By issuing country
Canadian document attestation for the UAE
Short answer
The UAE Embassy Ottawa FAQ asks for Global Affairs Canada authentication before submission and a sealed transcript sent directly by the institution for degrees. The UAE is not an Apostille Convention party, so ask for authentication, not an apostille. After the embassy stage, the original must still be attested by MoFA in the UAE. Current Ottawa fees and processing time need confirmation.
- Canadian stage
- Global Affairs Canada authentication, per the Ottawa FAQ
- Apostille?
- No. The UAE is not an Apostille country; ask for authentication
- Global Affairs Canada
- No fee; queue about 25 business days plus mailing (GAC, Aug 2026)
- Degree transcript
- Sealed and sent directly by the institution; no e-transcripts
- Embassy processing
- Current embassy window not verified
- UAE MoFA stage
- Separate, in the UAE: AED 150 personal / AED 2,000 commercial
Process map
Your route at a glance
- 01 Authenticate the Canadian document Global Affairs Canada
- 02 For a degree, arrange the sealed transcript separately Canadian institution
- 03 Check the embassy application channel UAE MoFA / UAE Embassy Ottawa
- 04 Mail the authenticated document package
- 05 Confirm the embassy processing window UAE Embassy Ottawa
Canada-to-UAE and UAE-to-Canada are opposite routes
Canada generally does not require authentication of foreign public documents for Canadian use, but a Canadian document going into the UAE follows the UAE’s consular chain. Direction changes the answer. Do not use advice about a UAE degree for Express Entry to prepare a Canadian degree for a UAE employer.
Route at a glance
| Stage | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Global Affairs Canada authentication | Free | About 25 business days in queue, plus 5–10 business days’ mailing from within Canada |
| UAE Embassy Ottawa | Not published | Not published |
| UAE MoFA, in the UAE | AED 150 personal / AED 2,000 commercial | Within 2 hours for eligible digital documents; 1–3 business days by courier |
Sources: Global Affairs Canada (page modified 26 August 2026); UAE Embassy Ottawa FAQ; UAE MoFA FAQs and service page. Checked 27 September 2026.
The transcript rule is easy to miss
The applicant handles the authenticated degree, payment and return package, while the Canadian institution sends the sealed transcript directly. Coordinate both deliveries and give the university the exact Consular Section address. Ask the embassy to confirm that it has all required items before relying on any processing estimate.
Commercial-content documents
Ottawa’s FAQ refers commercial applicants to an attestation page that is no longer online (checked 27 September 2026); email ottawaemb.consulate@mofa.gov.ae with the document list before paying. Ask the mission to classify the actual documents and confirm the current charge. Do not treat a company package as one personal document or assume one published base fee covers the whole route.
The process, step by step
Authenticate the Canadian document
The UAE Embassy Ottawa FAQ names Global Affairs Canada authentication. Since January 2024 Canada also issues apostilles, some of them through provincial authorities in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, but the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Request authentication for use in the UAE, not an apostille, and confirm with the embassy before relying on a provincial office. GAC charges no fee and publishes a rolling processing time (25 business days plus 5–10 days’ mailing when checked on 27 September 2026).
For a degree, arrange the sealed transcript separately
The Canadian institution must mail an official sealed transcript directly to the UAE Embassy, attention Consular Section. The mission says e-transcripts are not accepted.
Check the embassy application channel
Check on mofa.gov.ae whether Canada is offered as a country of issuance. MoFA says mission attestation is applied for through its online channels, and that where the service is not available online you should contact or visit the mission. Ottawa’s own FAQ asks you to mail the authenticated document with a copy of the payment receipt and a prepaid return envelope.
Mail the authenticated document package
Include the payment receipt and prepaid return envelope. The embassy FAQ tells applicants to receive the authenticated document from Global Affairs Canada and then mail it to the embassy themselves.
Confirm the embassy processing window
Ask the embassy for its current timing after receipt of a complete package. Allow separately for authentication, transcript delivery and return postage.
Attest the original at MoFA in the UAE
Ottawa is not one of the missions that publishes a combined “one service, two attestations” application, so plan for a separate MoFA attestation after the embassy stage. Apply on mofa.gov.ae or the UAE MOFA app. MoFA charges AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial document (a general power of attorney is commercial). In the UAE, eligible digital documents take within 2 hours and courier attestation 1–3 business days.
Document enquiry
Check a document issued in Canada
Send the document type, issuing country and intended use. An independent provider may reply with the route and its own quote.
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Common questions
Does a Canadian degree need a sealed transcript for UAE attestation?
Can Global Affairs Canada send the document directly to the UAE Embassy?
Is a Canadian apostille accepted in the UAE?
Is the Ottawa embassy stamp the last step?
How much does the UAE Embassy Ottawa charge for a personal document?
Can Ottawa attest a degree issued outside Canada?
How long does UAE Embassy Ottawa attestation take?
Sources and last review
- UAE Embassy Ottawa — attestation FAQs
- UAE MoFA — Documents Attestation
- UAE MoFA — FAQs
- Global Affairs Canada — authentication FAQs and provincial authorities
- Global Affairs Canada — document authentication
Reviewed 27 September 2026. Fees and procedures in this area change without notice — always confirm against the authority's own published information before paying. This page is general information, not legal advice.