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Embassy attestation in Dubai, with the notary step first
Embassy attestation in Dubai is the stamp of a foreign embassy or consulate on a document. For a paper signed in the UAE and going abroad, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit or a declaration, the order is: a notary public first, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), then the embassy or consulate in the UAE of the country that will receive it.
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. We notarise your document, and then it goes to MOFA and the embassy. For a certificate issued in another country, the embassy step is different: it is the UAE embassy in that country, and it happens there, before MOFA. This page explains both routes and links to every country page we have.
At a glance
- A paper you sign in the UAE for use abroad starts with a notary. We notarise it in person, online by video, or at your home.
- A UAE document going abroad is attested by MOFA, then by the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE.
- A foreign document coming into the UAE needs its home foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then MOFA.
- MOFA charges AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Embassy fees are set by each embassy.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace the embassy step.
Side by side
Two directions, two different embassies
| UAE document going abroad | Foreign document coming into the UAE | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | A power of attorney to sell a flat in your home country | A degree from Pakistan for a Dubai job |
| First step | A notary public in the UAE, or the UAE issuing office | The issuing office and foreign ministry in that country |
| Which embassy | The destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE | The UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country |
| Where it happens | In the UAE | In the issuing country |
| MOFA | Before the embassy | After the embassy, as the last stamp |
Step by step
A power of attorney for use in another country
A common case: you live in the UAE and need someone at home to sell property, handle a bank account, or act in a court case. The route:
01
We prepare the power of attorney
in the words the office abroad needs, and in two languages if it asks.
02
We notarise it.
You sign in person with our public notary services, by video with our online notary, or at your home with our home visit notary. Online notarisation works through the 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.
03
MOFA attests it.
A general power of attorney is on MOFA’s commercial list, so the MOFA fee is AED 2,000, not AED 150.
04
The embassy or consulate of the destination country in the UAE stamps it, if that country asks for it.
05
You send the original home.
More detail is on our power of attorney page. A UAE power of attorney has no fixed statutory validity period, but the office abroad may set its own rules, so ask it.
Checklist
Other papers that start with our notary
- An affidavit, for example that two spellings of your name belong to one person.
- A declaration or consent letter, such as child travel consent.
- A certified true copy of a certificate you need to keep.
- A witnessed signature on a bank or pension form from abroad.
- Company papers, such as a board resolution. See company documents notarization.
All of these are notarised first, then go through MOFA and the embassy. Our document legalization hub covers the outward route in full.
Step by step
Foreign documents coming into the UAE
For a certificate issued abroad, MOFA’s FAQ sets the order: the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then MOFA in the UAE. The pattern before the foreign ministry is similar in most countries:
01
The issuing body confirms the document.
A university, school board, registrar or police department.
02
A notary public, where that country requires it.
Some countries want a notary’s signature on a private paper or a copy before the foreign ministry will act.
03
The foreign ministry stamps it.
In a country that uses apostilles, tell the office the document is for the UAE, which is not a party to the Apostille Convention.
04
The UAE embassy or consulate in that country stamps it.
05
MOFA in the UAE
adds the last stamp.
Step 4 cannot be done at any office in Dubai. If you are already here, someone in your home country can act for you. We notarise the power of attorney or authority letter that gives them that right.
Side by side
Country by country
Each country page explains the offices in that country and what we do here. Find yours below.
| Region | Country pages |
|---|---|
| South Asia | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka |
| East and Southeast Asia | Philippines, Malaysia, China, Japan |
| Middle East and North Africa | Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Egypt |
| Africa | Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa |
| Europe | United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia |
| Americas and Oceania | United States, Canada, Australia |
If your country is not listed, the general route above still applies. Send us a photo of the document and we tell you the route before you pay anything.
How we help from Dubai
- We read the stamps already on your document and list the missing ones.
- We prepare and notarise any power of attorney, affidavit, declaration or authority letter, in person, online or at your home.
- We take the document through MOFA.
- For a document going abroad, we take it to the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE.
- We book a legal translation if an office wants Arabic or another language. See legal translation.
Each embassy sets its own fees, rules and appointment method. We check them for your country and quote them at cost. Some embassies are in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai, so check the mission’s city first. Our pages on notary services in Abu Dhabi and notary services in Sharjah cover those emirates.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| General power of attorney, notarised | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal schedule) |
| Online power of attorney (remote notarisation) | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal schedule) |
| Affidavit or declaration, notarised | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit (federal schedule) |
| Application forms for use abroad, notarised | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking |
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Indian certificate attestation, full chain | From AED 250 | MOFA AED 150; India side and embassy fees at cost |
| Embassy step, other countries | Quote after we see the document | Embassy fee at cost |
Watch for
Mistakes we see in embassy attestation
- Signing a power of attorney without a notary. MOFA and the embassy cannot stamp a private signature. Notarise it first.
- Paying the personal MOFA fee for a general power of attorney. MOFA lists it as commercial.
- Moving to Dubai before the UAE embassy step on a foreign certificate. Then the document has to travel back.
- Asking the home foreign ministry for an apostille. The UAE does not accept one in place of the embassy chain.
- A different name on the passport. Plan for an affidavit linking both names, signed before a notary.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does a power of attorney need a notary before embassy attestation?
Yes. A power of attorney signed in the UAE is notarised first, then attested by MOFA, then stamped by the destination country’s embassy in the UAE if it asks. We notarise it in person, online or at your home.
Can the UAE embassy step for my foreign degree be done in Dubai?
No. The UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country does it. The foreign embassies in the UAE stamp documents for use in their own country, not the other way round.
Which comes first, the embassy or MOFA?
For a UAE document going abroad, the notary and MOFA come first and the foreign embassy in the UAE comes after. For a foreign document, the UAE embassy abroad comes first and MOFA comes last. See the UAE attestation process and MOFA attestation in Dubai.
My country joined the Apostille Convention. Do I still need the embassy?
Yes. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace the embassy and MOFA stamps.
Can someone in my home country handle the steps there for me?
Often yes, with a power of attorney or authority letter, depending on the office’s rules. We prepare it and notarise it here, and it then goes through MOFA and that country’s embassy in the UAE.
Guides
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Notary and MOFA
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MOFA attestation verification is the check an employer, school, bank or government office makes to confirm that the MOFA attestation on a document is real and belongs to.
Ask about your country
Tell us the country, the document and the office that asked for it. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.
- Phone: +971 52 947 5935
- 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: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table (the UAE is not 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