Attestation and Document Legalisation
Getting a document from one country recognised in another is a chain of stamps in a fixed order. Miss one and the whole thing is rejected. We run the chain.
Documents we attest
Educational
Degrees, diplomas, transcripts and school certificates — needed for employment visas, professional licensing and family sponsorship.
Personal
Birth, marriage and death certificates, divorce decrees, police clearance and affidavits.
Commercial
Certificates of incorporation, memoranda, board resolutions, powers of attorney, commercial invoices and certificates of origin.
How attestation works
For a document issued outside the UAE, the chain usually runs: notarisation in the issuing country, then that country's foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy there, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. For a UAE document going abroad, it runs the other way.
- Home country attestation. Notary, relevant ministry, then the national foreign affairs department.
- UAE embassy attestation in the issuing country.
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation on arrival.
- Legal translation into Arabic by a Ministry of Justice-approved translator, where required.
Also handled
- MOFA attestation of UAE-issued documents for use abroad
- Embassy attestation for most countries represented in the UAE
- Legal translation into and out of Arabic
- Power of attorney drafting, notarisation and attestation
- Document collection and delivery across Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Apostille does not apply here
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention for most purposes, so an apostille alone is not enough. Documents need full consular legalisation. This catches people out constantly.
Ask about mofa attestation
Tell us what the document is and which country issued it. We will tell you the exact chain and the cost.
Questions We Get Asked
Is an apostille enough for the UAE?
Generally no. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention for most purposes, so documents need full consular legalisation. This catches people out constantly.
What is the chain of stamps?
For a document issued abroad: notary in the issuing country, that country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. For a UAE document going abroad it runs the other way.
Which documents usually need attesting?
Degrees and transcripts for employment visas and professional licensing; birth and marriage certificates for family sponsorship; and commercial documents such as incorporation certificates, board resolutions and powers of attorney.
Do documents need translating into Arabic?
Frequently, and it must be a Ministry of Justice-approved legal translator. We arrange it as part of the chain.
What if one stamp is missing?
The whole document is rejected and you start again. The order is fixed and there is no way to shortcut it, which is the main reason people hand this over.
Not Covered Above? Ask Us.
Send the question as you would ask it on the phone. One of the team answers it properly — not a template, and not a sales call dressed up as an answer.