Guide: Notary and MOFA
MOFA attestation online, with online notarisation first
MOFA attestation online means applying to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its website or the UAE MOFA app, instead of visiting a counter. MOFA’s FAQ says its Customer Happiness Centres are closed, so the online route is now the normal route. You sign in with UAE PASS, and MOFA’s system decides whether your document is attested digitally or collected by an approved courier.
Many documents need a notary before MOFA. A power of attorney, an affidavit or a declaration you sign is notarised first, and MOFA then attests the notary’s seal. We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. If your document can be notarised by video, the whole first step can happen online too. We tell you if your document can be done online.
Step one online: notarise by video
Our online notary service works by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels, such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. The notary checks your identity, watches you confirm and sign on screen, and notarises the document. That notarised document is then ready for MOFA.
Documents people often ask us to notarise before MOFA:
- a power of attorney for property, a bank or a case abroad;
- an affidavit or a declaration;
- a witnessed signature on a form from a bank or office abroad;
- a certified true copy of a certificate.
Not every document can be done by video. If yours cannot, our public notary services are in person, and our home visit notary comes to your home, office, hospital or care home in the UAE.
Step two online: the MOFA application
Before you apply, the document should already be ready for MOFA:
A paper you signed
carries the notary seal.
A foreign document
carries its home foreign ministry stamp and the UAE embassy stamp from the same country.
A UAE certificate
is the final, signed original, and any earlier UAE authority step has been done. MOFA’s FAQ gives a UAE birth certificate as the example: the Ministry of Health and Prevention or the local health authority attests it first, unless it is a digital document issued by a government entity.
The language
is Arabic or English, or a legally certified translation is attached.
The original is not laminated.
If any of these is missing, the application is likely to be refused or the document sent back. Our UAE attestation process guide shows where MOFA sits in the whole chain.
Side by side
What can be done fully online
| Part of the file | Online? |
|---|---|
| Notarising your signature by video | Yes, where the document can be done remotely. We tell you first. |
| Applying to MOFA | Yes, through MOFA’s website or the UAE MOFA app with UAE PASS |
| Paying the MOFA fee | Yes, online during the application |
| The original paper document | MOFA’s system may send an approved courier to collect it. MOFA says collection and delivery must be at the same address. |
| eDAS for commercial invoices and certificates of origin | Yes, electronic attestation |
| The embassy step for a foreign document | No. It happens in the issuing country |
MOFA says people outside the UAE can create a UAE PASS account, but its courier service covers the UAE only. If you are abroad, you can send the original to us.
Doing MOFA attestation online yourself
It usually works well when:
- you have one or two personal documents, such as a degree and a marriage certificate, with every earlier stamp in place;
- you are comfortable with UAE PASS and paying online;
- you can be at the same address for courier collection and return;
- there is no close deadline.
Checklist
When to hand the file to us
- You still need to sign something in front of a notary.
- You are not sure the earlier stamps are complete.
- The file mixes personal and commercial documents, which MOFA charges differently.
- A translation is needed before or after MOFA. See legal translation.
- You are outside the UAE or cannot be home for the courier.
- The date is close. Ask about our fast track notary services in the UAE.
Step by step
Common reasons online applications fail
01
The paper you signed was never notarised.
02
The UAE embassy stamp from abroad is missing or cannot be read in the upload.
03
The document is classed as personal when it is commercial, or the other way round. A general power of attorney is on MOFA’s commercial list.
04
The scan cuts off the edge of a stamp.
05
The name entered differs from the name on the document.
Step by step
How we help
01
We look at the document and every stamp on it.
02
If you still need to sign, we prepare the paper and notarise it online, in person or at your home.
03
We classify it as personal or commercial and quote the MOFA fee at cost.
04
We submit the MOFA application and follow it to completion.
05
We return the original to you, or deliver it to the office that asked.
After attestation, the office that receives it may check it. See MOFA attestation verification. Our main page is MOFA attestation in Dubai.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Online power of attorney (remote notarisation) | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal schedule) |
| Affidavit or declaration, notarised | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit (federal schedule) |
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Courier pickup and delivery | From AED 80 | None |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can MOFA attestation online be done from outside the UAE?
Partly. MOFA says non-residents can create a UAE PASS account, but its courier service covers the UAE only. You can send the original to us and we submit it for you.
Can the notary step be done online?
Often, yes. We notarise by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels, such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. We tell you if your document can be done online before you pay.
Is online MOFA attestation cheaper?
The MOFA fee is the same: AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Online saves travel, not the fee. MOFA’s courier leg is charged on top.
Does online attestation work for a foreign document with no UAE embassy stamp?
No. A foreign document needs the UAE embassy stamp from its home country first. Online or not, MOFA is the last step for a foreign document.
Notary and MOFA
More guides
Notary and MOFA
MOFA verification
MOFA attestation verification is the check an employer, school, bank or government office makes to confirm that the MOFA attestation on a document is real and belongs to.
Notary and MOFA
Attestation steps
The UAE attestation process is a chain of signatures, each one confirming the one before it.
Certificates
Degree equivalency
An MOE equivalency certificate in UAE is the name many people use for an official decision on what a foreign qualification is equal to in the UAE system.
Ask before you upload
Send a photo of the document with every stamp visible. We tell you if it needs a notary first and if it is ready for MOFA. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.
- Phone: +971 52 947 5935
- WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Sources for this page
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (chain, fees, channels, courier): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eDAS attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/Services/EDAS-Attestation-v2
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491