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Embassy attestation for Dubai, country by country
Embassy attestation for Dubai means one of two things, and it helps to know which one you need. For a certificate issued abroad, it is the stamp of the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, placed after the home foreign ministry and before MOFA in the UAE. For a UAE document going abroad, it is the stamp of the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE, placed after MOFA.
People searching for embassy attestation in Dubai usually hold a foreign certificate and have just learned that the UAE embassy step is missing. That step cannot be done at any office in Dubai. It is done in the country that issued the document. This page explains what each country needs before the UAE embassy will stamp, and how we coordinate it from here.
At a glance
- For a document issued abroad, MOFA says the order is: foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then MOFA in the UAE. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- The UAE embassy abroad checks the home foreign ministry stamp. MOFA in the UAE checks the UAE embassy stamp.
- For a UAE document going abroad, MOFA attests first and the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE stamps after, where that country asks for it.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace the UAE embassy stamp. Source: HCCH status table.
- Each embassy sets its own fees and timings. We quote them at cost once we have checked them for your country.
Side by side
Two directions, two different embassies
| Document coming into the UAE | UAE document going abroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | A degree from Pakistan for a Dubai job | A Dubai birth certificate for a passport in Egypt |
| Which embassy | The UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country | The destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE |
| Where that happens | In the issuing country | In the UAE |
| Before it | The issuing country’s foreign ministry | MOFA in the UAE |
| After it | MOFA in the UAE | Nothing in the UAE; the foreign office accepts it |
The rest of this page is mostly about the first column, because that is where files get stuck. For the second column, see legalising UAE documents for use abroad.
Step by step
The home country steps, in general
Every country puts its own steps before the foreign ministry. The pattern is similar:
01
The issuing body confirms the document.
A university, school board, registrar or police department signs or verifies it. Some countries route education certificates through a state or national education office.
02
A notary public, where the country requires it.
Some countries want a notary’s signature on a private document or a copy before the foreign ministry will act.
03
The foreign ministry stamps it.
In a country that is a party to the Apostille Convention, the foreign ministry may issue an apostille for other Hague countries. For the UAE, you still need the embassy route, so tell the office the document is for the UAE.
04
The UAE embassy or consulate stamps it.
05
MOFA in the UAE
adds the last stamp.
Which offices sit in steps 1 and 2 is the country by country part.
Side by side
Country by country
The table below names the offices customers most often deal with in each country. Ministries change names and move services online, so we check the current route before we quote.
| Country | Home country offices usually involved | UAE mission for the embassy step | Our country page |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | State education or home department for some certificates, then the Ministry of External Affairs | UAE embassy in New Delhi or consulate in Mumbai | Indian certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Pakistan | Higher Education Commission for degrees, IBCC for school certificates, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Islamabad or consulates | Pakistan documents attestation in the UAE |
| Philippines | Issuing school or agency, then the Department of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Manila | Philippine document attestation in Dubai |
| United Kingdom | Solicitor or notary for some documents, then the FCDO legalisation office | UAE embassy in London | UK certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Sri Lanka | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Colombo | Sri Lanka certificate attestation in Dubai |
| United States | Notary and state Secretary of State for state documents, then the US Department of State for federal ones | UAE embassy in Washington | US certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Canada | Notary or issuing body, then the federal or provincial authentication office | UAE embassy in Ottawa or consulate | Canada certificate attestation in Dubai |
| Germany | Issuing body, then the relevant federal or state authority | UAE embassy in Berlin | Germany certificate attestation in Dubai |
| Nepal | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Kathmandu | Nepal certificate attestation in Dubai |
| Bangladesh | Education board or issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Dhaka | Bangladesh certificate attestation in Dubai |
| Egypt | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Cairo | Egypt certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Australia | Issuing body, then DFAT | UAE embassy in Canberra | Australian certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Kenya | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Nairobi | UAE attestation for Kenyan documents |
| China | Local foreign affairs office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Beijing or consulates | China certificate attestation for Dubai |
| France | Issuing body, then the relevant French authority | UAE embassy in Paris | France certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Lebanon | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Beirut | Lebanon certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Nigeria | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Abuja | Nigeria certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Spain | Issuing body, then the relevant Spanish authority | UAE embassy in Madrid | Spain certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Italy | Issuing body, then the relevant Italian authority | UAE embassy in Rome | Italy certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar | Issuing ministry or chamber, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in each Gulf state | Saudi Arabia and other Gulf certificate attestation in the UAE |
| Russia | Russian notary, Ministry of Justice, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Moscow | Russian certificate attestation in Dubai |
| South Africa | Issuing body or notary, then DIRCO | UAE embassy in Pretoria | South African document attestation for Dubai |
| Jordan | Issuing ministry, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | UAE embassy in Amman | Jordan certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Ireland | Irish notary for many documents, then the Department of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Dublin | Ireland certificate attestation for Dubai |
| Ethiopia | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Addis Ababa | MOFA attestation for Ethiopian documents |
| Malaysia | Issuing body or notary, then Wisma Putra | UAE embassy in Kuala Lumpur | UAE attestation for Malaysian documents |
| Japan | Issuing office for public documents, or a Japanese notary and the Legal Affairs Bureau for private ones, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Tokyo | Japan documents attestation for the UAE |
| Syria | Civil registry or issuing ministry, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | UAE embassy in Damascus | Syrian documents and Syrian embassy attestation |
| Iran | Issuing office, an official translator, the Judiciary, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE mission in Iran | Iranian documents and Iran embassy attestation |
| Ghana | Issuing body (WAEC for school results), then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Accra | No separate page: English documents, the general route above applies |
| Uganda | Issuing body (UNEB for school results), then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Kampala | No separate page: English documents, the general route above applies |
| Zimbabwe | Issuing body (ZIMSEC for school results), then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | UAE embassy in Harare | No separate page: English documents, the general route above applies |
| Yemen | Issuing ministry, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | No separate page: call us before the file starts | |
| Sudan | Issuing body, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | No separate page: call us before the file starts |
Countries without their own page yet
We also receive documents from countries not listed above, for example Iraq, Ukraine, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan. The general route in the section above applies. Send us the document and we confirm the home country offices and the UAE mission before quoting.
What we do from Dubai, and what must happen in your country
Some steps need a person in the issuing country: collecting a verification from a university, or handing the document to the UAE embassy. That person can be you, a family member, or a representative we work with there, depending on the country.
From Dubai we:
- read the stamps already on your document and list the missing ones;
- tell you the exact order for your country, and which office accepts walk-ins, post or online applications;
- prepare any authority letter or declaration the home country office asks for, and book a notary public here if it must be signed in the UAE first;
- take the document through MOFA once it arrives back in the UAE with the embassy stamp;
- handle the legal translation if the UAE office wants Arabic.
Foreign embassies in the UAE: documents going the other way
When a UAE document is going abroad, MOFA attests it first and then the destination country’s mission in the UAE legalises it. Gulf embassies are a common case: people search for Saudi, Omani, Qatari, Kuwaiti and Bahraini embassy attestation in Dubai for degrees, trade papers and family certificates. Our document legalization for the UAE and abroad page covers this route.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Indian certificate attestation, full chain | From AED 250 | MOFA AED 150 at the UAE stage; India side and UAE embassy fees at cost |
| MOFA stage only, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage only, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Other countries, full chain | Quote after we see the document | Home country, embassy and MOFA fees at cost |
Watch for
Mistakes we see in embassy attestation
- Moving to Dubai before the embassy step. Then the document has to travel back. If you are still at home, finish the UAE embassy step before you fly.
- Asking the home foreign ministry for an apostille for the UAE. The UAE does not use apostilles. Ask for the attestation that leads to the UAE embassy.
- Attesting a copy the UAE office will not accept. Some offices want the original certificate attested; others accept a notarised copy. Ask first.
- A different name on the passport. Plan for an affidavit that both names belong to the same person, signed before a notary public.
- Leaving the mark sheets behind. Some UAE employers and licensing bodies want transcripts attested with the degree.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can the UAE embassy step be done in Dubai?
No. For a document issued abroad, the UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country does it. Dubai has foreign embassies and consulates, but they legalise documents for use in their own country.
Which comes first, the embassy or MOFA?
For a foreign document, the UAE embassy abroad comes first and MOFA in the UAE comes last. For a UAE document going abroad, MOFA comes first and the foreign embassy in the UAE comes after.
My country joined the Apostille Convention. Do I still need the UAE embassy?
Yes. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not replace the UAE embassy and MOFA stamps.
Can someone else take my documents to the UAE embassy in my country?
Often yes, with an authority letter or a power of attorney, depending on the embassy’s rules. We prepare the letter if one is needed.
Do I need to send my original certificate?
Yes, for the attestation of the original. Keep a colour scan of every page before it leaves your hands.
Guides
Latest guides
Certificate attestation
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.
Ask about your country
Tell us the country, the document and the office in the UAE that asked for it.
- Phone and 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: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41