAE schools
For children joining a UAE school, the school often asks for the transfer certificate from the last school. Exam certificates matter most after Year 11 and Year 13. KHDA's role in Dubai and the school-age rules are on KHDA attestation and attestation for school admission.
Documents to send
- A clear PDF of each certificate or statement, with the exam board's name visible
- The student's passport copy
- What the certificates are for: university, school, MOE equivalency or a job
What goes wrong
- Results slips instead of certificates. The slip from results day is not the certificate. Use the board's certificate or certified statement.
- Several boards, one certificate expected. A student with GCSEs from AQA and Pearson has at least two documents.
- A blurry or cropped PDF. The solicitor certifies what can be read. Scan every page in colour.
- Skipping the solicitor. The FCDO returns uncertified exam certificates.
University papers follow the routes on UK degree attestation and UK transcript attestation.
