US
Documents from United States
US certificate attestation in the UAE
US certificate attestation in the UAE depends on one question first: was the document issued by a state or by the federal government? A state document (a birth certificate, say, or a diploma from a state university) goes through the state Secretary of State, then the US Department of State, then the UAE embassy in Washington. A federal document, such as an FBI background check, skips the state step. Both routes end with MOFA in the UAE.
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
Americans in Dubai and Abu Dhabi usually meet this with a degree for a work permit or teaching licence, a marriage certificate for a spouse’s visa, or a birth certificate for a child’s visa. Choosing the wrong route is the most common delay, so we sort that out before anything is posted.
At a glance
- MOFA accepts a foreign document once the issuing country’s foreign ministry and a UAE mission in that country have stamped it. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- In the US, the foreign ministry step is the US Department of State Office of Authentications.
- Because the UAE has not joined the Apostille Convention, a Secretary of State apostille is the wrong certificate for the UAE. The state issues an authentication certificate for non-Hague countries instead. Source: HCCH status table.
- MOFA fee in the UAE: AED 150 for a personal document, AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Source: MOFA FAQ.
Side by side
State document or federal document
| State document | Federal document | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Birth and marriage certificates, degrees, notarised copies, state court papers | FBI background check, some federal agency letters |
| First step | A notary public or the county clerk, depending on the document and state | None, goes straight to the Department of State |
| Second step | The Secretary of State of that state (authentication for a non-Hague country) | US Department of State |
| Then | US Department of State, UAE embassy in Washington | UAE embassy in Washington |
| Last | MOFA in the UAE | MOFA in the UAE |
Degrees from US universities
A US university diploma is usually handled as a state document. The common route is a notarised copy or a registrar’s letter signed before a notary public, then the Secretary of State of the state where the notary is commissioned. Ask the UAE office first whether it wants the original diploma or accepts a notarised copy. Some UAE licensing bodies also want transcripts.
For the UAE side of degrees, including the degree equivalency step at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, see degree attestation in Dubai.
Birth and marriage certificates
Order a certified copy from the vital records office of the state or county. A certified copy is signed by the registrar, which the Secretary of State can authenticate. A child’s residence visa usually needs a long form birth certificate showing both parents. See birth certificate attestation in Dubai and marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa.
FBI background checks
An FBI identity history summary is federal, so it goes directly to the US Department of State and then the UAE embassy. Receiving offices often want a recent one. Details on police clearance attestation.
The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai
People search for “us embassy abu dhabi notary services” hoping it can attest a US document for the UAE. It cannot. The US Embassy and Consulate General provide notarial services to people who need a document for use in the United States, such as a power of attorney that a US bank has asked for. A US degree or birth certificate for a UAE office still needs the US state and federal steps and the UAE embassy in Washington.
If you are in the UAE now
You can post the document to a US service that handles the Secretary of State, Department of State and UAE embassy steps, ask family in the US to do it, or take it with you on a trip. When it returns with the UAE embassy stamp, we take it through MOFA here. If it is going the other way (a UAE document needed in the US), see legalising UAE documents for use abroad.
Step by step
How we help
01
We tell you if your document is state or federal, and which state must act.
02
We list what to request from each US office, so the UAE embassy stamp is not missed.
03
We check the returned document against MOFA’s needs.
04
We complete the MOFA step and return the document.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 |
| MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Full chain including the US side | Quote after we see the document | State, federal, UAE embassy and MOFA fees at cost |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
I already have an apostille from my Secretary of State. Can I use it in Dubai?
Usually not. An apostille is for Hague countries, and the UAE is not one. Ask the Secretary of State for an authentication for the UAE instead, then continue to the Department of State and the UAE embassy.
Does US certificate attestation in the UAE need the original degree?
It depends on the UAE office. Some accept a notarised copy that has been through the chain; others want the original. Ask before you send anything.
Can the US Consulate in Dubai help with my diploma?
Not for UAE use. It can notarise documents for use in the US. The diploma needs the US state and federal steps and the UAE embassy.
Which state handles my notarised copy?
The Secretary of State of the state where the notary public holds a commission. So a copy notarised in Texas is authenticated by the Texas Secretary of State.
Get a written quote
Get help with a US document
Send photos of the document and tell us which UAE office asked for it.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
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: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41