Guide: Notary and MOFA
The UAE attestation process, from notary to embassy
The UAE attestation process is a chain of signatures, each one confirming the one before it. For a paper signed in the UAE, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit or a declaration, the chain starts with a notary public. Then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attests the notary’s seal. Then the embassy or consulate in the UAE of the country that will receive it adds its stamp, where that country asks for it.
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. We notarise your document, and then it moves on to MOFA and the embassy. This guide lays out the whole chain in both directions: documents going out of the UAE, and documents coming in.
Step by step
Direction one: out of the UAE
01
Notary public, or the UAE issuing office.
A paper you sign is notarised. A UAE government certificate comes from the office that issued it, and some need a second UAE stamp first. MOFA’s FAQ gives a UAE birth certificate as the example: the Ministry of Health and Prevention or the local health authority attests it first, unless it is a digital document issued by a government entity.
02
MOFA.
It attests the notary’s seal or the issuing office’s signature.
03
The destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE.
It stamps the document, if that country asks for it.
04
Translation, if the office abroad wants its own language.
The whole of direction one can be done inside the UAE. Our document legalization hub has the detail for papers going abroad.
The notary step, in more detail
The notary public checks your identity, watches you sign, and applies the notary seal. MOFA then attests that seal. Papers that usually start here:
- a power of attorney for property, a bank or a case abroad;
- an affidavit or a declaration;
- an NOC or consent letter;
- a certified true copy of a certificate you need to keep;
- a witnessed signature on a form from a bank or office abroad;
- company papers such as a board resolution. See company documents notarization.
| How you sign | What it means |
|---|---|
| In person | Our public notary services: you sign in front of the notary |
| Online | Our online notary: by video, through the UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. We tell you if your document can be done online |
| At home | Our home visit notary: we come to your home, office, hospital or care home in the UAE |
The notary profession is set by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, and notary fees by Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024. In Dubai, notaries public also work under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013. How the seal looks and what it means is on how to get a notary stamp in Dubai.
Step by step
Direction two: into the UAE
01
Issuing office.
The university, registrar, court, police or company that created the document.
02
First official check, where needed.
An education ministry, a chamber of commerce or a notary public in that country confirms the issuer’s signature. This step differs most between countries.
03
Home foreign ministry.
04
UAE embassy or consulate in that country.
05
MOFA in the UAE.
The document can now be used in the UAE.
06
Arabic legal translation, where the receiving UAE office asks for it.
Steps 1 to 4 happen in the issuing country. If you are already in the UAE, someone there can act for you, and a power of attorney we notarise here can give them that authority. Country pages are on our embassy attestation hub, and certificate pages on certificate attestation.
What the stamps mean, and what they do not
Each stamp says: the signature before mine is genuine and belongs to someone allowed to sign. It does not say the content is true, and it does not translate the document. That is why a document with a spelling mistake still causes trouble after every stamp is on it. If two spellings of your name appear on your papers, an affidavit signed before a notary can link them.
Personal and commercial documents
MOFA separates personal documents (degrees, marriage and birth certificates, police clearances, personal declarations) from commercial ones (company papers, invoices, a general or commercial power of attorney). It charges AED 150 and AED 2,000. Getting the class wrong means a second payment. We check it before you pay.
The rules MOFA applies
Originals.
MOFA works on originals. A certified true copy made by a notary is a document of its own.
Language.
Arabic and English go through as they are. Anything else needs a legally certified translation. See legal translation.
No lamination.
A laminated document cannot be stamped.
Complete chain.
Each earlier stamp must be on the document before MOFA.
Time and expiry
Each office in the chain sets its own pace, so nobody can promise a date for another office’s stamp. Tell us your deadline in your first message. Our fast track notary services in the UAE cover the steps we control.
MOFA does not state an expiry for its attestation on the pages we cite. The receiving office may still want a recent document, especially a police clearance or medical certificate, and it decides that.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| General power of attorney, notarised | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal schedule) |
| Affidavit or declaration, notarised | From AED 600 | AED 300 per affidavit (federal schedule) |
| MOFA attestation, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA attestation, 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 |
Checklist
Map your document’s route
Send a photo of the document with every stamp visible, and tell us where it will be used. 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
What is the UAE attestation process in simple words?
Every office confirms the signature of the office before it. For a paper signed in the UAE, that is the notary, then MOFA, then the embassy of the destination country. The stamps must be collected in order.
Where does the UAE attestation process start for a power of attorney?
It starts with a notary public. We notarise your power of attorney in person, online or at your home, then it goes to MOFA and, if needed, the embassy of the country where it will be used.
What does the MOFA stamp mean?
It means MOFA has confirmed the previous signature in the chain, such as the notary’s seal. It does not confirm the content of the document.
Is the process different for company documents?
The order is the same, but MOFA charges the commercial fee of AED 2,000. Company papers signed in the UAE are notarised first. See company documents notarization.
My country uses apostilles. Can I skip the embassy step?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so the embassy step stays. Our full answer explains that no apostille is issued or used in the UAE. For the MOFA step itself, see MOFA attestation in Dubai.
Notary and MOFA
More guides
Notary and MOFA
MOFA verification
MOFA attestation verification is the check an employer, school, bank or government office makes to confirm that the MOFA attestation on a document is real and belongs to.
Notary and MOFA
MOFA online
MOFA attestation online means applying to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its website or the UAE MOFA app, instead of visiting a counter.
Certificates
Degree equivalency
An MOE equivalency certificate in UAE is the name many people use for an official decision on what a foreign qualification is equal to in the UAE system.
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 (chain and fees): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service (rules): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table (the UAE is not a party): 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
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning notaries public in Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html