Taking UAE documents abroad

Using a UAE document in Germany

Short answer

German missions state that documents issued and authenticated in the UAE must be legalised before use in Germany. Complete the relevant UAE issuing-authority authentication, then MoFAIC, then German legalisation. The detailed page says legalisation is executed by the Consulate General in Dubai; a parent page also mentions VFS in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so confirm the current submission point.

MoFAIC required first?
Yes
German legalisation required?
Yes, for UAE certificates covered by the service
Published fee wording
From EUR 31.20, paid in AED
Published location conflict
Dubai Consulate vs VFS Abu Dhabi/Dubai
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Every fee sourced to the authority that charges it Total cost shown — embassy, translation and courier included Reviewed 28 August 2026

Germany is the outbound corridor that really uses legalisation

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia do not legalise UAE public documents through their foreign ministries. Germany does. Its mission publishes a service specifically for UAE certificates and names MoFAIC as the precondition.

That makes “the destination decides” concrete: the same UAE certificate can need German legalisation, a Canadian assessment, a UK comparison statement or only a translation depending on who will receive it.

Documents issued outside the UAE do not belong on this route

The German UAE legalisation service is for documents issued and authenticated in the UAE. A foreign certificate held by a UAE resident follows the authentication route of its issuing country. Living in Dubai does not turn an Indian, Pakistani or British certificate into a UAE document.

Translation is a separate receiving-authority question

Legalisation and translation perform different jobs. The consulate authenticates the UAE chain; a German authority may separately ask for a German translation. Ask whether the translation must be completed before or after legalisation and who may produce it. The mission page—not a translation agency—should be the starting point.

The process, step by step

  1. Ask the German receiving authority which original it needs

    Legalisation proves the UAE authentication chain; it does not replace a registry, citizenship, recognition or translation requirement.

    German receiving authority

  2. Authenticate through the UAE authority responsible for the document

    A UAE-issued document must first carry the appropriate issuing or governing authority authentication. The correct authority differs for health, court and education records.

  3. Obtain MoFAIC attestation

    German mission guidance requires prior authentication by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MoFAIC charges AED 150 per personal document.

    MoFAICAED 150 personal document

  4. Confirm the live German submission channel

    The detailed mission page says legalisations can only be executed by the Consulate General in Dubai. The parent services page says the service is available through VFS Global in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Confirm before travelling.

    German missions in the UAE

  5. Submit for German legalisation

    The mission publishes fees as starting from EUR 31.20, collected in AED. That is a floor rather than a universal price.

    German Consulate General DubaiFrom EUR 31.20 equivalent

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Common questions

Does Germany accept a UAE apostille?
No UAE authority can issue an apostille because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Germany’s UAE mission publishes a legalisation route instead: UAE authentication, MoFAIC, then German consular legalisation.
How much does German legalisation cost in Dubai?
The German mission publishes fees as “from EUR 31.20”. It does not publish one AED total for every document, and the wording is a minimum rather than a flat fee. Confirm the AED amount and accepted payment method before submission.
Where do I submit a UAE certificate for German legalisation?
Two current German-mission pages are not fully aligned. The detailed page says legalisations can only be executed by the Consulate General in Dubai; the parent services page says legalisation is available through VFS Global in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Confirm the live intake point before travelling.
Is there a deadline for registering a UAE-born German child?
German mission guidance says certain children may acquire German nationality retroactively from birth if their parents register the birth before the first birthday. That rule depends on the parents’ citizenship circumstances, so use the mission’s citizenship guidance rather than treating it as universal.
Does legalisation mean Germany recognises my UAE degree?
No. Legalisation authenticates the document chain. Academic or professional recognition decides what the qualification is worth for a German institution or regulated profession. Ask the receiving body which process it requires.

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.

Next steps

General UAE documents abroad route→

Authenticate UAE education documents first→

Degree recognition versus legalisation→

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