Legal update: Attestation of documents

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (“MoFA”) now provides online attestation services, including the legalization process of ordinary certificates issued inside and outside the UAE. This encompasses educational and medical certificates, marriage and divorce contracts, powers of attorney, commercial contracts and agreements, etc.

To submit and pay for an application for any of the above services, you must first complete the online registration on MoFA’s website.

The following is a step by step guide of the attestation process:
1. Register with MoFA
2. Submit your application with copy of the document to be attested.
3. Review of application by the UAE Embassy/Customer Happiness Centers within the UAE and issuance of the approval to the customer pending payment.
4. Pay the fees online. The price depends on the type of document.
5. After completing payment, log on to MoFA's website and contact Emirates Post to pick up the original documents and a copy of the proof of payment. MoFA will then attest the original documents received and notify the applicant via email and/or SMS upon completion. Emirates Post will then contact the applicant to schedule delivery.