Attestation

Certificate attestation in the UAE

Attesting documents for use in the UAE — the full legalisation chain by document type and issuing country, with real costs and realistic timelines.

Every fee sourced to the authority that charges it Total cost shown — embassy, translation and courier included Reviewed 23 August 2026

Everything compared, in one table

Typical all-in cost and realistic elapsed time. Every figure is sourced on the page it links to.

PageUsed forTypical totalTypical time
What attestation costs in the UAE Working out the real total before you accept a quote AED 150 personal, AED 2,000 commercial, per document at MoFAIC
Degree certificate attestation for the UAE A MOHRE work permit, a professional licence or further study AED 150–300 at MoFAIC, plus home-country fees 2–3 business days for the UAE stages
Attestation for documents issued in India Degrees, birth, marriage, police and company documents issued in India MEA free; Rs 84 agency fee; AED 150 at MoFAIC UAE stages: same day to 3 business days
MoFAIC attestation in the UAE The final UAE-side stamp before an employer, court or ICP accepts a foreign document AED 150–2,000 per document 1–3 business days
Birth certificate attestation for the UAE Sponsoring a child on a residence visa, or a school place AED 150 at MoFAIC, plus home-country fees 2–3 business days for the UAE stages
Attestation for documents issued in Pakistan Degrees, matric and intermediate certificates, NADRA records and police certificates issued in Pakistan MoFA Pakistan free; HEC PKR 3,000; AED 150 at MoFAIC UAE stages: 2–3 business days
Apostille vs attestation for the UAE Working out whether your document needs an apostille, attestation, or both AED 150–2,000 at MoFAIC, plus the home-country step
Attestation for documents issued in the Philippines PSA certificates, diplomas, NBI clearances and company papers issued in the Philippines PHP 2,630 in sourced fees, plus AED 150 at MoFAIC Roughly 2–4 weeks once the school or PSA copies are in hand
Marriage certificate attestation for the UAE Sponsoring a husband or wife for a UAE residence visa AED 150 at MoFAIC, plus home-country fees 2–3 business days for the UAE stages
Commercial document attestation for the UAE Legalising a foreign company's documents for a UAE licence, branch or filing AED 2,000 per document at MoFAIC
Attestation for documents issued in the UK A UK degree, GRO certificate, ACRO certificate or company document going to the UAE £45 FCDO plus AED 150 at MoFAIC in published government fees About 6–7 weeks on the FCDO standard service
Attestation for documents issued in Egypt An Egyptian degree, birth or marriage certificate, criminal record certificate or company document going to the UAE EGP 115 at the Egyptian MFA plus AED 150 at MoFAIC in published government fees 2–3 business days at the UAE end. Egypt publishes no timings
Power of attorney attestation for the UAE Letting someone act for you in the UAE when you cannot be here to sign AED 150, or AED 2,000 with commercial content 2–3 business days at the UAE mission on the digital route
Police clearance certificate attestation for the UAE A UAE employment entry permit, where your nationality is in the categories ICP has announced AED 150 at MoFAIC, plus the issuing country's fees 2–3 business days for the UAE stages

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Common questions

What is document attestation, and why does the UAE require it?
Attestation is a chain of official verifications proving a document issued in one country is genuine, so a UAE authority will accept it. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so it does not accept an apostille on its own — foreign documents need attestation by the UAE embassy in the issuing country and then by MoFAIC in the UAE.
Does the UAE accept an apostille instead of attestation?
No. The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not sufficient for use in the UAE. A document still needs UAE embassy attestation in the country of issue, followed by MoFAIC attestation inside the UAE.
How much is the MoFAIC attestation fee?
MoFAIC charges AED 150 per personal or educational document and AED 2,000 per commercial document. That is the UAE-side government fee only — home-country fees, UAE embassy fees, translation and courier are all additional.
Can I do attestation myself instead of paying an agent?
Yes. Every stage is a public service you can apply for directly, and if you are in the issuing country with time to spare, doing it yourself costs only the government fees. Agents are worth it mainly when the document is abroad, the deadline is tight, or the home-country stage needs someone physically present.
Does an attestation expire?
The attestation itself does not carry an expiry date, but the underlying document can. A police clearance certificate is the common trap: it has a short validity window, and a slow attestation chain can outlast it, meaning you start again.
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