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Documents from South Africa
South African document attestation Dubai and notary services for South Africans
South Africans who move to the UAE keep ties at home: a house being sold or let, a bank or retirement account, a family estate, an attorney who needs your signature. We notarise that paperwork in the UAE. Our in-house notary public services cover powers of attorney, affidavits, declarations, NOCs and certified copies, in person, online by video 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
South African document attestation Dubai offices ask for runs the other way. A South African degree, unabridged birth certificate or marriage certificate is legalised by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), stamped by the UAE embassy in Pretoria and attested by MOFA before a Dubai employer, school or visa office accepts it.
At a glance
- Power of attorney, affidavits, declarations, NOCs and certified copies for use in South Africa are notarised in person, online or at your home in the UAE.
- A UAE document going to South Africa is attested by MOFA, then by the South African mission in the UAE if South African offices require it.
- For a South African document, MOFA looks for DIRCO’s legalisation and the UAE embassy stamp from Pretoria before it attests. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- South African documents in English need no translation for MOFA. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- MOFA fee: AED 150 personal, AED 2,000 commercial. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Side by side
What South Africans in the UAE get notarised
| Document | Who usually asks for it |
|---|---|
| Power of attorney to sell or transfer property | The conveyancing attorney handling the sale in South Africa |
| General or special power of attorney | A bank, a family member managing your affairs, an executor |
| Affidavit or declaration | An attorney, a bank or a government office at home |
| Certified copies of your passport, ID, bank statement or proof of address | A bank, an insurer or a retirement fund |
| Witnessing of your signature on a form | Any office whose form says “signed before a notary” |
| Consent for a child to travel with one parent | An airline or border official |
Ask the office in South Africa for its exact wording and whether it needs the MOFA and mission stamps as well as the notary. Then we prepare the document, check your ID, watch you sign and apply the seal. See power of attorney notarised in Dubai, witnessing of signature and certified true copies.
Step by step
Getting a notarised document to South Africa
01
Sign.
In person with our notary, by video through UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS, or on a home visit. We tell you if your document can be done online.
02
MOFA.
If the South African office asks for legalisation, MOFA attests the notarised document.
03
South African mission.
The South African mission in the UAE then legalises it.
04
Courier.
Send the original to your attorney or family with tracking, and keep a scan.
A UAE certificate used at home, such as a Dubai birth certificate for a South African birth registration, skips step 1. See UAE documents for use abroad.
South African document attestation Dubai route, and the detail that decides each document
Birth certificates: unabridged or abridged.
The short abridged certificate lists only the child. The unabridged certificate from the Department of Home Affairs names both parents. Ask the UAE office which one it wants, and if you only hold the abridged one, apply for the unabridged certificate before anything else. See birth certificate attestation.
Marriage certificates.
The Home Affairs marriage certificate is the usual document. A church or ceremony certificate on its own is not the registry record. See marriage certificate attestation.
Degrees and diplomas.
The qualification may need to be verified, by the university or through the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), so call or WhatsApp us with a photo before you start. Many UAE employers want the academic transcript attested too. See degree attestation in Dubai.
Police clearance.
The SAPS Criminal Record Centre issues it. Ask the UAE office how recent it must be, because the stamps do not refresh the date. See police clearance attestation.
Company documents.
CIPC registration papers and board resolutions go through a notary in South Africa and then DIRCO, and MOFA treats them as commercial. See company documents.
How we help South African clients
- We draft and notarise powers of attorney, affidavits, declarations and consents for South Africa.
- We certify copies of your passport, ID and financial documents.
- We check from photos whether you hold the right version: unabridged, full transcript, recent clearance.
- We take notarised papers and returned South African documents through MOFA.
- We come to 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Property 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 |
| Witnessing of signature | From AED 900 | AED 200 per party |
| Affidavit | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit |
| Bank statement or proof of address copy | From AED 500 | Confirmed when you book |
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Home visit | Quoted when you book | Dubai private notary: AED 1,000 per trip outside the place of work |
Checklist
Contact us about a South African document
A clear photo of each page is enough to start. Tell us whether it is going home or coming here. 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 sign a power of attorney for a South African property sale in Dubai?
Yes. You sign it before our notary in the UAE, in person, online or at home. Ask your conveyancing attorney for the wording first, and whether it also needs MOFA and the South African mission.
DIRCO gave me an apostille. Will MOFA accept it?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Go back and ask for legalisation for use in the UAE, then take it to the UAE embassy.
Do I need the unabridged birth certificate for my child’s UAE visa?
Check the list the visa office gave you. The unabridged certificate shows both parents, which the abridged one does not, so start the Home Affairs application early if you need it.
Can the South African consulate in Dubai attest my degree?
No. It deals with South African citizens and documents going to South Africa. A degree for UAE use needs DIRCO and the UAE embassy in Pretoria first.
Get a written quote
Ask for legalisation, not an apostille
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille from South Africa does not work here. When you submit to DIRCO, say the document is for the UAE and ask for legalisation. Source: HCCH status table.
If you have already moved, a relative in South Africa can usually take your originals to DIRCO and the UAE embassy with a signed authority letter. If an office wants a power of attorney from you instead, we notarise it here.
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
- Ministry of Justice, E-Notary: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx
- Dubai Media Office, private notary fees in Dubai: 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