LK
Documents from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka certificate attestation in Dubai
Sri Lanka certificate attestation in Dubai is finished in the UAE but mostly done in Sri Lanka. The issuing office confirms the certificate, the consular section of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates it, the UAE embassy in Colombo stamps it, and then MOFA in the UAE adds the final attestation. We handle that final step and plan the Sri Lankan steps with you.
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
The most common Sri Lankan files we see are O/L and A/L results for a child’s school place, a degree for a job, and a marriage or birth certificate for a family visa. Many of these are in Sinhala or Tamil, which adds a translation question that English language documents do not have.
At a glance
- MOFA wants a foreign document to reach it already carrying two stamps: one from the home foreign ministry and one from the UAE embassy in the same country. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- In Sri Lanka the foreign ministry step is done by the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- MOFA reads Arabic and English. A certificate in any other language must come with a legally certified translation. Source: MOFA attestation service.
- The UAE stays outside the Apostille Convention, so whatever certificate Sri Lanka issues, the UAE embassy stamp is still needed. Source: HCCH status table. Sri Lanka is not a party either: it does not appear in the HCCH status table.
- MOFA charges AED 150 per personal document. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Who checks the certificate before the foreign ministry
Exam results (O/L and A/L).
The Department of Examinations issues or confirms these. A school in the UAE may ask for them attested when a child transfers.
University degrees.
The university confirms the degree. Some degrees also need a University Grants Commission check.
Birth, marriage and death certificates.
These come from the Registrar General’s Department. Use a recently issued certified copy rather than an old family copy.
Commercial documents.
Invoices and company letters for export to the UAE usually start at a chamber of commerce in Sri Lanka.
Step by step
Sinhala and Tamil documents
A birth or marriage certificate issued only in Sinhala or Tamil cannot go to MOFA as it is. It needs a translation that MOFA and the receiving office accept. There are two ways this is usually done:
01
Translate in Sri Lanka
and have the translation authenticated along with the certificate, so it carries the same stamps.
02
Translate in the UAE
after MOFA, using a legal translator on the UAE Ministry of Justice list, if the receiving office is happy with that.
Ask the office that wants the document which one it prefers. We can put that question to them with you. Our legalized translation in Dubai page explains the UAE option.
The UAE embassy in Colombo
After the foreign ministry, the document goes to the UAE embassy in Colombo. This is the step people call “certificate attestation UAE embassy Sri Lanka”. It is done only in Sri Lanka. If you are in Dubai, a relative can usually take it in with a letter from you.
For a family visa
A Sri Lankan husband sponsoring his wife needs the marriage certificate attested. For a child, the birth certificate, and often the marriage certificate too. See marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa and birth certificate attestation in Dubai for the full file. For a degree used for work, see degree attestation in Dubai.
Checklist
What we do for Sri Lankan files
- Check each certificate from photos: language, issuing office, stamps already on it.
- Tell you which office in Sri Lanka comes first for that certificate.
- Prepare the authority letter for the relative or representative who goes in for you.
- Take the returned document through MOFA.
- Handle the Arabic or English translation if it is done in the UAE.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| Full chain including the Sri Lanka side | Quote after we see the document | Sri Lankan office, foreign ministry, UAE embassy and MOFA fees at cost |
| Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | AED 50 per page if notarised with the instrument |
Contact us about a Sri Lankan certificate
Send us photos, plus the UAE school, employer or visa office that wants the certificate.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my O/L and A/L certificates attested for a school in Dubai?
Sometimes. It depends on the school and the grade the child is joining. Ask the school for its list in writing, then attest only what it asks for.
My marriage certificate is in Sinhala. Can MOFA attest it?
Not without a translation it accepts. MOFA handles Arabic and English papers, and anything else only with a certified translation. Decide first whether the translation will be done in Sri Lanka or in the UAE.
Can the Sri Lankan consulate in Dubai do the attestation?
No, not for a certificate going to a UAE office. The Sri Lankan mission here serves its own citizens, but the foreign ministry and UAE embassy steps are in Sri Lanka.
How long will the Sri Lanka side take?
It depends on the office and the season. We give you a time once we see the document.
Get a written quote
Send your document and know every step before you pay
Share a photo of both sides on WhatsApp and tell us where it will be used. We reply with the stamps it needs, the order they go in and the price for each one.
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