Guide: UAE documents for abroad
Is the UAE an apostille country? No. Here is what to do instead
Is the UAE an apostille country? No. The United Arab Emirates does not appear among the contracting parties in the Hague Conference’s own status table for the Apostille Convention. So the UAE issues no apostilles, and an apostille from another country does not, on its own, make a document valid in the UAE. Documents move in and out of the UAE through attestation and legalisation instead: a chain of stamps from the home authorities, the embassies and MOFA. Source: HCCH status table.
This matters because many people, and some websites, still offer an “apostille for Dubai” or an “e-apostille from Dubai”. Neither exists for UAE use. This page explains what to ask for instead, in both directions.
What an apostille is, in one paragraph
An apostille is a single certificate, issued by a designated authority in a Hague country, that confirms the signature on a public document. Other Hague countries accept it without any embassy step. It only works between countries that are both parties. Because the UAE is not one, the apostille shortcut is not available in either direction.
Coming into the UAE with an apostilled document
If your home country is a Hague country, its offices may issue an apostille by default. For the UAE, ask them instead for the attestation or authentication used for non-Hague countries, and then take it to the UAE mission in that country. In some countries, the UAE mission may place its stamp over the apostille certificate; in others, the home authority issues a different certificate for non-Hague countries. Country routes are on embassy attestation for Dubai.
After the UAE mission stamp, MOFA attests the document in the UAE. The whole chain is explained on the UAE attestation process.
Step by step
Going out of the UAE to a Hague country
A UAE document needed in, for example, Germany, the UK or the Philippines cannot be apostilled here, because no UAE authority issues apostilles. The usual route is:
01
The UAE issuer, plus any UAE authority step the document needs.
02
MOFA attestation.
03
Legalisation by that country’s mission here, where it requires this for UAE documents.
People searching “apostille für Dubai” usually need exactly this: a UAE document, MOFA, then the German mission. For the outward route in detail, see legalising UAE documents for use abroad.
Common searches, answered
“Apostille Dubai” or “MOFA apostille Dubai”.
MOFA attests; it does not apostille. Ask for MOFA attestation.
“E-apostille Dubai”.
The UAE issues no e-apostilles. MOFA’s eDAS is an electronic attestation for some commercial documents.
“Dubai PCC apostille”.
A UAE police clearance for use abroad is attested by MOFA and then legalised by the destination country’s mission if required. See MOFA attestation for a police clearance.
“Apostille PCG Dubai”.
The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai serves Filipinos in the UAE. For a Philippine document to be used in the UAE, the route runs through the Philippines and the UAE embassy in Manila. See Philippine document attestation in Dubai.
Why a provider offering a UAE apostille is a warning sign
A document marked with an “apostille” that was supposedly issued in the UAE will not be recognised, because no UAE authority issues apostilles. If someone offers one, ask exactly which authority will sign it. If the answer is not MOFA attestation followed by the right embassy, choose a different route.
How we help
- We read your document and tell you whether it needs the inward or outward chain.
- For documents coming in, we tell you what to ask the home authorities for, instead of an apostille.
- For documents going out, we take them through MOFA and the destination mission in the UAE.
- We handle the translation where the receiving country or office asks for it.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA attestation, personal document (handling) | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document (handling) | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Foreign embassy legalisation in the UAE | Quote after we see the document | Embassy fee at cost |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the UAE a member of the Hague Apostille Convention?
No. The Hague Conference’s status table, which lists every contracting state, does not include the UAE.
My degree has an apostille. Do I still need the UAE embassy?
Yes. For UAE use, a foreign document needs the UAE mission stamp from its home country and MOFA attestation here, whatever else is on it.
Can MOFA issue an apostille for my UAE document?
No. MOFA attests documents. The receiving country’s embassy in the UAE then legalises it where required.
Will the UAE join the Apostille Convention?
Check the Hague Conference’s status table for the current position; until the UAE appears there as a party, attestation and legalisation remain the route.
Guides
More 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.
MOFA attestation
UAE attestation process
The UAE attestation process is a chain of signatures, each one confirming the one before it.
Ask which route your document needs
Tell us which country issued the document and which country will receive it.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Sources for this page
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (chain and fees): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service (including eDAS): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation