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Documents from Canada
Canada certificate attestation in Dubai
Canada certificate attestation in Dubai begins with a Canadian office deciding whether the document is federal or provincial. Canada changed its system when it joined the Apostille Convention, and provinces now authenticate many of their own documents. Canada’s membership took effect on 11 January 2024, according to the HCCH status table. After the Canadian authentication, the UAE embassy in Ottawa stamps the document, and MOFA in the UAE adds the final attestation.
1
Home country
The issuing body or a notary
2
Home country
The foreign ministry
3
Home country
The UAE embassy or consulate there
4
In the UAE
MOFA in the UAE
Canadians in the UAE usually need this for a degree (a job or a teaching licence), a marriage certificate (a spouse’s visa) or a long form birth certificate (a child’s visa). Documents from Quebec may also be in French, which needs a translation that MOFA accepts.
At a glance
- MOFA’s rule: a foreign document needs its home foreign ministry stamp and the UAE mission stamp from that country before MOFA attests it. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- In Canada that foreign ministry step can be Global Affairs Canada or a provincial authority, depending on who issued the document.
- The UAE has not signed the Apostille Convention. A Canadian document for Dubai needs an authentication for a non-Hague country, followed by the UAE embassy stamp. Source: HCCH status table.
- MOFA charges AED 150 for a personal document. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Side by side
Who authenticates your Canadian document
| Document | Usual first step | Who authenticates |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial birth, marriage or death certificate | Order a certified copy from provincial vital statistics | The province, where it authenticates its own documents; otherwise Global Affairs Canada |
| University degree or transcript | A Canadian notary public certifies a copy, or the registrar signs a letter before a notary | The province where the notary is commissioned |
| RCMP criminal record check | Issued by the RCMP | Global Affairs Canada |
| Federal documents (for example citizenship papers) | None | Global Affairs Canada |
| Company documents | A notary public, or a certified copy from the corporate registry | Province or Global Affairs Canada |
Why a notary comes first for many Canadian papers
Canadian authorities authenticate a signature they hold on file: a provincial official’s, a registrar’s or a notary public’s. A diploma signed by a university officer is often not on that list. So the usual route for a degree is a notarised copy, then the provincial authentication of the notary’s signature, then the UAE embassy. Ask the UAE office whether it accepts an attested notarised copy or insists on the original diploma. See degree attestation in Dubai for the UAE side.
Birth certificates for a child’s visa
Canadian provinces issue short and long form birth certificates. A UAE visa office sponsoring a child usually wants the version that names both parents. Order that one before the attestation starts, because each certificate is attested separately. More on birth certificate attestation in Dubai.
French language documents
A certificate issued only in French cannot go to MOFA as it is. MOFA attests Arabic and English documents, or documents with a legally certified translation. Source: MOFA attestation service. You can have an English translation made and authenticated in Canada, or arrange a legal translation in the UAE if the receiving office accepts it. Our legalized translation in Dubai page covers the UAE side.
The UAE embassy in Ottawa
After the Canadian authentication, the UAE embassy in Ottawa stamps the document. This step is done only in Canada.
If you are already in Dubai, the practical choices are a relative in Canada, a Canadian authentication service that covers the embassy step, or doing it yourself on a trip back.
What we do in Dubai
- Read the document and tell you whether it is federal or provincial, and which office authenticates it.
- Explain what to ask the Canadian office for, so you get the certificate the UAE embassy expects.
- Take the returned document through MOFA.
- Handle the translation from French if needed.
- For marriage certificates for a spouse visa, see marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Immigration documents for Canada, notarised in the UAE | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking |
| Full chain including the Canada side | Quote after we see the document | Canadian, UAE embassy and MOFA fees at cost |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Canada now issues apostilles. Does that make Dubai easier?
Not for the UAE. The UAE is outside the apostille system, so a Canadian document for Dubai still needs a Canadian authentication and the UAE embassy stamp, then MOFA.
Which province handles my notarised degree copy?
Normally the province where the notary public is commissioned. A copy notarised in Ontario is authenticated by Ontario, for example.
Can I attest an RCMP check for a UAE job?
Yes. It goes through Global Affairs Canada, then the UAE embassy, then MOFA. Some offices want it recent. See police clearance attestation.
I live in Dubai and need Canadian immigration papers signed here. Is that the same service?
No, that is the other direction. Papers signed in the UAE for use in Canada usually need a notary public here and sometimes MOFA. We handle both.
Get a written quote
Ask about your Canadian document
Send a photo and tell us which UAE office wants it.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
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 (language requirement): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41