Compliance and Legal 
Document attestation is the process that makes a foreign certificate, such as a degree or marriage certificate, legally valid for use in the UAE. It is a chain of authentication ending with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so the document is accepted locally. Visa and licensing applications often stall on it.
What is document attestation?
Attestation is a chain of official certifications confirming that a document and the signatures or seals on it are genuine, so that a foreign document is recognised in the UAE. The chain typically runs through the issuing country authorities and its foreign ministry, the UAE embassy in that country, and finally the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each link confirms the one before it, which is why a missing step invalidates the whole chain and the document is rejected.
Which documents need attestation?
Educational certificates for a Golden Visa or a work permit, marriage and birth certificates for family visas, and various company documents for setting up or for a corporate shareholder, commonly need attestation. Whether a specific document needs it depends on what you are using it for, so the requirement is tied to the application, not the document itself. We confirm exactly what needs attesting for your case so nothing is done unnecessarily or missed.
How does the attestation process work?
A document is usually attested first in the country that issued it, by the relevant authority and that country foreign ministry, then by the UAE embassy there, and finally by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs once in the country. A translation into Arabic by an approved translator is often required too. The order matters, because each stamp depends on the previous one, which is why doing it out of sequence means starting again.
How long does attestation take?
It varies widely by the country of origin and the document, from a few days to several weeks, because part of the chain happens abroad. That is exactly why it is the step most likely to delay a visa or licensing application if it is left to the end. We start attestation early and run it in parallel with the rest of the process, so a document from overseas is ready when the application needs it rather than holding everything up.
What is the next step?
Tell us the documents and what you need them for and we will handle the attestation and any translation. See our attestation and visa services, and the UAE Government visa and Emirates ID guide. We only quote figures we can trace to the issuing authority, such as the UAE Government business guide, so what you plan on is real and current.
Frequently asked questions
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What is document attestation?
A chain of official certifications confirming a foreign document is genuine, ending with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so the document is recognised in the UAE. -
Which documents need attestation in the UAE?
Educational certificates for a Golden Visa or work permit, marriage and birth certificates for family visas, and company documents for setup, depending on the application. -
How long does attestation take?
From a few days to several weeks, depending on the country of origin and the document, because part of the chain happens abroad. We start it early to avoid delay.