# Certified true copy in Dubai, certified by a notary public A certified true copy in Dubai is a photocopy that a notary public has compared with the original and certified as a true copy. The notary checks the original you bring, checks the copy against it page by page, then signs and seals the copy. You keep your original, and the office that asked receives a copy it can rely on. At a glance - A certified true copy confirms that the copy matches the original shown to the notary on that day. It says nothing about whether the original itself is genuine. - Bring the original. A notary certifies a copy against its original, not a copy of a copy. - Our certified true copy service starts from AED 400. A passport copy starts from AED 500. - MOFA attests originals. Source: [MOFA attestation service](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation). If you need MOFA on a certified copy, ask the receiving office first whether it accepts that. - We tell you if your copy can be done online, or we come to you. We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. We prepare the copies, have them certified, and, if the office abroad asks for more, take the certified copy through MOFA and the embassy. Before anything else, ask the receiving office one question: does it accept a certified copy, or does it want the original attested? The answer decides everything else. ## Documents we certify most often | Document | Usually asked for by | | --- | --- | | Passport and residence visa pages | Banks, companies and landlords, in the UAE and abroad | | Emirates ID | Banks, employers and schools | | Degrees, diplomas and transcripts | Universities and employers, when you want to keep the original | | Trade licence and company papers | Foreign partners, banks and registries | | Bank statements | Banks, visa offices and immigration files | | Tenancy contracts and utility bills | Offices abroad that want proof of address | | Driving licence | Offices abroad and insurers | | Salary certificates and payslips | Banks and visa offices | ## Copy or original: ask this first | The receiving office says | What you do | | --- | --- | | "Certified copy accepted" | A notary public certifies a true copy. Usually that is the last step. | | "Certified copy, attested by MOFA" | Certified copy in the UAE, then MOFA, if the office confirms it accepts that. | | "Certified copy, legalised for our country" | Certified copy, MOFA, then that country's embassy or consulate in the UAE. | | "Original only" | Attest the original through the full chain. A certified copy will be refused. See [certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certificate-attestation-dubai/). | Ask the office in writing and keep the answer. It is the most useful thing in the file. ## How it works, step by step ### Tell us which office asked and what exactly it said about copies. **Bring the original and your ID**, in person, by video or at your home. ### We prepare the copies. Clear, complete, every page. **The notary public compares each copy with the original**, then signs and seals the copy. ### Further steps, if asked. MOFA, then the embassy of the country that will receive it, then a translation if that office wants its own language. ## Where this page sits Service hub [Notary public services](https://dubainotaryservices.com/public-notary-services/) Dubai Notary Services offers public notary services in Dubai for people and companies who need a document signed, sworn or certified before a notary public. Also under Notary public services - [Private notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/private-notary-services/) - [Online notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/e-notary-in-dubai/) - [Home visit notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/home-visit-notary-dubai/) - [Power of attorney](https://dubainotaryservices.com/get-poa-notarized/) - [Affidavits](https://dubainotaryservices.com/affidavit-before-notary-dubai/) - [Signature attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/witnessing-of-signature-in-dubai/) - [Legal translation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/legal-translation-in-uae/) - [Fast track notary](https://dubainotaryservices.com/express-attestation-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Notary stamp](https://dubainotaryservices.com/how-to-get-notary-stamp-in-dubai/) - [Notary in Sharjah](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-attestation-in-sharjah/) - [Notary in Abu Dhabi](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-public-attestation-abu-dhabi/) ## When a certified copy helps ### You need to keep the original. A degree you will need again, or a passport you cannot be without. ### Several offices need the same document. Each one can receive its own certified copy. ### A foreign office asks for a certified copy of a UAE document. For example, a copy of a UAE trade licence or passport page for a bank abroad. See [legalising UAE documents for use abroad](https://dubainotaryservices.com/document-legalization-uae/). ## When it does not help - A UAE visa office or regulator that wants the attested original. - A foreign certificate that has not yet been attested in its home country. A certified copy in Dubai does not replace the home foreign ministry and UAE embassy steps. - A copy of a copy. The notary needs the original. ## Three ways to have copies certified - **In person** at our office. - **Online**, through our online notary public services by video, using 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. See [online notary in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/e-notary-in-dubai/). - **At home.** We come to your home, office, hospital or care home in the UAE. See [home visit notary in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/home-visit-notary-dubai/). ## How we help - We confirm with you what the receiving office will accept. - We prepare clean copies of every page. - We have the copies certified by the notary public, in person, online or at your home. - We take the certified copy to MOFA and the embassy if the office asks for it. - We prepare a legal translation if the office wants its own language. See [legal translation for notarisation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/legal-translation-in-uae/). More on notarial work: [public notary services in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/public-notary-services/). ## Prices | Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Certified true copy (general) | From AED 400 | Confirmed at booking | | Passport copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Degree, certificate or diploma copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Transcripts and mark sheets copy | From AED 400 | Confirmed at booking | | Bank statement copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Proof of address (utility bill) copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Driving licence copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking | | Salary slip or salary certificate copy | From AED 400 | Confirmed at booking | | Aadhaar or PAN card copy | From AED 400 | Confirmed at booking | | MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 | 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. MOFA fee: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). More on [Dubai notary public fees](https://dubainotaryservices.com/dubai-notary-public-fees/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a certified true copy? A copy that a notary public has compared with the original and certified as matching it. The notary signs and seals the copy. It does not confirm that the original is genuine. ### Is a certified true copy the same as an attested original? No. A certified copy shows that the copy matches the original. An attested original carries government stamps on the original itself. Some offices accept the first, many want the second. ### Can a notary certify a copy of a foreign document? A notary public can compare the copy with the original you bring, whatever its country. Whether an office accepts that copy is its own decision, so ask it first. ### Do I need MOFA after the notary? Only if the receiving office asks for it, which is common for offices abroad. Ask the office first, because MOFA attests originals and not every office accepts a certified copy with MOFA on it. ### Can I get a certified copy without the original? No. A notary certifies a copy against the original, so bring the original. A copy of a copy is usually refused. ### 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 ## Ask whether a copy will do Tell us which office asked and what it said about copies. - Phone: +971 52 947 5935 - WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935 - Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. ## More in this cluster Service hub [Notary public services](https://dubainotaryservices.com/public-notary-services/) Dubai Notary Services offers public notary services in Dubai for people and companies who need a document signed, sworn or certified before a notary public. Services - [Marina Mall](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-public-abu-dhabi-marina-mall/) - [Mussafah](https://dubainotaryservices.com/notary-public-in-mussafah-abu-dhabi/) ### Sources for this page - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service: [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (fees): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs)