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Document legalization in the UAE for papers you will use abroad
Document legalization in the UAE is how a paper issued here becomes acceptable in another country. The order is: the UAE authority that issued it (or a notary public, for a paper you sign yourself), then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), then the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the UAE, where that country asks for it. Nothing in this chain happens abroad. It is all done here, before the document leaves.
This is the reverse of the route for foreign certificates coming into the UAE, and people often confuse the two. If your document was issued in another country and is needed here, read our embassy attestation by country page instead.
At a glance
- MOFA attests documents issued inside or outside the UAE; its attestation certifies the signatures and seals on them. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA’s fee is AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial document. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so it does not issue apostilles. Countries that normally ask for an apostille need another form of proof from the UAE, usually their own embassy’s legalisation. Source: HCCH status table.
- Each foreign embassy or consulate in the UAE sets its own requirements and fee.
- A paper you sign yourself, such as a declaration or power of attorney, starts with a notary public.
In this hub
1 page under UAE documents for abroad
Step by step
The route, step by step
01
The issuing authority, or a notary public.
A UAE government certificate must carry the signature of an authority MOFA recognises. Some certificates need a second UAE authority’s stamp before MOFA, for example an education or health authority. A private paper you sign is signed before a notary public. MOFA’s FAQ gives a UAE birth certificate as the example: it is attested first by the Ministry of Health and Prevention or the local health authority, unless it is a digital document issued by a government entity.
02
MOFA.
It attests the document. Personal and commercial documents are charged differently.
03
The destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE.
It checks the MOFA stamp and adds its own, if the destination country requires legalisation.
04
Translation, if the destination wants its own language.
Ask the receiving office whether it wants the translation done in the UAE and legalised with the document, or done at the destination.
Side by side
Common UAE documents going abroad
| UAE document | First UAE signature | Why people legalise it |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Health authority that issued it | Passport, citizenship registration, school abroad |
| Marriage certificate | Court or authority that registered it | Registering the marriage at home, spouse visa abroad |
| University degree or school certificate | University or school, then the education authority | Study or work abroad |
| Police clearance (good conduct certificate) | Police | Immigration or a job abroad |
| Court judgment or divorce certificate | Court | Registering the divorce at home, custody abroad |
| Power of attorney, declaration or affidavit you sign | Notary public | Selling property abroad, a case abroad, a bank abroad |
| Company papers | Notary public or registry | Branch, bank account or contract abroad |
For company papers, see corporate document legalization in Dubai. For personal papers you sign, see notary attestation in Dubai.
Gulf embassies: Saudi, Omani, Qatari, Kuwaiti and Bahraini legalisation
Many UAE documents travel to the neighbouring Gulf states: a degree for a job in Riyadh, a trade paper for a buyer in Muscat, a birth certificate for a family in Kuwait. People search for Saudi embassy attestation in Dubai, Oman embassy attestation in Dubai, Qatar embassy attestation in Dubai, Kuwait embassy attestation in Dubai and Bahrain embassy attestation in Dubai. The route is the same for each: UAE issuing authority or notary, MOFA, then that country’s mission in the UAE.
What differs is the detail. Some missions work from Abu Dhabi only, some have a consulate in Dubai, some accept documents only through an appointment system, and some want the document translated into Arabic first.
Papers travelling the opposite way, issued in Saudi Arabia or another Gulf state and needed in the UAE, follow a different route through the UAE embassy in that state. See Saudi Arabia and other Gulf certificate attestation in the UAE.
Countries that normally ask for an apostille
If the destination is a country that uses apostilles, its offices may ask you for one. The UAE cannot give you an apostille, because it is not a party to the Apostille Convention. The office will usually accept the MOFA attestation followed by its own embassy’s legalisation. Ask the receiving office in writing what it accepts from a non-member country before you start. Our explainer on whether the UAE is an apostille country answers the questions we hear most.
Checks
Three questions to ask the office abroad first
Most wasted fees on outbound documents come from guessing what the foreign office wants. Before you pay anything, ask it, in writing if possible:
01
Does it want the original or a certified copy?
Some offices keep the document. If so, a notary certified copy that is then legalised may be the better choice, so you keep your original.
02
Which stamps must be on it?
MOFA only, or MOFA and your embassy in the UAE, or something else. Ask it to name the offices.
03
Which language?
Arabic and English may be fine, or it may want a translation into its own language by its own sworn translator.
Send us the reply as it is. We read it with you and turn it into a route with a price.
Step by step
An example route: a Dubai birth certificate for a passport abroad
Here is how a typical outbound file runs, step by step, without any promise on timing:
01
The parents collect the child’s birth certificate from the health authority that issued it, in Arabic and English.
02
If the certificate needs a second UAE authority’s stamp before MOFA, that is done first. For a UAE birth certificate, that is the Ministry of Health and Prevention or the local health authority, unless the certificate is a digital document issued by a government entity (MOFA FAQ).
03
MOFA attests it as a personal document, for AED 150.
04
The certificate goes to the parents’ embassy or consulate in the UAE, which legalises it for use at home, if that country requires it.
05
The passport office abroad receives a certificate with every stamp it expects.
A marriage certificate, a degree or a police clearance follows the same shape, with a different first signature.
Legalisation in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates
People search for legalization in Abu Dhabi as if it were a separate process. It is not. A document issued in any emirate goes through MOFA and then the foreign mission, and many foreign embassies are in Abu Dhabi. We handle documents from every emirate. Our page on MOFA attestation in Abu Dhabi covers the local detail.
Step by step
How we handle document legalization in the UAE
01
Tell us the destination.
The country, the office there that asked, and what it said it wants on the document.
02
We check the first signature.
If the document needs a second UAE authority’s stamp before MOFA, or a notary public, we say so and book it.
03
We quote the route.
Our service price, the MOFA fee and the embassy fee, each at cost.
04
We submit to MOFA
and collect the attested document.
05
We coordinate the embassy step
with the destination country’s mission in the UAE.
06
We return the original
with every stamp, and a scan of every page.
In Dubai, legalization services often begin with notary services. If the paper still needs your signature, we prepare the declaration, affidavit or power of attorney, book the notary public, and carry it through MOFA and the embassy afterwards.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150; embassy fee at cost |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000; embassy fee at cost |
| Application forms for use abroad, notarised | From AED 500 | Notary fee, confirmed at booking |
| Banking or medical forms for use abroad | From AED 500 | Notary fee, confirmed at booking |
| Affidavit or declaration for use abroad | From AED 600 | AED 300 (federal schedule) |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
Watch for
Mistakes with documents going abroad
- Leaving the UAE before legalising. Once you are abroad, every step here needs someone acting for you. Legalise before you fly if you can.
- Asking for an apostille. The UAE does not issue them. Ask the destination office what it accepts instead.
- Missing the second UAE authority stamp. Some certificates need it before MOFA will attest.
- Assuming the embassy is in Dubai. Check the mission’s city and appointment method first.
- Translating too early. Some destinations want the translation done there, by their own sworn translator. Ask first.
Checklist
Tell us where the document is going
Send a photo of the document and the name of the office abroad that asked for it.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is document legalization in the UAE?
It is the chain that makes a UAE document acceptable abroad: the issuing authority or a notary public, then MOFA, then the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE where required.
Can I get an apostille for a UAE document?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so it does not issue apostilles. The destination office usually accepts MOFA attestation and its own embassy’s legalisation instead.
Do all countries need their embassy stamp after MOFA?
Not all. Some offices abroad accept the MOFA attestation alone. The receiving office decides, so ask it before you pay an embassy fee.
Is MOFA attestation different for a commercial document?
Yes, in price. MOFA charges AED 2,000 for a commercial document and AED 150 for a personal one.
Can you legalise a document after I have left the UAE?
Often yes, if the original is in the UAE or you can send it back. For a paper you still need to sign, you may need to sign it before a notary where you are now, and then a different chain applies.
UAE documents for abroad
UAE documents for abroad guides
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MOE equivalency certificate in the 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.
MOFA attestation
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.
Send your document and know every step before you pay
Share a photo of both sides on WhatsApp and tell us where it will be used. We reply with the stamps it needs, the order they go in and the price for each one.
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 and fees: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: 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