Certificate attestation
MOFA attestation for a police clearance certificate
MOFA attestation of a police clearance is needed in two opposite cases, and the order of stamps flips between them. If you are leaving the UAE, or applying for immigration or a job abroad, the foreign office may ask for your UAE police clearance (also called a good conduct certificate) attested by MOFA and then by its own embassy in the UAE. If you are coming to a UAE job, your employer may ask for the police clearance from your home country, attested there, stamped by the UAE mission, and then attested by MOFA here.
In both cases, time matters more than with most documents. A police clearance is a statement about your record on the day it was issued, so receiving offices often want a recent one. Plan the attestation as soon as the certificate is issued.
What “attested PCC” means, and where MOFA attestation of a police clearance fits
People search for “attested PCC meaning”. A PCC (police clearance certificate) is attested when the right authorities have added their stamps to it, confirming the signature on it is genuine. It does not change what the certificate says. For the UAE, “attested” usually means it carries the MOFA attestation. For a foreign office, it means MOFA plus that country’s embassy stamp.
Step by step
A UAE police clearance going abroad
01
Get the UAE certificate.
In Dubai, good conduct certificates are issued by Dubai Police; other emirates and the Ministry of Interior issue their own.
02
MOFA attestation
in the UAE.
03
The receiving country’s mission in the UAE, if that country asks for legalisation.
04
Translation
into the destination country’s language, if asked.
This whole route is done in the UAE. See legalising UAE documents for use abroad for the embassy step.
Step by step
A foreign police clearance coming into the UAE
01
Get the certificate from your home country’s police authority.
Each country has its own issuing office and format.
02
Home country verification and foreign ministry attestation, following that country’s rules.
03
The UAE mission serving the city where you apply.
04
MOFA in the UAE.
Examples of home country issuers are on our country pages, such as the ACRO certificate on UK certificate attestation in the UAE and the FBI check on US certificate attestation in the UAE. All countries: embassy attestation for Dubai.
Watch for
Why police clearance files go wrong
- The certificate expires while it is being attested. Start as soon as it is issued.
- A printout of an online certificate that MOFA cannot verify. Ask the issuer for the version that can be attested.
- The wrong issuing office. A local police station letter may not be the national certificate the receiving office wants.
- Name mismatch with the passport. Correct it at the source before attesting.
Who asks for it
Most people who search for MOFA attestation police clearance steps have been sent a list by one of these:
- Employers and regulators for security, health, education and finance jobs, in the UAE or abroad. See experience certificate attestation for the UAE for the employment letters that often go with it.
- Immigration authorities abroad, for residence or citizenship.
- Some licensing bodies in the UAE.
Step by step
How we help
01
We check which direction and which issuing office is involved.
02
For a UAE certificate, we take it through MOFA and the embassy that needs it.
03
For a foreign certificate, we give you the home country steps and complete MOFA here.
04
We handle the translation where needed.
05
We tell you early if the certificate is at risk of being too old by the time it arrives.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Urgent handling (add-on) | From AED 250 | None |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
| Foreign embassy step in the UAE | Quote after we see the document | Embassy fee at cost |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can MOFA attest a Dubai Police good conduct certificate?
MOFA attests UAE documents for use abroad, and a police clearance is one of them. Whether a digital certificate needs a particular version for attestation should be checked first.
How long is a police clearance valid after MOFA attestation?
MOFA does not set a validity. The receiving office decides how recent it must be. Ask it before you start.
Do I need a translation for my UAE police clearance?
Only if the destination country asks for one in its own language.
My home country police certificate was issued online. Can it be attested for the UAE?
Often, if the issuing authority provides a version the foreign ministry can verify. Check with the issuer.
Talk to us about a police clearance
Tell us which country issued it and where it will be used.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Certificate attestation
More in this cluster
Service hub
Certificate attestation in Dubai is the chain of stamps that makes a degree, marriage certificate, birth certificate or similar paper acceptable to a UAE office.
Sources for this page
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (attestation chain and fees): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees (translation item): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491