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Documents from Germany
Germany certificate attestation in Dubai
Germany certificate attestation in Dubai uses Germany’s legalisation route, not its apostille route. For a UAE bound document, a German authority first pre-certifies the signature on it, a federal authority may then confirm that, and the UAE embassy in Berlin legalises it. MOFA in the UAE adds the last attestation. The apostille that German offices issue every day for Hague countries does not work for the UAE.
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
German residents of the UAE mostly need this for a degree or professional qualification, a marriage certificate for a family visa, or a child’s birth certificate. Since German documents are usually in German, translation is part of almost every German file.
At a glance
- MOFA’s rule for foreign documents: the issuing country’s foreign ministry and the UAE mission in that country come before MOFA. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- Germany is a Hague country, but the UAE never acceded to the Apostille Convention, so a German apostille is not the right certificate for Dubai. Source: HCCH status table.
- For non-Hague countries, German documents are pre-certified by the competent state authority and, for many documents, then certified at federal level before the UAE embassy legalises them.
- MOFA reads Arabic and English only; a German document needs a legally certified translation. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA fee: AED 150 personal, AED 2,000 commercial. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Step by step
The German steps in plain words
01
The issuing office.
A registry office (Standesamt) for birth and marriage, a university for a degree, a notary for a notarised document.
02
Pre-certification.
A higher state authority confirms the signature of that office. Which authority depends on the state and the document; for a notarised document it is often the regional court.
03
Federal certification.
For many documents, the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt) then certifies the state signature.
04
The UAE embassy in Berlin
legalises the document.
05
MOFA in the UAE
attests it.
Getting step 2 right is where most German files stall. A document sent straight to the UAE embassy without pre-certification is returned.
Translation: in Germany or in the UAE
There are two workable options:
- A sworn translator in Germany translates the document into English or Arabic, and the translation travels with the original through the same chain.
- A legal translator in the UAE translates it into Arabic after the chain is complete, if the receiving office accepts that. See legalized translation in Dubai.
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. These carry English wording alongside German and may reduce what needs translating. For the visa side, see birth certificate attestation in Dubai and marriage certificate attestation for a UAE 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 a proof of registration from the German body. Ask them before you begin. See degree attestation in Dubai.
Company documents
Commercial register extracts, powers of attorney for a UAE company and board resolutions usually start with a German notary, then pre-certification by the regional court, then the UAE embassy, and are attested at MOFA as commercial documents. Our corporate document legalization page covers the UAE side.
If you are already in the UAE
The German steps happen in Germany. A relative, a German legalisation service or your own trip home can cover them. The German mission in the UAE does not add the UAE embassy stamp for you. Once the document is back in the UAE, we take it through MOFA.
How we help
- We read the document and list which German authority must pre-certify it.
- We tell you what to ask for at each step, including the federal step where needed.
- We handle the Arabic translation in the UAE if you choose that option.
- We complete MOFA attestation.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
| Full chain including the German side | Quote after we see the document | German, UAE embassy and MOFA fees at cost |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
My German degree already has an apostille. What now?
An apostille does not help for the UAE, which is outside the Hague system. Ask the German authority for the legalisation route for a non-Hague country, then take the document to the UAE embassy in Berlin.
Does every German document need the federal step?
No. Whether it is needed turns 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.
Who pre-certifies a document signed before a German notary?
Usually the president of the regional court for that notary’s district.
Get a written quote
Talk to us about your German document
Send a photo of the document and the name of the UAE office asking 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 (language requirement): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- 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