GCC
Documents from Gulf states
Saudi Arabia certificate attestation in UAE, and notary services for the Gulf states
People who move to Dubai from Riyadh, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama or Doha usually leave something unfinished behind: a flat to hand back, a car to sell, a bank account to close, an end of service payment to collect. A power of attorney signed before our notary in the UAE lets a trusted person do it for you. We also notarise affidavits, declarations, NOCs and true copies for use in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, in person, online or on a home visit.
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
The second half of this page is Saudi Arabia certificate attestation in UAE offices ask for, and the same route for papers from Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. A Gulf document is still a foreign document here: it needs the issuing state’s checks, the UAE embassy stamp in that state, and then MOFA.
At a glance
- Power of attorney, affidavits, declarations, NOCs and true copies for the Gulf states are notarised in person, online or at your home in the UAE.
- A UAE document going to a Gulf state is attested by MOFA, then by that state’s embassy or consulate in the UAE where required.
- A Gulf document coming to the UAE needs the issuing state’s foreign ministry and the UAE mission there before MOFA. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- MOFA works in Arabic and English, so an Arabic Gulf document needs no translation for the MOFA step. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA fee: AED 150 for a personal document, AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Side by side
Notary papers for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
| Situation | What we notarise |
|---|---|
| You left Saudi Arabia and a friend must sell your car or close your lease | A special power of attorney naming each act |
| A lawyer in Kuwait or Oman needs to act in a claim for you | A court case power of attorney, or an NOC for legal representation |
| Your company in the UAE works with a Saudi partner | A company power of attorney or board resolution, attested as a commercial document |
| A Gulf embassy asks you for a sworn statement | An affidavit or declaration |
| An office wants a copy, not your original | A notarised true copy of your passport, degree or licence |
Arabic is the working language on both sides, so we prepare the document in Arabic or bilingual Arabic and English. You sign before our notary, who checks your ID, watches you sign and applies the seal. See power of attorney notarised in Dubai and affidavits before a notary.
Step by step
UAE documents going to a Gulf state
01
Notarise.
We notarise the power of attorney, affidavit or declaration, in person, by video through UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS, or at your home. We tell you if your document can be done online.
02
MOFA.
MOFA attests the notarised document. A general or commercial power of attorney is on MOFA’s commercial list.
03
Gulf mission.
The Saudi, Kuwaiti, Omani, Bahraini or Qatari embassy or consulate in the UAE legalises it where required.
04
Send.
You courier it or hand it to the person who will use it.
A UAE certificate, such as a Dubai degree for a job in Riyadh, follows steps 2 to 4. See UAE documents for use abroad.
Saudi Arabia certificate attestation in UAE, for papers coming here
Most Gulf files we see belong to one of four groups:
Experience letters
from an employer in Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait City or Muscat, for a UAE job or professional licence. See experience certificate attestation.
Degrees and school certificates
from a Gulf university or school. See degree attestation in Dubai.
Birth certificates
of children born in a Gulf state, for a UAE residence visa. See birth certificate attestation.
Marriage contracts
registered at a Gulf court, to sponsor a spouse. See marriage certificate attestation.
Each group starts with a different office in the issuing state, then the foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that state, then MOFA. Gulf ministries move services online and rename them often, so we check the current route for your state before you pay anything.
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille cannot replace the UAE embassy step. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain are parties, in force from 7 December 2022, 30 January 2012 and 31 December 2013; Kuwait and Qatar do not appear in the HCCH status table. Source: HCCH status table.
Step by step
Already left the Gulf state?
This is the most common problem. A document issued in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait cannot be stamped by the UAE embassy from Dubai. Someone has to present it in the issuing state. You have two practical choices:
01
Travel back
for the steps, which makes sense only if you have several documents.
02
Ask someone there
to take it in for you: a former colleague, relative or friend. We notarise the authority or power of attorney they will carry.
Arabic documents and names
Because MOFA accepts Arabic, you usually do not need a translation for a Gulf document. Two things still cause trouble. Names written in Arabic on a Gulf document may be spelled differently from your passport in English, and the UAE office comparing the two may ask for proof they are the same person. A same name affidavit, notarised here, is one way to deal with that if the office accepts it. A document with a stamp that is hard to read can also be refused, so check both before the document leaves the Gulf state.
How we help
- We draft and notarise powers of attorney, affidavits, declarations and NOCs for the Gulf states, in Arabic or bilingual.
- We certify true copies of passports, degrees and licences.
- We take notarised papers through MOFA before they go to the Gulf mission.
- We take Gulf documents that come back with the UAE embassy stamp through MOFA here.
- We visit your home, office, hospital or care home in the UAE. See home visit notary and online notary.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Special or court case power of attorney | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party on the federal schedule. Dubai private notary route: AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature |
| Company power of attorney | From AED 1,500 | As above, plus MOFA AED 2,000 as a commercial document |
| NOC for legal representation | From AED 1,450 | AED 200 per party as a signature authentication |
| Affidavit or same name affidavit | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit |
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
Checklist
Contact us about a Gulf document
Send a photo of the document, the state it is going to or coming from, 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
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I give someone in Saudi Arabia power of attorney from Dubai?
Yes. You sign it before our notary in the UAE, MOFA attests it, and the Saudi embassy or consulate in the UAE legalises it where required. Name every act the person must do, such as selling a car or closing an account.
Is a Saudi document treated as a foreign document in Dubai?
Yes. It needs the Saudi steps, the UAE embassy or consulate stamp in Saudi Arabia, and MOFA in the UAE. Having lived in the Gulf does not remove any step.
My Saudi experience letter is in Arabic. Do I need a translation for MOFA?
No, MOFA accepts Arabic documents. The UAE employer or licensing body may still ask for an English copy for its own file, so ask them.
Can the Saudi or Kuwaiti embassy in the UAE attest my certificate for a UAE employer?
No. Their missions in the UAE legalise documents going to their own country. A certificate for UAE use needs the UAE embassy in the state that issued it.
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, 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, the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention: 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
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the notary profession: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Ministry of Justice, E-Notary: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx