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Documents from China
China certificate attestation in Dubai and notary services for Chinese residents
China certificate attestation for Dubai is only part of the paperwork Chinese residents and traders deal with here. Much of it starts in the UAE: a company power of attorney for a manager in China, a board resolution for a Chinese bank, a personal power of attorney for a family property, or certified copies of a trade licence for a supplier. These are notary jobs, and we do them in person, online or at your office.
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
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. For documents coming from China for use in the UAE, the route is different: a Chinese notary office, legalisation by China’s foreign affairs authorities, the UAE mission in China, and then MOFA in the UAE.
At a glance
- Company and personal papers for China are notarised here. If the Chinese side asks for more, MOFA attests them, then the Chinese embassy or consulate in the UAE.
- A Chinese document for UAE use is wrapped in a notarial certificate from a Chinese notary office, and the stamps go on that certificate. Source: MOFA FAQ for the UAE side.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, even though China joined it with effect from 7 November 2023, so documents for Dubai still need the UAE mission step. Source: HCCH status table.
- MOFA reads Arabic and English, so the Chinese notarial certificate should include an English translation. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA charges AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial document.
Company papers for China
Traders and company owners in the UAE bring us these most often:
Company power of attorney.
Gives a manager, agent or lawyer in China authority to sign for your UAE company. See power of attorney notarisation.
Board resolution.
Records a decision of the board, for example to open a bank account or appoint a signatory.
MOA, trade licence and incorporation papers.
Notarised copies for a supplier, a bank or a partner. See company documents.
Signature attestation.
Where a Chinese party wants proof that a named person signed a contract or letter. See witnessing of signature.
A company paper for use in China normally goes from the notary to MOFA as a commercial document, then to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the UAE. Ask your Chinese partner or bank which steps it needs.
Checklist
Personal papers for China
- A power of attorney for a relative to deal with a flat, a bank account or a family matter in China.
- A declaration or affidavit for the Chinese embassy, or for an office in China, signed before a notary public. See affidavits before a notary.
- Notarised true copies of your passport, residence visa or Emirates ID. See certified true copies.
- A parent’s NOC for a child’s travel. See child travel consent.
The notary public checks your identity, watches you sign and applies the seal. If the text needs to be in Arabic or English as well as Chinese, tell us early so the legal translation is ready before you sign.
Step by step
China certificate attestation Dubai: the Chinese steps
For a degree, birth record or company document from China to be used here, the stamps sit on a notarial certificate that wraps the original:
01
Notary office (gongzhengchu).
Usually in the city where the record is held or where you are registered. It issues a notarial certificate of the degree, birth, marriage or no criminal record certificate, with an English translation.
02
Foreign affairs legalisation.
China’s foreign affairs authorities legalise the notary office’s seal.
03
UAE mission in China.
The UAE embassy in Beijing or a UAE consulate stamps the legalisation.
04
MOFA in the UAE.
We handle this final stage.
Keep the booklet together. If the binding or seal is broken, offices can refuse it.
Chinese degrees
A graduation certificate and a degree certificate are separate documents in China, and a UAE office may want both. Plan both in the same notary office visit. See degree attestation.
Invoices and trade documents
Dubai importers regularly need Chinese invoices, certificates of origin and company documents attested. After the Chinese steps and the UAE mission, MOFA attests them as commercial documents at AED 2,000 each. See commercial invoice attestation.
Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong and Macau have their own systems for authenticating documents, so a Hong Kong document follows a different route from a mainland one. Tell us where your document was issued before anything is sent, and we tell you what to ask for.
Family visa documents
Chinese residents sponsoring family in the UAE usually need a notarised marriage certificate and notarised birth certificates for children from a Chinese notary office, legalised and stamped as above. See marriage certificate attestation for a family visa.
How we help
- We draft and notarise company powers of attorney, resolutions and declarations for China, in person, by video through our online notary public services, or at your office or home with our home visit notary service. We tell you if your document can be done online.
- We prepare legal translations into Arabic or English.
- We check that a Chinese notarial certificate includes its English translation and every stamp before MOFA.
- We handle the MOFA stage without separating the booklet.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Company power of attorney | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal item 9); Dubai private notary route AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature |
| Board resolution | From AED 2,000 | Set by the value in the document (federal items 1 to 7) |
| Trade licence or incorporation papers | From AED 500 | Set by the value in the document (federal items 1 to 7) |
| Witnessing of signature | From AED 900 | AED 200 per party (federal item 8) |
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I notarise a company power of attorney for China in the UAE?
Yes. We draft or check it and notarise it here. If your partner or bank in China asks, it then goes to MOFA as a commercial document and to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the UAE.
Why does my Chinese degree need a notary office first?
In China the legalisation is placed on the notary office’s certificate, not on the university’s document. The notarial certificate is what the foreign affairs office and the UAE mission stamp.
Does a Chinese apostille work in Dubai?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Ask for consular legalisation for the UAE, followed by the UAE mission stamp.
Do I need a separate Arabic translation?
Not for MOFA if the notarial certificate has an English translation. A UAE court or ministry may ask for Arabic later.
Get a written quote
Send us your document
Share photos of every page and tell us where it will be used. We reply with the steps and a price.
- 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. Other countries: embassy attestation.
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 status table, which does not list the UAE as a party: 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
- Dubai Media Office, private notary fees: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public