Attesting UK Documents for the UAE
If a UK-issued document will be used in the UAE, its legalisation and attestation requirements depend on the document and recipient. UK public documents may first require an FCDO apostille, followed by attestation through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE Embassy in London. Confirm the route before sending originals. UK FCDO guidance and UAE Embassy requirements explain the official steps.
For documents needing review in Dubai or another UAE emirate, see certificate attestation in Dubai and confirm the issuing country, type of certificate and the receiving authority before proceeding.
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How does it work?
UK-to-UAE attestation depends on the document issuer and the receiving organisation. Confirm whether an original certificate, certified copy, notarial act or translation is needed. The FCDO legalises eligible UK documents, and the UAE Embassy in London currently offers a digital attestation route for UK-issued documents after FCDO legalisation. See current embassy instructions and request a document-specific quote.
Initial
Certification
Solicitor Certification
Not every UK document needs solicitor certification before legalisation. Birth, death and marriage certificates issued by UK public registries can generally be submitted as eligible original documents; other papers, such as some qualifications, powers of attorney and copies, may require a UK solicitor or notary to authenticate them first. Check the FCDO document-specific rules and recipient instructions.
Foreign, CommonWealth, and
Development Office (FCDO)
Apostille Legalisation
For eligible UK documents, the FCDO Legalisation Office verifies a recognised signature, seal or stamp and attaches an apostille. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal, not the contents or translation accuracy. For UK documents intended for the UAE, the UAE Embassy generally requires FCDO legalisation first. Paper apostilles may be necessary for civil registration documents. Check FCDO eligibility.
UAE Embassy
in London
UAE Embassy Attestation
The UAE Embassy in London offers digital attestation for UK-issued documents through the UAE MoFA online system, after FCDO legalisation. For eligible UK applications, the digital certificate is issued by the UAE Embassy and UAE MoFA; originals are collected and returned through an approved service provider. The process and format may differ for commercial invoices, certificates of origin or documents issued elsewhere. Check the current UAE Embassy attestation procedure.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UAE)
MoFA Attestation (UAE)
Whether any further action is required within the UAE depends on the route and document. Under the UAE Embassy in London digital-attestation process for eligible UK documents, the digital attestation issued through UAE MoFA is intended for use within the UAE. Check the receiving employer, university or authority for any additional document or translation requirements. UAE MoFA attestation service.
Translation
Translation from English into Arabic
Some recipients may require an Arabic translation as well as an attested UK document. The language, certification and whether stamps or attestations need translating should be confirmed with the recipient. Explore Arabic document translation services; translation is a separate stage from legalisation.
Reminders
- Birth, marriage or death certificates, and some other documents such as an ACRO certificate do not require the initial certification process as they MUST be processed on the original document.
- You may be advised that these documents have to be notarised by a Notary Public rather than a solicitor. This information is incorrect. We choose to use a solicitor for client documents as this is cheaper for you. If you prefer a notary to carry this out then we can arrange this for an additional fee. Whichever solicitor or notary is used, they must be registered with the FCDO otherwise there will be a delay processing the Apostille. Our solicitors and notaries are all correctly registered for your convenience.
- The UK legalisation office name changed from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2020. It was previously also known simply as the Foreign Office.
- Arabic translation is usually required for use in all emirates other than Dubai, and also if the document is to be used within one of the Dubai Free Zone authorities including (but not limited to) the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).
- The UAE Embassy in London will reject any documents that have been bound behind a Notarial cover sheet.
- When processing a UK birth certificate, it must be the long-form (A4) version that includes parent names on it otherwise it will be rejected.
- For any Power of Attorney (PoA) to be attested, these must be signed in the presence of an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary public to be valid. They cannot be witnessed by anyone else.
Requirements vary by the country that issued the document, the kind of document and the receiving authority. UK-issued documents follow a UK FCDO-led route; documents issued in other countries normally require legalisation through their own issuing country. We can help review instructions and quote where the requested service is available.
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