Document attestation in UAE is the legal process of authenticating official documents. It’s a mandatory procedure to be undertaken by all those who will move to UAE for residency, employment, education, or business expansion.
What are steps for official document attestation in UAE?
Notarization – this applies to corporate documents such as business contracts and invoices. The notarization carried out by a certified public/private notary in Dubai converts the private documents into public instruments. With this step, agreements are enforceable and signatures on the documents are verified for their authenticity. As soon as documents undergo notarization, they are stamped, sealed or signed by the public notary in Dubai, UAE, bearing a strong, solid poof of legitimacy. The notarization can be done by a public notary in Dubai, UAE or from a document’s issuing country.
Attestation by Ministry of External Affairs – Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attestation has to be carried out in order for any official document to be valid for use not only in a document’s issuing country, but also in UAE or any foreign country. The MEA is the apex body that has the authority in attesting documents issued by a country. The MEA will attest documents as per each applicant’s requirements. Prior to attesting documents, the MEA will authenticate documents with the process varying depending on their type. For education documents, they will undergo verification by the Education Department of the concerned union territory or state government. For commercial documents, they’ll be pre-authenticated by Chambers of Commerce from the issuing country. For non-educational documents aside from the corporate and educational documents, the pre-authentication will be carried out by the State Home Department.
Embassy attestation – this is the third step in attesting your official documents. Embassy attestation will be performed by the UAE embassy in each document’s originating or issuing country. The UAE embassy only accepts and attests official documents that have been pre-authenticated by relevant departments. Also, each type of document will be attested separately.
Attestation by UAE Ministry/Dept of Foreign Affairs – this is the last and final stage for proving the authenticity of documents. Should you complete this final step, your document will be considered legal for use in UAE. Take note: Ministry/Dept of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation is done in the UAE. To process MOFA attestation in UAE, there may be a need for an official translation of documents conducted by an official translator, as well as furnishing of supporting documents for the authentication of documents such as original certificate (already pre-authenticated by relevant local authorities) and passport copy of applicant.
What types of documents can be attested in UAE?
The documents that can be verified with regards to their authenticity through official document attestation in UAE, include the following:
Police clearance – must be the original document that was issued by the local police department or national bureau of investigation (note: personal copies are not valid)
Death, birth, and marriage certificates – must be original documents and issued by your country’s statistics authority or local civil register
School documents – diplomas, transcript of records, certified true copies, and training certificates can be authenticated
Professional licenses – must be from professional regulations commission from your home country (certified true copies are accepted)
Certificate of employment, training, and invitation letter – any document that is issued by private entities are to be notarized first
Power of attorney, contracts, memorandum of understanding and memorandum of agreement – they are to be signed by an executive judge at a regional trial court
Immigration documents – must have the certification of the issuing country’s Bureau of Immigration
UAE regulatory bodies require all documents that will undergo attestation to be in the original format, as well as in Arabic or English. In order for your documents to be considered eligible for document attestation, they are to have a certified English or Arabic translation attached.
What are important things to keep in mind with document attestation in UAE?
Keep in mind every consulate, embassy, or foreign ministry has its own sets of rules, including their hours of operation. Most require requests for certification as well to be accompanied with the specific documents for attestation. Religious and civic observances can affect the duration and speed with which each transaction is handled.
Legalization and authentication of documents in UAE can be very frustrating and time-consuming as there are several different state departments involved. Not to mention the fact that documents have to be shipped to a different country for verification. To increase the chances of your documents getting attested correctly, make sure you have the right people helping you.
Public notaries in Dubai like Notary Public Dubai offer attestation services to ensure that your application for attestation meets the different demands of authorities. For more info, call them today.
