Taking UAE documents abroad
UAE education certificate attestation by authority
Short answer
Start with the UAE education authority responsible for the issuing institution, not automatically with MoFA. MoE maps Grade 12 records to ADEK in Abu Dhabi, KHDA in Dubai, SPEA in Sharjah, RAK DOK in Ras Al Khaimah and MoE elsewhere. UAE higher-education recognition through MoHESR is AED 50 per document. Destination legalisation, if required, comes later.
- MoE Grade 12 attestation/equivalency card
- AED 50; 5 working days (checked 28 August 2026)
- MoHESR UAE qualification recognition
- AED 50 per document; 3 working days (checked 28 August 2026)
- KHDA school certificate
- AED 120; 3 working days
- KHDA higher education
- AED 220; 2 working days; 2006–07 cut-off
- ADEK report card
- AED 15; from 2012 onwards (checked 28 August 2026)
Process map
Your route at a glance
- 01 Identify the institution and emirate
- 02 Use the responsible education authority MoE map
- 03 For a UAE higher-education qualification, check MoHESR recognition MoHESR
- 04 Ask the foreign receiving body what comes next
- 05 If legalisation is required, use MoFA after the UAE authority MoFA
The authority map
| Issuing institution | First authority to check |
|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi school | ADEK through TAMM |
| Dubai private school | KHDA |
| Sharjah school | SPEA (confirm the service with SPEA) |
| Ras Al Khaimah school | RAK Department of Knowledge (confirm the service) |
| UAE public school (ESE-run) | Emirates Schools Establishment, with MoFA attestation integrated at issuance |
| School in another emirate | Ministry of Education |
| UAE university licensed by MoHESR | MoHESR recognition service |
| Dubai higher-education institution regulated by KHDA | KHDA higher-education attestation service |
This is a routing table, not a claim that every destination demands every stage. Start with the body receiving the document abroad and work backward from its written requirement.
Ministry of Education attestation in Abu Dhabi: which body you actually use
For a school in Abu Dhabi, the attestation service is ADEK’s, through TAMM (AED 15, report cards from 2012 onwards). The Ministry of Education’s Grade 12 service card is the equivalency/attestation route it lists for other emirates. A university qualification goes to MoHESR, not MoE. MoFA comes after whichever of these applies, and only if the receiving body needs legalisation.
These figures were checked on 28 August 2026; the MoE, MoHESR and TAMM service pages could not be re-read on 27 September 2026, so confirm the fee shown when you apply.
Before you apply
- The institution is regulated by KHDA, ADEK or MoHESR (or the school falls under the authority in the map above)
- You have a UAE PASS login, which KHDA's services require
- The student is registered in the KHDA system, for a KHDA request
- You have the receiving body's written requirement for what it wants
Worked example: Dubai university degree going to Germany
KHDA higher-education attestation AED 220 (2 working days; ask KHDA whether the degree and transcript are one request) → MoFA AED 150 for the degree + AED 150 for the transcript → German Consulate General in Dubai, fees from EUR 31.20, cash in AED. Total before the German fee: AED 520. See Germany’s legalisation route.
Recognition is not the same as MoFA attestation
MoHESR recognition says the UAE qualification comes from a licensed, accredited institution and issues a QR-coded outcome. MoFA attestation certifies the signature and seal in the legalisation chain. A foreign evaluator may want neither, one or both.
The destination comparison is stark: an assessor in Canada may want the university to send records directly; UK ENIC accepts uploaded evidence; Germany publishes consular legalisation after MoFA. Buying all possible UAE stamps “just in case” can produce the wrong evidence and unnecessary cost.
The process, step by step
Identify the institution and emirate
The regulator follows the issuing institution, not the student’s current address.
Use the responsible education authority
Abu Dhabi: ADEK. Dubai private schools: KHDA. Sharjah: SPEA (confirm the service with SPEA). Ras Al Khaimah: Department of Knowledge (confirm the service). UAE public schools: Emirates Schools Establishment. Other emirates: Ministry of Education for the Grade 12 route.
For a UAE higher-education qualification, check MoHESR recognition
MoHESR publishes recognition of qualifications issued by licensed and accredited UAE institutions at AED 50 per document with a QR-code outcome.
Ask the foreign receiving body what comes next
Canada, the UK and Australia often use recognition or assessment rather than consular legalisation. Germany publishes a legalisation chain. Do not add MoFA automatically.
If legalisation is required, use MoFA after the UAE authority
MoFA publishes AED 150 per educational document and treats a certificate and transcript as two documents.
What it costs
| Item | Payable to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MoE Grade 12 service card Published service time: 5 working days. | Ministry of Education | AED 50 |
| MoHESR recognition of a UAE higher-education qualification All transcript pages count as one document in this service; published time 3 working days. | MoHESR | AED 50 per document |
| KHDA private-school certificate AED 100 plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation; 3 working days. | KHDA | AED 120 |
| KHDA-regulated higher-education certificate AED 200 plus AED 20; 2 working days. Documents before academic year 2006–07 are not attested. | KHDA | AED 220 |
| ADEK attested report card For report cards from 2012 onwards; published time 6 minutes. | ADEK/TAMM | AED 15 |
| Optional MoFA line shown by TAMM on the ADEK service TAMM labels MoFA optional. TAMM shows a single optional "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" line of AED 300; MoFA's own FAQ splits the same AED 300 as AED 150 MoFA + AED 150 UAE embassy abroad in its MOHAP and ESE examples. | MoFA route shown in TAMM | AED 300 |
This summary covers only the scope stated in this table. Unknown or excluded charges are not zero; confirm the full payable amount before accepting a quote.
Figures: MoE Grade 12 service card; MoHESR recognition service; KHDA school and higher-education attestation services; ADEK/TAMM attested report-card service; MoFA attestation service. · Checked 28 August 2026. Government fees change — confirm with the issuing authority before you pay.
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Common questions
Which authority attests a UAE school certificate?
How much does KHDA certificate attestation cost?
How are public-school certificates attested?
Can KHDA attest a Dubai university certificate issued before 2006?
How does MoHESR count a transcript?
Does an ADEK certificate automatically need the AED 300 MoFA option?
Sources and last review
- Ministry of Education — Grade 12 certificate/equivalency service
- MoHESR — recognition of qualifications issued inside the UAE
- KHDA — attestation of school certificate
- KHDA — attestation of higher education certificate
- TAMM/ADEK — attested academic certificate
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.