Documents Legalisation services in Dubai UAE

Apostille Services for UAE Clients

Although the UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (the UAE does not accept apostilles as a final legalization), our service helps UAE-based customers obtain apostilles for documents from other countries or for use in other countries. Here’s how we support you:

Foreign Documents Apostilled

If you are in the UAE and have a document from a Hague member country (e.g. a UK degree, a U.S. FBI clearance, an Indian marriage certificate) that you need to use in another Hague country or even initially for UAE processing, we can facilitate getting that document apostilled in its country of origin. Through our network of agents worldwide, we coordinate with the relevant government offices (such as the Secretary of State in the US, the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office in the UK, or Ministry of External Affairs in India) to secure a proper apostille quickly and securely.

International Use of UAE Documents

Because the UAE itself cannot issue apostilles (not being in the treaty), UAE-issued documents going to a Hague Convention country still require a different approach. Commonly, this involves UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) attestation of the document, followed by legalization by the embassy/consulate of the destination country in the UAE. (For example, a UAE company registration used in Spain would be attested by UAE MoFA then submitted to the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi for legalization, since Spain expects an apostille but accepts embassy legalization when an apostille isn’t available.) Our team will guide you through this and handle the liaison with the destination country’s local embassy as needed.

Expert Guidance on Apostille vs Attestation

We evaluate your specific case to determine if an apostille is applicable. In some scenarios, even if a country is a Hague member, additional steps might be required (or an embassy stamp might still be needed for certain types of documents). We ensure no mistakes in choosing the right process, sparing you from delays. Bottom line: if your document and destination fall under the Apostille system, we’ll obtain the apostille certificate on your behalf; if not, we’ll switch to the attestation route.

Important

Remember that since the UAE itself does not recognize apostilles alone for incoming foreign documents, any document apostilled abroad for use in the UAE will still require UAE Embassy legalization and UAE MoFA attestation. Apostilles are extremely useful for travel or business from the UAE to other countries that accept them, or between other countries – and we are equipped to handle those needs end-to-end.

Embassy Legalization & Consular Authentication (Non-Hague Countries)

Not all countries participate in the Apostille Convention. When your document’s destination is not a Hague Convention member, the embassy (or consulate) legalization route is required. The UAE is one such country, and there are many others (examples: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China, Canada prior to 2024, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and more). In these cases, obtaining an apostille is either not applicable or not sufficient; instead, the document must go through consular authentication a multi-step process culminating in the foreign country’s embassy/consulate verifying the document.

How Consular Legalization Works

If “the country where you want to use your document is not on the 1961 Hague Convention member list, you will need an authentication certificate and embassy legalization.” The general process involves:

• Notarization of the document or a certified copy (if required for that document type). A local notary public or solicitor verifies the document or the signatory’s identity.
• Local/State Authentication: Authorities in the issuing country certify the notary’s signature or the document. For example, a U.S. state’s Secretary of State will issue an authentication certificate for a notarized document if it’s destined for a non-Hague country. In India, state HRD or Home Department authenticate educational or personal documents, respectively, as a first step.
• Central/Federal Attestation: The country’s central authority (such as the Ministry of External Affairs in India or the U.S. Department of State) then attests or authenticates the document. This is analogous to an apostille in function, but since it’s for a non-Hague destination, it’s often called an authentication certificate instead. It certifies the previous seal (state or ministry) is genuine.
• Embassy/Consulate Legalization: Finally, the document is presented to the embassy or consulate of the destination country (the country where you will use the document). The embassy verifies all prior stamps and then adds its own legalization seal, making the document officially acceptable in the destination. This consular step is what we refer to as “embassy attestation” or consular legalization. At this point, the document is considered fully legalized.

Consular Authentication Services We Provide

Navigating the embassy legalization process can be complicated and time-consuming – it often means dealing with multiple offices in the correct order, plus varying requirements (different fees, forms, identification, timeframes) for each country. We provide end-to-end consular authentication services to take this burden off you.

We handle attestation of foreign-issued documents for use within the UAE, legalization of UAE documents for non-Hague countries, and even manage complex cases like documents from one country for use in another. Our team liaises with consular offices to ensure smooth processing and timely results.

Our services include guidance on notarization, certified translations, consular legalization, and handling multi-country attestation requirements, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.