Document Legalisation in the UAE
Apostille, MOFA attestation, and notarisation for personal and corporate documents. We manage the full chain on your behalf.
- Turnaround1-5 Business Days
- Coverage50+ Document Types
- ProcessFully Managed
What We Legalise
We handle all major document categories for personal, professional, and corporate use. Each document type follows a specific chain of authorities.
Foreign Documents for UAE
Academic certificates, birth and marriage records, court orders, and medical documents issued abroad and required for use in the UAE
UAE Documents for Use Abroad
Trade licences, corporate certificates, notarised POAs, and personal documents issued in the UAE and required in another country
Corporate Documents
Company incorporation documents, MOA, shareholder resolutions, and board certificates requiring international attestation for cross-border transactions
When You Need Document Legalisation
Relocation
For those moving to the UAE or relocating abroad
- Moving to the UAE with foreign education credentials
- Sponsoring family members with overseas birth certificates
- Registering a marriage or divorce from another country
- Proving legal identity for UAE residency purposes
Employment
For professionals submitting credentials to a UAE employer
- Attesting academic qualifications for a UAE employer
- Submitting professional certificates to a licensing authority
- Verifying a foreign police clearance certificate
Business
For companies needing attested documents for cross-border operations
- Opening a corporate bank account in another country
- Registering a subsidiary or branch abroad
- Signing international contracts with attested company documents
Legal and Inheritance
For those managing cross-border legal matters
- Enforcing a UAE court judgment in another jurisdiction
- Distributing assets from a cross-border estate
- Recognizing a foreign divorce or guardianship order in the UAE
How Document Legalisation Works
A structured chain of authority steps. We manage each stage and track your documents through the full process.
- 1
Document Assessment
We review your document, identify the required legalisation path, and confirm which authorities need to sign off.
- 2
Notarisation
Where required, the document is notarised by a licensed UAE notary or the relevant authority in the country of origin.
- 3
Apostille or Ministry Attestation
Documents for Hague Convention countries receive an apostille. All others go through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation chain.
- 4
Embassy Legalisation
For countries outside the Hague Convention, the document is submitted to the relevant embassy or consulate for final legalisation.
- 5
Certified Translation
If the destination country requires the document in its official language, we arrange certified legal translation alongside the legalisation.
- 6
Delivery
The fully legalised document is returned to you in the format required by the receiving authority.
Document Legalisation: What You Need to Know
Apostille vs Attestation
The UAE joined the Hague Apostille Convention in January 2021. Documents destined for any of the 100+ member countries now receive an apostille rather than going through a full embassy chain. This significantly reduces processing time for the most common cross-border document needs. For countries outside the Convention, the standard attestation route applies: notarisation, MOFA certification, and embassy legalisation in sequence.
The Role of MOFA
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the central authority in the local legalisation chain. It certifies documents after notarisation and before embassy submission where required. MOFA attestation is a mandatory step for any UAE-issued document intended for official use in another country. The authority also handles incoming foreign documents requiring certification for UAE purposes.
Academic and Professional Certificates
Education credentials are among the most frequently legalised documents in the UAE. Qualifications issued abroad must be attested through the issuing country's Ministry of Education and then through MOFA before they are accepted by UAE employers, licensing bodies, or government authorities. The process varies depending on the country of issue.
Corporate Document Legalisation
Companies operating across borders regularly need attested copies of their incorporation documents, trade licences, and board resolutions. Banks, foreign registries, and government bodies in many countries will not process applications without legalised corporate documents. Timing is critical: legalisation typically needs to happen within a specific window before document submission.
Translation Requirements
Several destination countries require documents in their official language before accepting them. The translation must be performed by a translator certified by the relevant authority in the destination country, or in some cases by a UAE court-certified translator. Legalisation and translation are often processed in parallel to reduce total turnaround time.
Let’s Discuss Your Case
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an apostille and MOFA attestation?
An apostille is a standardised certificate accepted by all countries that have signed the Hague Convention. MOFA attestation is the UAE government's certification step used for countries outside the Convention. Both confirm the authenticity of a document, but they serve different legal frameworks and are not interchangeable.
Does the UAE accept apostilles on foreign documents?
Yes. Since joining the Hague Convention in 2021, the UAE recognises apostilles issued by other member countries. Documents from the UK, Germany, France, India, and other member states no longer require the full embassy chain for UAE purposes.
How long does the legalisation process take?
Standard processing takes three to seven business days depending on document type, origin country, and the authorities involved. Urgent processing is available for most document types. We confirm the expected timeline after reviewing your specific document.
Do I need to be in the UAE for my documents to be legalised?
No. We manage the full process remotely. You send us the documents and we handle submission, tracking, and return. Where the document originates abroad, we coordinate with agents in the country of origin.
Can you legalise documents that are not in English or Arabic?
Yes. We work with documents in any language and arrange certified translation where required by the receiving authority. Translation and legalisation are coordinated together to avoid delays.
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Share your contact details and we’ll reach out to discuss how we can help