Fees and steps checked on
We take your certificate through every attestation stamp it needs for the UAE, so you do not have to chase notaries, ministries or embassies yourself. A degree, marriage or birth certificate from abroad is stamped by its home foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy in that country, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA attestation). We are a private document service: you send a photo on WhatsApp, we confirm the route and one total price before any work starts, then we handle and follow up every step.
Price: from AED 985 plus VAT for UK personal documents, AED 1,025 plus VAT for USA ones, and from AED 250 plus VAT for MOFA attestation of a UAE document, all fees included. See attestation fees.
How certificate attestation works in the UAE
Document attestation in Dubai and the rest of the UAE works the same way for every document from abroad: each stamp confirms the one before it, ending with the UAE authority your employer, school or visa office trusts.
- Certify or notarise the document in the issuing country where needed. A UK degree, for example, is first certified by a UK solicitor or notary.
- Home foreign ministry. The country's foreign ministry legalises it or adds an apostille, such as the FCDO in the UK or the State Department in the USA.
- UAE embassy in that country attests the document.
- MOFA in the UAE adds the final attestation, which UAE authorities check.
For many countries, including the UK, the USA, Jordan and Nigeria, steps 3 and 4 are now done together. You apply on the MOFA portal, a courier collects the original, and the document comes back digitally attested by both the UAE embassy and MOFA, usually 2 to 3 working days for that stage. Some countries still use the older paper route with a separate MOFA step inside the UAE.
The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille on its own is not accepted, even from a member country. See attestation vs apostille.
Attestation prices in Dubai
These are our total prices. Every ministry fee and the courier are already included. Prices are plus 5% VAT.
The price depends on the country that issued the document. A UAE document that needs only MOFA starts from AED 250 plus VAT. A UK personal document starts from AED 985 plus VAT and a USA one from AED 1,025 plus VAT. The price band above shows the main routes, and the full fees page lists every country we price.
For any other country, send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price, all fees included, before any work starts.
| Document | Route | Typical time | From price (plus VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE personal document | MOFA only | 2 to 3 working days | AED 250 |
| UAE commercial document | MOFA only | 2 to 3 working days | AED 2,600 |
| UK personal document, standard | Solicitor or notary, FCDO, UAE Embassy London with MOFA | 22 to 24 working days | AED 985 |
| UK personal document, premium | Same chain, faster handling | 12 to 14 working days | AED 1,600 |
| USA personal document | Notary, Secretary of State, US Department of State, UAE Embassy with MOFA | about 7 weeks | AED 1,025 |
| Canada personal or educational document | Notary, Global Affairs Canada, UAE Embassy Ottawa, MOFA | 4 to 6 weeks | AED 1,900 |
| Any other country | Quoted after you share a copy | depends on the country | quoted before work starts |
Document attestation in Dubai: what we attest
Personal, educational and commercial documents all follow the same chain, but each has its own first step.
- Degree certificate attestation: degrees, diplomas and transcripts for a work visa, golden visa or recognition
- Marriage certificate attestation: for a spouse visa, which needs an attested marriage contract
- Birth certificate attestation: for a child's residence visa and school admission
- Divorce and death certificates, and the full list of personal documents we attest
- Experience and salary certificates and medical certificates
- Power of attorney attestation
- Commercial documents and company documents: board resolutions, incorporation certificates, invoices (eDAS invoice attestation, incorporation and MOA)
- KHDA and school certificates
Related services: equivalency certificates, legal translation and notary public services in Dubai.
Certificate attestation for the UAE by country
Each country has its own first steps, authorities and fees. Common paths:
- UK certificate attestation: solicitor or notary, FCDO legalisation, UAE Embassy London, MOFA
- USA certificate attestation: notary and Secretary of State where needed, US State Department, UAE Embassy, MOFA
- Canada certificate attestation: Global Affairs Canada or the province, UAE Embassy Ottawa, MOFA
- Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa
- Philippines, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Kenya
- Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands
The full list, with the steps for each country, is on attestation by country.
UAE documents: MOFA attestation only
A document issued in the UAE, such as a UAE degree, a birth certificate from a UAE hospital or a company document, needs only MOFA attestation for use inside the UAE. That costs from AED 250 plus VAT for a personal document and from AED 2,600 plus VAT for a commercial one with us, usually 2 to 3 working days. If the UAE document is going abroad, it usually then needs the destination country's embassy. See UAE documents for use abroad.
Why our prices are shown upfront
We publish total prices with every official fee and the courier already included, plus 5% VAT: from AED 250 for a UAE personal document (MOFA only), from AED 985 for a UK personal document on the standard route and from AED 1,025 for a USA one. Other countries are quoted after you share a copy.
MOFA's own fee is already inside our prices, not added later. See the full attestation fees in the UAE.
Attestation across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates
MOFA Customer Happiness Centres are closed, so there is no counter to queue at. MOFA attestation is applied for online with UAE PASS or through a service provider, and anyone may apply on someone else's behalf. The same service therefore covers Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and the other northern emirates.
Guides and common questions
- Common MOFA attestation mistakes to avoid before you start
- Does MOFA attestation expire?
- Can you attest a photocopy, or only the original?
- Translate before or after attestation?
- Name on the certificate does not match the passport
- How to spot a fake attestation
More articles are on the attestation blog, and short answers are on the attestation FAQ.
Avoid the usual mistakes
- Laminated documents are not accepted by MOFA. Do not laminate a certificate you may need attested.
- Wrong language. Documents must be in Arabic or English, or carry a certified translation.
- Skipped home step. MOFA only attests documents already attested by the issuing side.
- Apostille only. It is not enough for the UAE on its own.
More on refusals in why attestation gets rejected. Once a document is attested, you can check it on verify.mofa.gov.ae with the reference number and issue date.
