✅ Document Attestation Guide
Plan the legalisation chain before paying for stamps, couriers or translations.
1. Common documents
| Type | Examples / purpose |
|---|---|
| Educational | Degree, diploma or certificate for employment/licensing |
| Personal | Birth, marriage, divorce or death certificate for family/official use |
| Commercial | Company documents, invoices, powers of attorney or agreements |
2. General preparation order
- Ask the receiving UAE employer/authority exactly which original and language it accepts.
- Have the document authenticated by the issuing country's responsible bodies as required.
- Complete UAE mission/embassy legalisation abroad where applicable.
- Submit through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation service where required.
- Obtain legal translation from an accepted translator if the receiving authority requires Arabic.
The exact chain depends on issuing country, document type and destination use—follow MOFA and the receiving authority, not a generic agent checklist.
3. Check before submission
- Names match the passport, including order and spelling.
- Document is original/eligible, undamaged and readable.
- Every earlier stamp, seal, QR code or verification is present.
- Translation matches all dates, grades, numbers and names.
- Courier address and phone are correct.
4. Avoid costly mistakes
- Do not laminate a document before confirming acceptance.
- Do not alter, crop or cover an existing stamp.
- Attestation confirms official seals/signatures; it is not automatically professional equivalency or licensing.
- Use the MOFA portal to view current fees, eligible documents and delivery options.
Work backwards from the receiving office
| Document example | Question to confirm first |
|---|---|
| Degree for employment | Does the employer/licensing body also require academic verification or equivalency, separately from attestation? |
| Marriage/birth certificate | Which version, spelling, translation and stamps are required for the intended family application? |
| Commercial document | Which original, signatory and receiving authority's chain applies to that document type? |
Ask the receiving office and MOFA's official service about the current chain and fees before using a courier. Keep a scan before dispatch, track the original, and inspect every name/date and verification mark on return. Attestation validates the document's formal origin; acceptance for a specific job, licence or visa remains a separate decision.