Cost and timing
How long attestation takes in the UAE
Short answer
There is no single end-to-end attestation time. MoFA lists 1–3 business days through a provider inside the UAE, up to 15 business days through a provider abroad, and within 2 working hours for eligible UAE-issued digital documents. Earlier authentication, document preparation and any remaining delivery must be checked separately.
- Provider route inside the UAE
- 1–3 business days, depending on provider
- Provider route outside the UAE
- May take up to 15 business days
- Eligible UAE-issued digital documents
- Within 2 hours during official working hours
- Your complete timeline
- Depends on the remaining stages and selected route
Process map
Your route at a glance
- 01 Confirm the receiving authority’s checklist Employer, university, licensing body or other receiving authority
- 02 List the work still outstanding Issuing authority and relevant official services
- 03 Check the selected attestation route MoFA and the relevant UAE mission
- 04 Confirm collection, return and delivery Selected service provider
- 05 Review the deadline before committing
MoFA publishes 1–3 business days inside the UAE, up to 15 business days through a provider abroad, and 2 hours for eligible UAE-issued digital documents. Your total depends on the stages still ahead of you. Someone holding a fully authenticated document has a different remaining journey from someone who still needs a replacement certificate or an issuing-authority check.
The figures below describe named services. They are not a completion promise from EasyAttestation or a referral provider.
Published time for each stage
| MoFA route | Published duration | Scope to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Service provider inside the UAE | 1–3 business days | Selected provider and assigned route |
| Service provider outside the UAE | May take up to 15 business days | Mission, document and selected provider |
| Eligible UAE-issued digital document | Within 2 hours during official working hours | Supported document type and issuing authority |
Source: MoFA attestation service, checked 26 September 2026. For UAE-issued documents, the application assigns the route using the issuing authority and document type. A digital output does not mean every document qualifies for the two-hour route.
Published mission times (combined routes)
Some UAE missions run MoFA’s combined “one service, two attestations” route, where one application covers the mission and MoFA. Only a few publish a processing time.
| Mission | Published time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh — Dhaka combined service | Most requests 2–3 business days | UAE Embassy Dhaka, checked 27 September 2026 |
| Lebanon — Beirut combined service | 2–3 business days | UAE Embassy Beirut, checked 27 September 2026 |
| UK — London, documents by post | Up to 5 working days to process | UAE Embassy London, checked 27 September 2026 |
| India / Pakistan — New Delhi, Islamabad | No processing time published; courier return 24–48 hours after release (48–72 remote) | New Delhi and Islamabad, checked 27 September 2026 |
Where a mission publishes no time, use MoFA’s figure for attestation through missions abroad: up to 15 business days.
See what has changed since these times were checked in the fee and service change log.
A UK example: stage time is not the complete journey
GOV.UK lists standard paper legalisation as usually up to 25 working days plus courier or postage, and e-Apostille as up to two working days. It says processing may take longer, for example when a signature needs verification. Eligibility differs by document; check it before choosing the faster option.
The UAE Embassy in London’s digital service requires prior foreign-office legalisation and the physical document. Its process includes provider collection, a digital result carrying both Embassy and MoFA attestations, and return of the original. This is why we do not add a separate UAE stage automatically or turn the FCDO figure into a promised six- or seven-week total.
Example: a UK degree certificate
Only the published stages are listed:
- Notary or solicitor certification: UNKNOWN (privately set).
- FCDO standard service: up to 25 working days plus postage.
- UAE Embassy London: up to 5 working days by post, or the digital route, for which no time is published.
Total: not publishable — at least one stage is unpublished.
Check the route for your country of issue
Use the country guide to identify the authorities, then confirm the current service instructions and outstanding stages for your document. These links are starting points, not country-wide delivery commitments.
| Issuing country | Route guide | Ask before accepting a timeline |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | UK documents | Which FCDO format and mission route apply? |
| India | Indian documents | Which authentication stages remain, and which mission handles the document? |
| Pakistan | Pakistani documents | Which issuing-body checks remain before the mission application? |
| Philippines | Philippine documents | Which appointments, authentication and mission steps are included? |
| Egypt | Egyptian documents | Which local certifications and any translation work remain? |
Build your own deadline checklist
This is an editorial planning worksheet, not an official processing schedule. Copy one row for each document and ask the relevant authority or provider to fill the gaps.
| Record | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Document and intended use | Exact document, issuing country and receiving authority |
| Acceptance deadline | Date the usable document must be received, with any age or validity rule |
| Completed stages | Evidence of work already finished |
| Remaining stages | Each authority or provider still involved |
| Time evidence | Published source or dated written provider estimate; use UNKNOWN if unavailable |
| Start and finish of each estimate | Submission, collection, authority receipt, digital issue or physical return |
| Included transport | Which courier legs are covered; avoid counting them twice |
| Dependencies and contingency | What must finish first and what happens if further verification is requested |
Add confirmed sequential stages only. Record whether independent work can run in parallel; confirm that with the people handling it. A blank duration is an unresolved question, not a zero-day step. Keep a planning allowance for uncertainty, but do not describe that allowance as an official timeframe.
Questions to ask about an urgent quote
- Which stage does “urgent” refer to, and is my document eligible?
- Does the estimate start when I pay, when documents are collected, or when the authority accepts them?
- Does it end with a digital result or the return of my originals?
- Are issuing-body checks, appointments, translation and transport included?
- What happens to the price and expected date if more information is requested?
Keep the written answer with the quote. A faster service at one stage does not resolve an unconfirmed wait elsewhere. Use the cost guide to check whether the quoted price covers the same stages as the quoted timeline.
Schedule documents with acceptance windows carefully
For a police certificate or another document with an age requirement, ask the receiving authority what it will accept on the submission date. Do not automatically order it first or last. Work backwards from that requirement alongside the other stages. The police clearance guide and document checklist help identify questions to resolve.
EasyAttestation provides information and referrals. An independent provider’s estimate should be assessed against your document, route and deadline; it is not our service promise.
The process, step by step
Confirm the receiving authority’s checklist
Ask which documents and formats it accepts, the submission deadline and any document-age requirement. Record the answer before paying for processing.
List the work still outstanding
Use the relevant country guide and official instructions to identify preparation, authentication and mission stages. Mark completed work separately so it is not counted twice.
Check the selected attestation route
Read the current application instructions. Ask whether the service includes both mission and MoFA attestation and what starts and ends its processing window.
Confirm collection, return and delivery
Ask the selected provider which transport is included in its estimate. Record the date you need the usable attested document, not just an application acknowledgement.
Review the deadline before committing
Compare the remaining stages with your deadline. Keep unconfirmed times marked UNKNOWN and ask the receiving authority about alternatives if the date is at risk.
Document enquiry
Request an independent route assessment
Send the document type, issuing country and intended use. An independent provider may reply with the route and its own quote.
EasyAttestation is operated by Sandesh Solutions FZE. We provide information and referrals; we do not perform attestation.
Prefer to speak now? Call +971 50 304 7470
Common questions
Does 1–3 business days mean my whole attestation will finish then?
Can I rely on a six-week estimate for a UK document?
Does digital attestation mean I never send the original?
Can a provider guarantee an urgent completion date?
Should I order a police certificate last?
Sources and last review
- MoFA — current service routes and completion durations
- UAE Embassy London — digital attestation and physical-document collection
- UAE Embassy Dhaka — Digital Attestation, published completion time
- UAE Embassy Beirut — Digital Attestation, published completion time
- UAE Embassy London — attestation service, postal processing time
- UAE Embassy New Delhi — Digital Attestation, courier return time
- UAE Embassy Islamabad — Digital Attestation, courier return time
- GOV.UK — legalisation service times and eligibility
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.
Next steps
What attestation costs in the UAE→
Compare the scope of fees alongside the scope of processing times.