# Certificate attestation in Dubai, document by document 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. Each type of certificate starts with a different signature. A degree starts with the university or an education authority, a birth certificate with a civil registrar, a police clearance with the police. After that first signature, the chain is the same: the foreign ministry of the issuing country, the UAE embassy there, and MOFA in the UAE. This page goes through each certificate: who signs first, what the UAE office usually wants, and the most common reason it is asked for. Each document has its own page with the full checklist. ## At a glance - For a certificate issued abroad, the order is the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate there, then MOFA in the UAE. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). - MOFA charges AED 150 for a personal document such as a degree, marriage or birth certificate. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). - MOFA attests originals in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation, and not laminated documents. Source: [MOFA attestation service](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation). - The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille on its own is not enough. Source: [HCCH status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41). - The receiving office decides what it wants. Ask it two questions before you start: original or copy, and is an Arabic translation needed? ## 9 pages under Certificate attestation ### [Degree attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-attestation-dubai/) Degree attestation in Dubai is the set of stamps that lets a UAE employer, free zone or licensing body accept a university degree issued in another country. - [MOE equivalency certificate in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-equivalency-certificate-uae/) ### [Educational certificates](https://dubainotaryservices.com/educational-certificate-attestation-dubai/) Educational certificate attestation in Dubai usually comes up when a family moves here and a school asks for the child's previous school records. ### [Marriage certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/marriage-certificate-attestation-family-visa/) Marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa is what lets a resident sponsor a husband or wife. ### [Birth certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/birth-certificate-attestation-dubai/) Birth certificate attestation in Dubai covers two different situations. ### [Death certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/death-and-divorce-certificate-attestation/) Death certificate attestation in Dubai is usually needed at a hard time: to close a bank account, deal with an estate, claim insurance or register the death in another. ### [Police clearance](https://dubainotaryservices.com/police-clearance-certificate-attestation/) MOFA attestation of a police clearance is needed in two opposite cases, and the order of stamps flips between them. ### [Medical certificate attestation in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/medical-certificate-attestation/) Medical certificate attestation covers three quite different needs. ### [Experience certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/experience-certificate-attestation-uae/) Experience certificate attestation for UAE use is asked for when a licensing body or employer wants proof of your previous work that it can rely on. ### [Certified true copy](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certified-true-copy-attestation-in-dubai/) A true copy attested by a notary is a photocopy that a notary public has compared with the original and certified as a true copy. ## Each certificate, who signs first, and why it is asked for | Certificate | First signature in the issuing country | Usual reason a UAE office asks | Full guide | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | University degree | University, then an education authority in some countries | Employment visa, professional licence, equivalency | [Degree attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-attestation-dubai/) | | School and diploma certificates | School board or education department | School admission, further study, some jobs | [Educational certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/educational-certificate-attestation-dubai/) | | Marriage certificate | Civil or religious registrar | Sponsoring a spouse, then a child | [Marriage certificate attestation for a family visa](https://dubainotaryservices.com/marriage-certificate-attestation-family-visa/) | | Birth certificate | Civil registrar | A child's residence visa, school admission | [Birth certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/birth-certificate-attestation-dubai/) | | Death or divorce certificate | Civil registrar or court | Inheritance, remarriage, custody | [Death and divorce certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/death-and-divorce-certificate-attestation/) | | Police clearance | Police or interior ministry | Jobs and immigration, in the UAE or abroad | [Police clearance attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/police-clearance-certificate-attestation/) | | Medical certificate or report | Hospital, then a health authority in some countries | Health licensing, insurance, leave | [Medical certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/medical-certificate-attestation/) | | Experience or salary certificate | Employer, often through a chamber of commerce | Licensing, jobs abroad | [Experience certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/experience-certificate-attestation-uae/) | ## Degrees and education certificates A degree is the certificate we handle most. The university signs it, and in some countries an education authority must verify it before the foreign ministry will stamp. Some UAE employers and licensing bodies also want the transcripts or mark sheets attested with the degree, so ask before the documents leave your home country. If you plan to use a foreign degree for a UAE government job, a licence or further study, you may also need it recognised by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR), which runs the service for university certificates issued outside the UAE. Equivalency is a separate process that starts once the degree is attested. Our page on [degree equivalency in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-equivalency-certificate-uae/) explains it. School certificates follow the same chain. A child moving to a Dubai school may need earlier school records attested, and a Dubai school certificate going abroad starts with the Dubai education authority. ## Marriage and birth certificates These two usually travel together. A husband sponsoring his wife needs the marriage certificate attested. A parent sponsoring a child needs the birth certificate attested, and often the marriage certificate too, so the visa office can link the child to both parents. A certificate in a language other than Arabic or English needs a legally certified translation before MOFA. A religious marriage certificate that the home country never registered with a civil registrar can be hard to attest; register it first if your country allows it. For the whole family visa file, see our [attestation for a UAE visa](https://dubainotaryservices.com/family-visa-document-attestation/) guide. ## Death and divorce certificates These come up at hard moments: an inheritance case, a remarriage, a custody or guardianship question. The civil registrar or the court that issued the document signs first. A divorce decree issued by a court abroad may need a court certificate as well as the decree itself. A UAE death or divorce certificate going abroad follows the other direction: MOFA, then the destination country's embassy in the UAE. ## Police clearance certificates A police clearance from your home country may be asked for by a UAE employer. A UAE police clearance may be asked for by an employer or immigration office abroad. The chain depends on which way the certificate is travelling. Police clearances are dated, and the receiving office may refuse one it thinks is too old, so start the attestation soon after the certificate is issued. ## Medical and experience certificates Medical certificates are asked for by health licensing authorities, insurers and employers. Experience and salary certificates are asked for by licensing bodies and by employers abroad. For a private employer's letter, a chamber of commerce stamp or a notary public's signature may be needed before the government chain can begin, depending on the country. ## Certificates issued in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates A certificate issued in any emirate goes through MOFA the same way. People searching for certificate attestation in Sharjah or Abu Dhabi usually want to know where to hand in the document. We handle files from every emirate. Our pages on [MOFA attestation in Sharjah](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-attestation-in-sharjah/) and [MOFA attestation in Abu Dhabi](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-public-attestation-abu-dhabi/) have the local detail. ## Attesting a copy instead of the original Some offices accept a copy that a notary public has certified as a true copy, and then want that copy attested. Others insist on the original. A copy certified by a notary is a notary's statement that the copy matches the original; it does not attest the original. Our page on [a true copy attested by a notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certified-true-copy-attestation-in-dubai/) explains when a copy is enough. ## How we handle certificate attestation in Dubai ### You send photos of both sides. We list the stamps already present. ### We check the receiving office's needs. Original or copy, translation or not, and whether transcripts must go with a degree. ### We quote the route. Our service price, and each government fee at cost. ### We coordinate the home country steps where the chain is incomplete, and prepare any authority letter or declaration. ### We take the document through MOFA once it carries the UAE embassy stamp. ### We handle the legal translation by a translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, if the office wants Arabic. ## Prices | Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Degree certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 | | Marriage certificate, MOFA stage | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 | | MOFA attestation, other personal certificate | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 | | Indian certificate, full chain | From AED 250 | MOFA AED 150; India side and embassy fees at cost | | Degree, certificate or diploma copy, notary certified | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument | How we price All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. Fee sources: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs) and [Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491). More on the [notary attestation fees](https://dubainotaryservices.com/dubai-notary-public-fees/) guide. ## What to have ready before you ask for a quote - A photo of the front and back of each certificate, with every stamp visible. - A photo of your passport's personal page, so we can compare the spelling of your name. - The name of the office that asked for the attestation, and any written list it gave you. - Where the original is now: with you in the UAE, with family in your home country, or still with the issuing body. - Your deadline, if the office gave you one. With those five things we can tell you the whole certificate attestation Dubai route in one reply, including the steps that must happen in your home country and the ones we complete here. ## Common certificate problems - **Laminated certificate.** MOFA will not attest it. Order a fresh original. - **Name spelled differently from the passport.** An affidavit before a notary public linking the two names often solves it. See [affidavits before a notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/affidavit-before-notary-dubai/). - **Provisional degree instead of the final certificate.** Check with the receiving office whether it accepts a provisional certificate. - **A photocopy sent by mistake.** Attestation is on the original unless the office asked for a certified copy. - **UAE embassy step skipped.** The document must go back to the issuing country. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which certificates can be attested for use in Dubai? Degrees, school certificates, marriage, birth, death and divorce certificates, police clearances, medical certificates, and experience and salary certificates. Each goes through the same chain after its first signature. ### Do I need to attest my degree for a UAE work visa? It depends on the job and the employer. Many employers and licensing bodies ask for an attested degree. Ask the employer or licensing body before you start. ### Can I attest a certificate issued in the UAE? Yes, for use abroad. MOFA attests it, and then the destination country's embassy in the UAE may need to stamp it. See [document legalization for the UAE and abroad](https://dubainotaryservices.com/document-legalization-uae/). ### How much does certificate attestation cost in Dubai? MOFA charges AED 150 per personal certificate. Our MOFA stage service starts from AED 150. All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. ### Does the attestation expire? MOFA does not publish an expiry period for its attestation on the pages we cite, but the receiving office may want a recent document, especially a police clearance or medical certificate. ### Send us your document Send a photo of your document and the name of the office that asked for it. We reply with the route and a written quote. Phone and WhatsApp [+971 52 947 5935](tel:+971529475935) Email [info@dubainotaryservices.com](mailto:info@dubainotaryservices.com) Location Dubai, UAE ## Certificate attestation guides ### [MOE equivalency certificate in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-equivalency-certificate-uae/) An MOE equivalency certificate in the UAE is the name many people use for an official decision on what a foreign qualification is equal to in the UAE system, for example. ### [Apostille and the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/is-uae-part-of-apostille-convention/) Is the UAE an apostille country? ### [MOFA attestation verification](https://dubainotaryservices.com/mofa-attestation-verification/) MOFA attestation verification is the check an employer, school, bank or government office makes to confirm that the MOFA stamp or label on a document is real and belongs. ## Get your certificate checked Send photos of both sides of each certificate and tell us which office asked for it. - Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935 - Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com ## Other services - [MOFA attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/mofa-attestation-dubai/) - [Embassy attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/embassy-attestation-dubai/) - [Company documents](https://dubainotaryservices.com/company-document-legalization-dubai/) - [UAE documents for abroad](https://dubainotaryservices.com/document-legalization-uae/) - [Notary attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/public-notary-services/) - [Family visa documents](https://dubainotaryservices.com/family-visa-document-attestation/) ### Sources for this page - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (chain and fees): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs) - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service: [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) - HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41) - Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491)