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Certificate attestation is the process of getting a document stamped by a chain of authorities so that it is legally accepted in another country. For the UAE, a document issued abroad is usually certified at home, legalised by that country's foreign ministry, attested by the UAE embassy there, and finally attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA attestation). Without that chain, a visa office, employer or school in the UAE cannot rely on the document.
Price: our total prices start from AED 985 plus VAT for UK personal documents and AED 1,025 plus VAT for USA ones, all official fees included. See attestation fees.
What certificate attestation means
No authority in the UAE can check a signature from a registrar in Manchester or a university in Ohio. So each authority in the chain checks the one before it, and the UAE only needs to trust the last link: its own embassy and MOFA.
| Stamp | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Notary or solicitor (where needed) | The copy matches the original, or the signature is genuine |
| Home foreign ministry | The notary's or issuing authority's signature is genuine |
| UAE embassy in that country | The foreign ministry's stamp is genuine |
| MOFA in the UAE | The UAE embassy's attestation is genuine |
The result is a document that any UAE authority can accept, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or any other emirate.
Who needs document attestation
You need it whenever a UAE authority must rely on a document issued in another country. The most common reasons:
- Family visa: a spouse needs an attested marriage certificate, and children need attested birth certificates. See documents to attest for a family visa.
- Work visa: skilled roles need a MOFA-attested educational certificate for the work permit. See degree attestation for a work visa.
- Golden visa: the skilled professional route asks for an attested bachelor's degree or equivalent.
- Degree recognition and school admission: a foreign degree or school certificate is verified and attested before recognition or enrolment.
- Company set-up: board resolutions, incorporation certificates and powers of attorney from abroad, at the commercial rate.
Certified true copy: meaning
A certified true copy is a copy that an authorised person, such as a notary or solicitor, has compared with the original and signed as a true and accurate copy of the original. It is often the first step in the chain.
In the UK, for example, the FCDO will only legalise qualification certificates, powers of attorney and copies after a UK notary or solicitor has certified them. Public registry documents, such as a birth or marriage certificate issued by the registry, do not need that step. In Dubai, a government notary certifies a true copy. More in certified true copy in Dubai.
The attestation process, step by step
- Check the document. It must be the original or a digital original with a QR code, in Arabic or English or with a certified translation, and not laminated.
- Notarise or certify it in the issuing country if that country requires it.
- Legalise it at the home foreign ministry, for example the FCDO in the UK, the State Department in the USA or Global Affairs Canada.
- Attest it at the UAE embassy in that country.
- Attest it at MOFA in the UAE. On the digital route, steps 4 and 5 happen together.
- Verify it on verify.mofa.gov.ae with the reference number and issue date.
Digital attestation and the older paper route
For many countries, including the UK, the USA, Jordan and Nigeria, the UAE embassy and MOFA now attest documents together. You apply on the MOFA portal with UAE PASS, a courier collects the original, and you receive the document by email, digitally attested by both the UAE embassy and MOFA. That stage usually takes 2 to 3 working days, and no separate MOFA stamp is needed in the UAE afterwards. The original comes back by courier.
Some countries still use the paper route, where the embassy stamps the original and MOFA attests it again inside the UAE. Which route applies depends on the issuing country. Find yours on attestation by country.
Attestation for UAE documents
A document issued in the UAE skips the foreign chain. For use inside the UAE it usually needs MOFA attestation only, which costs from AED 250 plus VAT for a personal document with us. All official fees are included in our total price. If a UAE document will be used abroad, it usually then goes to the destination country's embassy in the UAE.
Attestation is not an apostille
An apostille is a single certificate that replaces embassy legalisation between members of the Hague Apostille Convention. The UAE is not a member, so it does not accept an apostille on its own. A UK or US document with an apostille still needs the UAE embassy step and MOFA. The full comparison, including notarisation, is in attestation vs apostille.
MOFA, MOFAIC and the ministry name
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs was called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) until 22 May 2023, when Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2023 renamed it MOFA. MOFAIC attestation and MOFA attestation are the same thing. MOFA's Customer Happiness Centres are closed, so attestation is applied for online with UAE PASS or through a service provider.
How long it takes
A UAE document that needs only MOFA usually takes 2 to 3 working days with us. A UK personal document takes 12 to 14 working days on the premium service, Canada 4 to 6 weeks and the USA about 7 weeks. The full breakdown by step is in how long attestation takes.
