DE
Documents from Germany
Germany certificate attestation in Dubai and notary services for Germans
Germany certificate attestation in Dubai covers German papers that a UAE office must accept, such as a degree, a Zeugnis or a marriage record. Germans living here also sign papers for use in Germany: a Vollmacht (power of attorney) for a property or a bank, a declaration for a German authority, a signature on a form, or certified copies of a passport. Those are notary jobs, and we handle them in person, online or at your home.
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 German documents coming to the UAE, a German authority pre-certifies the signature, a federal authority may confirm it, the UAE embassy in Berlin legalises it, and MOFA in the UAE adds the last attestation.
At a glance
- A Vollmacht, declaration or copy for Germany is notarised here. If the German side asks for more, MOFA and the German embassy or consulate in the UAE follow.
- German papers for UAE use: pre-certification in Germany, the UAE embassy in Berlin, then MOFA. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so a German apostille is not the right certificate for Dubai. Source: HCCH status table.
- MOFA reads Arabic and English only, so a German document needs a legally certified translation. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA charges AED 150 personal and AED 2,000 commercial.
Notary services for Germans in the UAE
Vollmacht for Germany.
A power of attorney lets a family member, a lawyer or a property manager act for you in Germany. If the German side sends its own text, we notarise your signature on it. If not, we draft it. See power of attorney notarisation.
Declarations.
Statements of facts for a German authority, a pension office, a bank or the German embassy, signed before a notary public. See affidavits before a notary.
Signature attestation.
Where an office in Germany wants proof that you signed a form or letter. See witnessing of signature.
Certified true copies.
Passport, residence visa, Emirates ID, UAE degree or bank statement, certified against the original. See certified true copies.
Company papers.
Powers of attorney and board resolutions for a German parent company or a UAE branch. See company documents.
Step by step
Signing a German document with us
01
Send us the German text
and your passport details. We check names and blanks.
02
We prepare a translation
into English or Arabic if the notary needs one. See legal translation.
03
You sign before the notary public, who checks your identity, watches you sign and applies the seal.
04
We tell you the next step, if the German side wants MOFA and the German mission in the UAE.
You can sign in person, by video through our online notary public services using the UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS, or at home, in hospital or in a care home with our home visit notary service. We tell you if your document can be done online.
Step by step
Germany certificate attestation in Dubai: the German steps
01
The issuing office.
A Standesamt (registry office) for birth and marriage, a university for a degree, a notary for a notarised document.
02
Pre-certification.
A higher German authority confirms the signature of that office. Which one depends on the state and the document.
03
Federal certification.
For many documents, a federal authority then certifies the state signature.
04
The UAE embassy in Berlin
legalises the document.
05
MOFA in the UAE
attests it. We handle this stage.
Getting step 2 right is where most German files stall. A document sent straight to the UAE embassy without pre-certification is returned. Ask the issuing office which authority pre-certifies its signature for a non-Hague country.
Side by side
Translation: in Germany or in the UAE
| Option | How it works | When it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Sworn translator in Germany | Translates into English or Arabic before the chain | When the receiving UAE office wants the translation stamped with the original |
| Legal translator in the UAE | Translates into Arabic after MOFA | When the receiving office accepts a UAE translation |
Ask the receiving office which it prefers before you commit to one.
Civil status documents
German registry offices can issue international (multilingual) extracts of birth and marriage records, with English wording alongside German. These may reduce what needs translating, but ask the UAE office first. See birth certificate attestation and marriage certificate attestation for a family visa.
Degrees and professional qualifications
German degree certificates, Zeugnisse and professional titles go through the same chain. Health and engineering regulators in the UAE may also want transcripts and proof of registration from the German body, so ask them before you begin. See degree attestation.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Vollmacht (power of attorney) | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal item 9), or AED 130 per party through a private notary on the federal schedule |
| Declaration | From AED 600 | AED 300 as an affidavit (federal item 12) or AED 200 per party as a signature authentication (item 8) |
| Witnessing of signature | From AED 900 | AED 200 per party (federal item 8) |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page where notarised with the instrument |
| 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 sign a German Vollmacht in Dubai?
Yes. You sign it before our notary public, in person, online or at home. Ask the German side whether it also wants MOFA and the German embassy or consulate in the UAE.
My German degree already has an apostille. What now?
It does not help here, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Ask the German authority for the legalisation route, then take the document to the UAE embassy in Berlin.
Does every German document need the federal step?
No. It depends on the type of document and on which German office pre-certified it. We check before you send anything.
Can a German document go to MOFA without translation?
No. MOFA handles Arabic and English, so a German only document needs a legally certified translation.
Talk to us about your German paperwork
Send a photo of the document 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