# Medical certificate attestation in the UAE

Medical certificate attestation covers three quite different needs. A sick leave certificate or medical report issued in the UAE may need to be accepted by an employer, insurer or court in another country. A medical report issued abroad may need to be accepted by a UAE employer, insurer or court. And a health professional moving to the UAE may need qualification and good standing documents attested for licensing. Each follows its own order of stamps.

At a glance

- A document from abroad: home country authorities, a UAE mission in that country, then MOFA. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs).
- A UAE medical document for use abroad: the UAE health authority's confirmation where required, then MOFA, then the receiving country's mission in the UAE if it asks.
- MOFA charges AED 150 for a personal document. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs).
- MOFA only takes originals, and they must be in Arabic or English unless a certified translation is attached. Source: [MOFA attestation service](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation).

The common thread is that a doctor's or hospital's signature alone is not enough for another country's office. A health authority usually confirms the document first, then the foreign affairs chain begins.

## Three situations

| Situation | Typical document | Route |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sick leave or medical report from a UAE hospital, needed abroad | Sick leave certificate, discharge summary, medical report | Hospital, UAE health authority (where required), MOFA, destination embassy in the UAE |
| Medical report from abroad, needed in the UAE | Hospital report, disability certificate, fitness certificate | Hospital, home health authority or notary, foreign ministry, UAE mission there, MOFA |
| Health professional licensing in the UAE | Degree, experience letters, good standing certificate | Home country chain for each document, then MOFA |

## UAE sick leave and medical reports going abroad

An employer or insurer abroad may ask for a UAE sick leave certificate or medical report to be attested. The usual first step is confirmation by the health authority that licenses the hospital or clinic, for example in Dubai the Dubai Health Authority. Then MOFA attests it, and the embassy here of the country receiving it may legalise it. Searches for "attestation for DHA" usually mean this first step.

A report written only in Arabic may need translation into the destination country's language. See [legalized translation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/legal-translation-in-uae/).

## Foreign medical reports coming into the UAE

A UAE insurer, employer or court may want a foreign medical report attested. The home country route varies: some countries have a health ministry step, others use a notary public to certify the doctor's signature before the foreign ministry. After that comes the UAE mission abroad, and finally MOFA. Country specific offices are on [embassy attestation for Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/embassy-attestation-dubai/).

## Documents for health professional licensing

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health staff moving to the UAE are usually asked for attested qualifications and experience letters, and often a good standing certificate from their previous regulator. Each document follows the home country chain. UAE health regulators may also verify documents through their own primary source verification process. See [degree attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-attestation-dubai/) and [experience certificate attestation for the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/experience-certificate-attestation-uae/).

## Where this page sits

Service hub

[Certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certificate-attestation-dubai/)

Certificate attestation in Dubai is the chain of stamps that makes a degree, marriage certificate, birth certificate or similar paper acceptable to a UAE office.

Also under Certificate attestation

- [Degree attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-attestation-dubai/)
- [Educational certificates](https://dubainotaryservices.com/educational-certificate-attestation-dubai/)
- [Marriage certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/marriage-certificate-attestation-family-visa/)
- [Birth certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/birth-certificate-attestation-dubai/)
- [Death certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/death-and-divorce-certificate-attestation/)
- [Police clearance](https://dubainotaryservices.com/police-clearance-certificate-attestation/)
- [Experience certificate](https://dubainotaryservices.com/experience-certificate-attestation-uae/)
- [Certified true copy](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certified-true-copy-attestation-in-dubai/)

## Things that cause refusals

- A report on plain paper without the hospital's letterhead and stamp.
- A doctor's signature that the health authority cannot match to a licensed practitioner.
- Missing dates on sick leave certificates.
- Photocopies instead of originals.
- Personal medical detail that the patient did not want shared; tell us if a shorter report will do.

## How we help

You tell us which country issued the document and which country will read it.

We check it has the details the health authority and MOFA expect.

For UAE documents, we take care of the health authority step where it applies, MOFA and the embassy step.

For foreign documents, we set out the home country steps and complete MOFA.

We handle the translation.

We handle medical documents carefully and share them only with the offices in the chain.

## Prices

| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Banking or medical forms for use abroad, notarised | From AED 500 | Confirmed at booking |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
| Health authority step in the UAE | Quote after we see the document | Authority fee at cost |

How we price

All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.

MOFA fee: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). The whole chain: [notary attestation fees](https://dubainotaryservices.com/dubai-notary-public-fees/). Other certificates: [certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certificate-attestation-dubai/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can MOFA attest a sick leave certificate directly?

Usually the health authority confirms it first. MOFA then attests the health authority's confirmation.

### Does medical certificate attestation need the original report?

Yes. MOFA attests originals. Keep a copy for yourself.

### Is a medical report from my home country accepted by a UAE insurer without attestation?

Some insurers accept it, others ask for attestation. Ask the insurer first.

### I am a nurse moving to Dubai. Which documents need attestation?

Usually your degree or diploma, experience letters and a good standing certificate, but the regulator's list decides. Get it in writing before you start.

### Send us your document

Send a photo of your document and the name of the office that asked for it. We reply with the route and a written quote.

Phone and WhatsApp

[+971 52 947 5935](tel:+971529475935)

Email

[info@dubainotaryservices.com](mailto:info@dubainotaryservices.com)

Location

Dubai, UAE

## Ask about a medical document

Tell us where it was issued and who asked for it.

- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com

## More in this cluster

Service hub

[Certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certificate-attestation-dubai/)

Certificate attestation in Dubai is the chain of stamps that makes a degree, marriage certificate, birth certificate or similar paper acceptable to a UAE office.

Guides

- [MOE equivalency certificate in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-equivalency-certificate-uae/)

### Sources for this page

- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (attestation chain and fees): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs)
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service (originals and language): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation)
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees (translation item): [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491)