Fees and steps checked on
A US medical certificate is attested for the UAE in four moves: the doctor or the hospital's records custodian signs it before a notary, the Secretary of State of the notary's state authenticates the notary, the US Department of State authenticates the state, and the UAE Embassy in Washington attests it together with MOFA. It is used for insurance claims, school and university files, court cases, employer leave and fitness files, and to continue treatment with a UAE doctor who needs an official record.
Price: AED 1,025 per document plus VAT, with every authentication, embassy and MOFA fee and courier included. Expect about 1 month and 3 weeks. We start from a clear scan. See attestation fees.
What the doctor needs to sign
A typed report with a printed name is not enough. The document should be on the clinic or hospital letterhead, dated, signed in ink by the doctor, and then notarised. The notary adds a certificate saying the doctor signed in front of them. That notarial certificate is what the Secretary of State checks.
Two ways to get there:
- The doctor signs before a notary. Some hospitals have a notary on site. Otherwise any notary in the same state can do it.
- The records custodian certifies a copy. A hospital's medical records office certifies that the copy matches its records and signs before a notary. Useful for older records or when the doctor has moved on.
Medical documents UAE offices ask for
| Document | Typical UAE use |
|---|---|
| Medical report or treatment summary | Insurance claims, court files, continuing care |
| Fitness to work or fitness to study letter | Employer or university file |
| Disability assessment | Support at a school, university or employer |
| Vaccination record signed by a doctor | Some schools and employers |
A sick leave note from a UAE clinic is a UAE document with a different route through the health authority. See sick leave attestation.
Step by step
- Signed report on letterhead, signed by the doctor or certified by the records office.
- Notary public in the same state notarises the signature.
- Secretary of State of that state authenticates the notary.
- US Department of State adds the federal certificate.
- UAE Embassy and MOFA through VFS Global in Washington, issued digitally.
- Arabic translation, if the UAE office works in Arabic. See legal translation in Dubai.
Documents to send
- A scan of the signed and notarised report, every page
- The patient's passport copy
- The UAE office it is for
What goes wrong
- Unsigned electronic records. A patient portal printout has no signature to notarise.
- Reports that are too old. Insurers and schools often want a recent assessment. Ask before attesting a report from years ago.
- Notary and Secretary of State in different states. The state must match the notary's commission.
- Medical words without translation. Arabic-speaking offices may ask for a legal translation, and medical terms take time.
A UAE medical document going abroad follows the health authority route on medical certificate attestation. The UAE residence visa medical is a separate test done here; see medical fitness test in Dubai.
