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Document attestation in the UAE
Attestation certifies that the signatures and seals on a document are authentic. We map the chain of stamps your document needs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) fee at the UAE end.
- MOFA fee: AED 150 per certificate
- MOFA fee: AED 2,000 per commercial document
- Digital attestation usually within 2 hours in the UAE
Find your attestation chain
What document do you need attested?
A certificate issued outside the UAE goes through its home country first, then the UAE Embassy there, then MOFA in the UAE. Add a legal translation into Arabic if it is not already in Arabic.
- Chain
- Home notary or issuer, home foreign ministry, UAE Embassy, UAE MOFA
- UAE Embassy abroad
- AED 150 per ordinary document
- UAE MOFA
- AED 150 per document
Fees shown are the MOFA and UAE Embassy fees only; home-country fees, foreign embassy fees in the UAE and translation fees are charged separately and vary.
Document attestation, in brief.
Document attestation certifies the authenticity of the signatures and seals on a document so that it can be relied on in another country. In the UAE the final step is attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
You usually need it for family visas, Dubai Chamber membership, bank onboarding, licensing and education. My Eloah Business Hub works out which chain applies, checks the document before it is submitted and confirms the fees you face at each stage.
- Authority
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
- MOFA fees
- AED 150 per certificate or invoice, AED 2,000 per commercial document
- Routes
- Digital attestation or approved courier, chosen automatically by MOFA
- Login
- UAE PASS, available 24/7
The chain of stamps for a foreign document.
A document issued outside the UAE, such as a marriage certificate, degree or birth certificate, passes through these stages in order. MOFA is the last link in the chain, and its fee covers the UAE step only.
| Step | Who attests | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Issuing authority or notary in the home country | Set by that authority |
| 2 | Home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Set by that ministry |
| 3 | UAE Embassy or Consulate in that country | AED 150 per ordinary document |
| 4 | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) | AED 150, or AED 2,000 for a commercial document |
| 5 | Legal translation into Arabic, if not already in Arabic | Translator's fee |
Step 2 is mandatory before step 3. For a UAE document going abroad the chain is shorter: the UAE issuing authority, then MOFA at AED 150, then the destination country's embassy in the UAE at its own fee.
MOFA fees by document class.
MOFA prices by document class. Every item in a class costs the same, and the fee is identical whether the document was issued inside or outside the UAE.
| Class | Examples | MOFA fee per document |
|---|---|---|
| Personal certificates | Birth, death and marriage certificates, police report, document of fingerprint | AED 150 |
| Educational certificates | Degrees and other educational certificates | AED 150 |
| Legal and other certificates | Court-issued certificates, single-purpose power of attorney, work experience certificate, To Whom It May Concern certificates | AED 150 |
| Commercial documents | Board decisions and meeting minutes, commercial agency, adjustment of a capital share, patent registration, branch pledge, price list, recording a new product | AED 2,000 |
| Invoices | Commercial invoices and certificates of origin through eDAS 2.0 | AED 150 |
| Courier within the UAE, normal | 3 working days | AED 40, excluding VAT |
| Courier within the UAE, express | 1 working day | AED 150, excluding VAT |
Achievements of completed projects are charged individually at the commercial rate. A restructuring that needs a board resolution, a capital share change and a branch pledge costs AED 6,000 in MOFA attestation alone.
Three routes, and how long each takes.
MOFA selects the route automatically from the issuing authority and the document type. The times below are typical turnarounds.
Digital attestation
For an original digitally issued document with a QR code, reference number or barcode. Usually within 2 hours for UAE-issued documents during official working hours, and typically 2 to 3 working days through UAE embassies abroad.
Approved courier
For the physical original. Usually 1 to 3 business days in the UAE and 5 to 7 working days for standard courier submissions abroad.
eDAS 2.0
A separate MOFA system for commercial invoices and certificates of origin. It is available 24/7 and the service completes in 2 minutes.
Four reasons documents get rejected.
Most rejections come from the condition of the document or a missed step earlier in the chain.
Laminated documents
Laminated documents cannot be attested and are rejected outright. This is the most common failure.
Bundled apostilles
An apostille does not replace UAE Embassy attestation. Documents apostilled as a bundle are refused, so each one must be apostilled separately.
No certified translation
The original must be in Arabic or English, or carry a legally certified translation from a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice.
Errors and missed steps
Incorrectly completed applications are rejected automatically, and wrong information carries legal liability. The original must already be certified by the competent authorities where that applies.
Where attestation comes up.
Attestation sits in the middle of many visa, banking and licensing files.
| Situation | Documents usually attested |
|---|---|
| Family or spouse visa | Marriage certificate, children's birth certificates |
| Parents' sponsorship | Birth certificate, consular dependency certificate |
| Dubai Chamber membership | Notarised and attested Memorandum of Association (MoA) |
| Bank onboarding | Board resolution, power of attorney, sometimes the MoA |
| Property gift transfer at Dubai Land Department (DLD) | Proof of relationship attested in the issuing country and by that country's foreign ministry, plus proof of kinship from your embassy in the UAE |
| Employment or professional licensing | Degree certificates, work experience certificates |
| Golden visa | Certified marriage contract, certified birth certificates |
| Company branch or agency | Commercial agency, board resolution, branch pledge, at AED 2,000 each |
Seven steps to an attested document.
This is the order we follow on every attestation file.
Start on WhatsApp →Confirm where it was issued
The country of issue decides which chain applies and how many fees you face.
Confirm the document class
MOFA charges AED 150 for a certificate or invoice and AED 2,000 for a commercial document.
Check the document's condition
It must not be laminated, and it must be in Arabic or English or carry a legally certified translation.
Look for a QR code or barcode
A digitally issued document with a verification feature can clear digital attestation in about 2 hours in the UAE.
Confirm any embassy step
A foreign document needs the UAE Embassy in its home country, and a UAE document going abroad needs the destination country's embassy in the UAE.
Apply and pay through MOFA
You log in with your own UAE PASS and the total is confirmed with you before payment.
Verify the result
The attested document is checked on MOFA's verification site, verify.mofa.gov.ae.
Document attestation, answered.
Ask anything else on WhatsApp and we will answer for your company.
How much does MOFA attestation cost in the UAE?
MOFA charges AED 150 per certificate, which covers personal, educational and legal documents, and AED 2,000 per commercial document. Invoices and certificates of origin cost AED 150 each.
Does the AED 150 MOFA fee cover attestation in my home country?
No. The AED 150 covers the UAE step only. For a document issued abroad you pay a separate fee at each stage in your own country, plus AED 150 per ordinary document at the UAE Embassy there.
What is the attestation chain for a foreign marriage or degree certificate?
The chain is the issuing authority or notary in the home country, then that country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the UAE Embassy or Consulate there, then MOFA in the UAE. A legal translation into Arabic follows if the document is not already in Arabic.
Does an apostille replace UAE Embassy attestation?
No. Where a country issues apostilles, the UAE Embassy still requires the document for its own legalisation. Each document must be apostilled separately, because bundled apostilles are refused.
How long does attestation take?
Digital attestation of a UAE-issued document usually takes up to 2 hours during official working hours, and typically 2 to 3 working days through UAE embassies abroad. The courier route usually takes 1 to 3 business days in the UAE and 5 to 7 working days for standard submissions abroad.
Can a laminated certificate be attested?
No. Laminated documents cannot be attested and are rejected outright.
Do I need a legal translation for attestation?
You need one if the original is in a language other than Arabic or English. The translation must be legally certified by a translator registered with the Ministry of Justice.
How do I attest a UAE document for use abroad?
The UAE issuing authority certifies it first, MOFA attests it for AED 150, and the destination country's embassy in the UAE then adds its own stamp at its own fee. Where MOFA also attests through the UAE Mission in the destination country, MOFA's combined figure is AED 300.
Tell us the document. We will map the chain.
Send us a photo of your document on WhatsApp and we will tell you which stamps it needs, the MOFA fee and our quote for handling it.