On this page 5 sections
MOFA attestation is the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs certifying that the signatures and seals on a document are genuine. It is the step everyone hits when a degree, a marriage certificate or a power of attorney has to be accepted by a UAE authority, or when a UAE document has to work abroad. The fees are published and flat, the online route is fast, and the mistakes that cost people weeks are all avoidable. Every figure below is from the Ministry’s own attestation service page and its Attestations Guide, checked on 8 August 2026.
The published fee table
| Document type | Origin | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certificates: birth, death, court, police report, work experience, to-whom-it-may-concern, single-purpose power of attorney, fingerprint document and similar | Issued in the UAE | AED 150 |
| The same certificate types | Issued outside the UAE | AED 150 |
| Commercial documents: board resolutions, commercial agencies, capital changes, price lists, patent registration and similar | Issued in the UAE | AED 2,000 |
| The same commercial types | Issued outside the UAE | AED 2,000 |
| Invoice | Inside or outside the UAE | AED 150 |
Source: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Attestations Guide, checked 8 August 2026. The fee does not change with the country the document is going to, and it is per document, so five documents in one application are five fees.
Documents issued in the UAE
Sign in with UAE Pass, choose attestation services in the UAE, confirm the document was issued here, then pick the issuing authority and document type. The system then decides the route for you, and you do not choose it.
| Digital attestation | Courier attestation | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | UAE-issued digital documents carrying a verification feature (QR code, reference number or barcode) | Everything that does not meet the digital requirements |
| What you submit | The original digital PDF, plus the destination country | Contact and delivery details, and an approved courier |
| Turnaround | Within 2 hours, during official working hours | 1 to 3 business days, depending on the courier |
| How you get it back | By e-mail or through My Requests | The courier delivers the attested document |
Documents issued outside the UAE
These need the chain done in the right order, and MOFA is the last step, not the first. In the country of issue the document is attested by the competent authorities and then by that country’s foreign ministry; the UAE embassy or consulate there attests it next, and UAE missions charge the same AED 150 for ordinary documents and AED 2,000 for commercial ones. Only then does MOFA attest it inside the UAE. On the MOFA side you sign in, choose attestation through UAE missions abroad, complete the information, pay, and receive a confirmation with your application reference number.
The full country-by-country chain, including translation and where a Ministry of Education step is needed for degrees, is set out in our certificate attestation guide.
One step often assumed to be part of this chain is not: degree equivalency is a separate process, run by the higher education ministry rather than MOFA, and attesting the previous degree was dropped as a condition of it in 2023.
What gets applications rejected
MOFA states plainly that applications not completed correctly are rejected automatically, that the information entered must match the uploaded document exactly, and that an application cannot be modified after submission. Two more conditions come from the courier route: the document must be in Arabic or English or carry a certified translation, and it must not be laminated. Laminating a certificate to protect it is one of the most common ways to make it unusable.
| Condition | Consequence if ignored |
|---|---|
| Details must match the document exactly | Automatic rejection; no edit after submission |
| Not laminated | Refused at the counter |
| Arabic or English, or a certified translation | Refused |
| Maximum five documents per application | Split into several applications |
| Prior attestation abroad completed first | MOFA cannot attest an unlegalised foreign document |
Doing it yourself versus paying someone
For a single UAE-issued digital document, do it yourself: it is a UAE Pass login, AED 150 and about two hours. Paying an agent for that is paying for nothing. The case for help is the foreign chain: documents sitting in another country, a corporate set going to several destinations, or a deadline where a rejected application costs more than the fee. In our directory 27 firms cover PRO services in Dubai; 20 are recorded for translation and document support and 17 for chamber and ministry liaison, which is the work this involves. To be straight about it: 0 firms are recorded specifically under notary and attestation support, so name the document and the destination country in your request rather than assuming any firm on the list does attestation runs.
Outside Dubai the same work is priced differently: see PRO services in Fujairah.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MOFA attestation cost?
AED 150 for a personal certificate and AED 2,000 for a commercial document, the same whether the document was issued inside or outside the UAE. Invoices are AED 150. The fee is per document.
How long does MOFA attestation take?
Digital attestation of a UAE-issued document is returned within 2 hours during official working hours. The courier route takes 1 to 3 business days depending on the courier.
Can I do MOFA attestation online?
Yes. You apply with UAE Pass on the MOFA website or the smart app. For UAE-issued digital documents with a QR code, reference number or barcode, the whole thing is digital and the attested file comes back by e-mail or through My Requests.
Does MOFA attest a foreign document directly?
No. The document must first be attested in the country of issue by the competent authorities and that country’s foreign ministry, then by the UAE embassy or consulate there. MOFA is the last step.
Why was my attestation rejected?
The most common causes are details that do not match the document exactly, a laminated certificate, a document not in Arabic or English and without a certified translation, or a foreign document that has not been legalised abroad first. Applications that are not completed correctly are rejected automatically and cannot be edited after submission.
How many documents can I submit at once?
Five per application. More than that means splitting into several applications, each with its own fees.
Have a document chain that has to land by a date? Browse PRO services firms or describe your case and compare offers.
Official references used for context in this article.
Need help with this?
Submit a request and receive tailored offers from verified UAE business consultants. Free, no obligation.