Attestation is the step that decides whether your family arrives with you or three months later. It is slow, it happens mostly in your home country, and it cannot be rushed from Dubai. Start it the week you accept the offer.
Why the UAE asks for this
The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. That single fact changes everything for a European: the apostille you are used to is not enough on its own. UAE-bound documents go through consular attestation instead, which means more steps and more waiting.
The three-step chain for a European document
- Authentication in the country of issue — by the competent authority there (typically the relevant ministry or designated body).
- Attestation by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country.
- Final attestation by MOFAIC, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once you are here. Reported fee: AED 150 per personal document, plus courier charges of roughly AED 31.50–150.
MOFAIC’s own processing is fast — reported at zero to three business days — so when people say attestation takes months, they mean steps one and two, in Europe.
Which documents you actually need
- Degree certificate — for employment visas in regulated professions, and for certain permits.
- Marriage certificate — to sponsor a spouse.
- Birth certificates — to sponsor children, and for school enrolment.
- Police clearance or good conduct certificate — required for some roles and permits.
Requirements differ by employer, free zone and emirate. Ask your employer’s PRO exactly which documents they will demand, in writing, before you pay anyone to attest anything.
The mistake that costs three months. Leaving Europe without attested marriage and birth certificates. Once you are in Dubai, getting a document authenticated in your home country means posting originals abroad, or paying an agent, and waiting. Do it while you are still there.
Practical rules
- Originals, unlaminated. Laminated certificates are commonly rejected.
- Translation by an approved translator. Documents not in Arabic or English need a certified translation from a Ministry of Justice-approved translator.
- Do the whole family at once. The marginal cost of attesting a second birth certificate on the same trip is small; a second round trip is not.
- Scan everything before you send it. Keep a cloud folder of every attested page. You will be asked for them repeatedly — visa, school, bank.
- Check validity windows. Some documents, such as police clearance certificates, are only accepted within a limited period of issue.
Where it fits in the sequence
Attestation runs in parallel with everything else, which is why starting early is free and starting late is expensive. The chain that depends on it: family visa, school enrolment, and in some cases your own employment permit. See the residence visa routes and school admissions.
Fees, processing times and document requirements are set by MOFAIC, UAE missions abroad and the authorities in your home country, and they change. Figures cited are publicly reported 2026 estimates. Confirm current requirements before submitting documents. General information, not legal advice.