Document attestation and legal translation in Dubai
UAE authorities reject foreign certificates that have not been attested, and they reject non-Arabic documents that have not been legally translated. DLD’s inheritance service states that standard in public: documents issued outside the UAE must be attested, including by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant embassy, and a certified legal translation is required if the document is not in Arabic. THAJ coordinates attestation, legalisation and translation for Golden Visa, Green Visa and company files, and quotes after seeing the document.
When a file actually needs it
- Degrees for a Golden Visa skilled route, a Green Visa skilled or freelance route, or a regulated profession.
- Marriage and birth certificates for family sponsorship, and dependency papers for parents.
- Death certificates, probates and wills for inherited property.
- Corporate documents when a foreign company is the shareholder of a Dubai company.
An attestation done for a bank, or for a different country, is not automatically the set a UAE authority wants. We look at the filing you are about to make. Nationality pages for Indian, Pakistani, British and Sri Lankan applicants all point here, because the rule is the document’s, not the passport’s.
How THAJ handles it
See the original
A scan is enough to judge whether the paper can be attested. The authority may still want the original in the chain.
Name the filing
A degree for MOHRE is not the same pack as a birth certificate for DLD. The receiving authority decides the last stamp.
Attest, then translate if needed
Legal translation follows the language the authority will read. DLD asks for it when the document is not Arabic.
Quote, then send
Embassy, ministry and translator charges differ by country and by page count. They are billed as they are charged. THAJ’s coordination fee is in the same written quote. Nothing on this page is a flat “attestation package”.
Frequently asked questions
Do all foreign documents need attestation for a UAE visa?
The ones the authority asks for do. DLD’s published rule for overseas papers is attestation, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant embassy, plus a legal translation if the document is not in Arabic.
Can you attest a degree from India, Pakistan, the UK or Sri Lanka?
Yes, as coordination. The chain depends on where the certificate was issued. We quote after we see it. We do not publish one price for every country.
Is a translation enough without attestation?
No, when the authority has asked for both. A translation of an unattested certificate does not replace the stamps.
Do you translate into Arabic in-house as a law firm?
We coordinate legal translation for the filing. The translator is instructed for that document. THAJ is a corporate services provider, not a court.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Real Estate Inheritance Registration (fees, documents, foreign-document attestation) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Golden Visa application — Investor (fees, documents, terms) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — services — MOHRE
- Golden Residency Guide — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
- Green Residence Guide (page updated 12 September 2026) — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
Send a scan before you courier the original
We will say if this document can be used for the filing you have in mind, and what the quote covers.