South African document attestation for the UAE

Attestation for documents issued in South Africa

Short answer

A South African birth, marriage or death certificate goes to DIRCO for authentication and then to the UAE Embassy in Pretoria. Educational qualifications have an additional published first step: certification by SAQA before DIRCO. The embassy publishes AED 150 per ordinary certificate and AED 2,000 per commercial document.

Civil certificates

DIRCO then UAE Embassy Pretoria

Degrees

SAQA, then DIRCO, then embassy

Ordinary-document embassy fee

AED 150 per certificate

Commercial embassy fee

AED 2,000 per document

Every fee sourced to the authority that charges it Total cost shown — embassy, translation and courier included Reviewed 28 August 2026

South Africa has a document-specific fork

The DIRCO stage applies across the published civil and education routes, but a degree has an extra SAQA step. Do not copy the birth-certificate sequence onto a university qualification or assume that DIRCO alone replaces the certification the embassy names.

Build the submission around the DIRCO certificate

The UAE mission repeatedly names the Certificate of Authentication from DIRCO, not merely a stamp that looks official. Keep that certificate attached to the underlying record and include the embassy payment proof. If a courier is used, give it a copy of the payment proof as the embassy instructs.

Commercial sets need a document count before a price

The published AED 2,000 figure is per commercial document. A board resolution, certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles can therefore be separate billable documents. Send the scan requested by the embassy and ask it to identify the count before paying.

The process, step by step

For a degree, obtain SAQA certification

The UAE Embassy Pretoria specifically publishes SAQA as the first step for educational qualifications.

SAQA

Authenticate through DIRCO

Civil certificates go to DIRCO directly; a degree goes after SAQA. DIRCO issues the Certificate of Authentication required by the embassy.

DIRCO

Submit the authenticated set to the UAE Embassy Pretoria

Include the document, DIRCO Certificate of Authentication and proof of payment. The embassy says courier submissions must also carry proof of payment.

UAE Embassy Pretoria

Complete MoFAIC in the UAE

A foreign-issued document is finished through MoFAIC before use by a UAE receiving authority.

MoFAIC

Get the exact cost for your document

Tell us what you have and where it was issued. We reply with the route, a realistic timeline and the full cost — including the fees most quotes leave out.

Common questions

Does a South African degree need SAQA before UAE attestation?

Yes according to the UAE Embassy Pretoria’s current FAQ. It instructs applicants to have the qualification certified by SAQA, authenticate the certified document through DIRCO, and submit it with DIRCO’s Certificate of Authentication.

How do I attest a South African birth or marriage certificate?

Submit the original certificate to DIRCO for authentication. Then submit the document and DIRCO Certificate of Authentication to the UAE Embassy in Pretoria with proof of payment. MoFAIC is the final UAE-side stage.

How much does the UAE Embassy Pretoria charge?

The embassy publishes AED 150 per ordinary certificate and AED 2,000 per commercial document. It asks applicants to send a scan for a quote on the total commercial-document cost, so do not assume one document where a set contains several instruments.

Can DIRCO authentication be skipped?

No for the routes the embassy publishes. It states that civil documents cannot be attested without the DIRCO Certificate of Authentication, and names DIRCO in the educational route after SAQA.

Sources and last review

Reviewed 28 August 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.