Apostille Services in UAE
Apostille Services in UAE
Providing apostille services in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and 140+ countries.
Apostille system came into practice seeing the need for a more efficient system of attestation of documents. Many countries felt the need to eliminate the complicated process. Hence, to ease trade and movement between countries and entered into a treaty abolishing the lengthy process. This agreement is known as The Hague Apostille Convention.
The members of this convention agreed to simplify the legalization process and decided on a one-time authentication by the issuing country\u2019s authority which will be accepted by all the member countries. Usually, the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country issues the apostille. But UAE is not a member of this treaty yet and follows the legalization process.
Apostille Attestation: What It Means
An apostille is a single certificate, issued by the competent authority of the country where a document was issued, confirming that the document is genuine for use in other Hague Apostille Convention countries. It replaces the longer chain of embassy legalization between member countries. Depending on the country, it is issued by the foreign ministry, the ministry of justice or another designated authority.
Apostille and the UAE: Why the UAE Is Different
The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so UAE-issued documents are not apostilled. They follow the legalization route instead: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation, then the embassy of the destination country (see embassy attestation). In the same way, a foreign document that carries an apostille still needs UAE Embassy and MOFA attestation before it is accepted in the UAE. In the UAE system an apostille is one link in the chain, not the whole answer. The full sequence is explained in What Is Certificate Attestation?
Apostille Services in Dubai: What We Handle
- Apostille and onward attestation for personal documents such as birth, marriage and educational certificates
- Apostille and onward attestation for commercial documents (see commercial document attestation)
- Notarisation before apostille where the issuing country requires it (see notary attestation in Dubai)
- Collection, tracking and delivery of your documents, with free collection and delivery within the UAE
Apostille Services Near Me: Walk-In and Online Questions
Because an apostille is issued by the authority in the issuing country, there is no apostille counter in Dubai for UAE documents. What we do is manage the whole process for you: we confirm the route for your document, collect it from you anywhere in the UAE, complete each step and deliver it back. Whether an apostille can be requested online depends on the issuing country, and we will tell you which option applies to your document. See attestation near me in Dubai for the areas we cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is apostille attestation?
Apostille attestation is the certification of a public document with an apostille, a standard certificate recognised between Hague Apostille Convention member countries.
Is an apostille accepted in the UAE?
Not on its own. The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a document with only an apostille still needs UAE Embassy legalization and MOFA attestation before it can be used in the UAE.
Can UAE documents be apostilled?
No. UAE-issued documents are legalized through MOFA attestation and the embassy of the destination country, instead of an apostille.
How long does an apostille take?
It depends on the issuing country and authority. Tell us the country and document and we will give you an honest timeline before you commit.
What is the difference between apostille and attestation?
An apostille is one standard certificate used between Hague member countries. Attestation or legalization is the multi-step chain used for countries outside that system, including the UAE.
We can assist you with the documents moving between member countries of the convention. We provide apostille services for any kind of document from almost all the member countries. An end to end support system from the collection of your document till the delivery of the attested papers will be available to our clients, with an efficient tracking system and excellent customer service.
So send us your details now for a callback and free advice from our Experts!