Medical attestation is the process of certifying that a medical certificate, sick-leave note, or medical report is genuine, so a UAE employer, insurer, or government or visa authority can rely on it without having to verify the issuing doctor or facility themselves. Depending on where the certificate was issued, it is checked either through the UAE’s own domestic MOHAP system, or through the standard international UAE MOFA attestation chain.
If an employer’s HR team, an insurer, or a visa file requirement has told you a medical certificate needs to be “attested,” this guide explains what that term actually means, why UAE employment and visa processes ask for it, and which of the two paths applies to your certificate.
What Does Medical Attestation Mean?
Attestation, in general, is an official act of verifying that a document is authentic — that it was really issued by the body it claims to come from, and that its signatures and seals are genuine. Medical attestation applies that same idea to a medical document: a sick-leave certificate, a medical report, or a health certificate.
It does not re-examine the medical facts in the certificate — a diagnosis or a treatment note is not re-assessed during attestation. Instead, it confirms that the certificate itself is real — issued by a licensed doctor or facility, and not altered or fabricated — so that whoever is relying on it, whether an employer, an insurer, or a government department, does not have to independently verify the issuing clinic.
Why Do UAE Employers and Visa Processes Require It?
UAE labour law and most company HR policies require sick leave beyond a short period to be backed by a certificate from a recognised medical authority before it is approved and counted correctly against an employee’s leave entitlement and pay. Insurers similarly need to confirm that a diagnosis, treatment, or period of incapacity is genuine before approving a claim.
For visa and immigration files, a sponsor’s or dependent’s medical document sometimes has to be shown as genuine before a government department will accept it — particularly when the certificate was issued outside the UAE, by a clinic the UAE authority has no direct way of verifying. Because medical certificates can come from thousands of different doctors and facilities worldwide, attestation gives UAE employers, insurers, and authorities one verified, trusted checkpoint instead of asking them to assess each certificate on its own.
Is Medical Attestation the Same as the UAE Residence Visa Medical Fitness Test?
No — these are two different things, and it is one of the most common points of confusion. The medical fitness test that new residents complete as part of a UAE residence visa application (typically a blood test and chest X-ray at a GDRFA- or Dubai Health Authority-approved centre) is carried out and recognised entirely within the UAE. It is not a pre-existing document that gets attested afterward — it is a test performed and certified in-country, specifically for the visa.
Medical attestation, by contrast, is about validating a specific medical document that already exists — a sick-leave note, a medical report, or a health certificate issued by a doctor or facility, whether inside or outside the UAE. If you are being asked to “attest your medical,” it is worth checking with whoever made the request which of the two they actually mean.
How Is a UAE-Issued Medical Certificate Attested?
A sick-leave certificate or medical report issued by a UAE medical facility is attested electronically through the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MOHAP) own system, not through UAE MOFA. In outline: the certificate is submitted through the MOHAP website or smart app using UAE PASS, within one month of its issue date; leave of five days or less is generally attested electronically without further review, while longer leave needs sign-off from the emirate’s medical sub-committee (up to one month) or MOHAP’s Higher Medical Committee (beyond one month); and the attested certificate is then available to download once approved.
For the full step-by-step process, including the documents to prepare and the most common reasons an application is delayed, see our guide on how to get a medical certificate attested for UAE use.
How Is a Medical Certificate Issued Abroad Attested for UAE Use?
A medical certificate issued outside the UAE cannot go straight to MOHAP. It first has to pass through the same attestation chain used for other foreign personal documents: notarization or local health-authority verification in the issuing country, authentication by that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or an apostille, where applicable), legalization by the UAE Embassy or Consulate in that country, and finally UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UAE MOFA) attestation once the document reaches the UAE. If the certificate is being used as sick leave or a medical report, it is then referred to a MOHAP medical committee for review before it is certified for use with a UAE employer or insurer.
This is the same general attestation chain that applies to most personal documents in the UAE — see our explainer on what certificate attestation means for the fuller picture, or our step-by-step medical certificate guide for the documents each stage needs.
Who Typically Needs Medical Attestation in the UAE?
- Employees claiming sick leave beyond a few days, where HR or payroll needs a certified reason on file.
- Insurance claimants, where the insurer needs to verify a diagnosis, treatment, or period of incapacity before paying out.
- Job applicants and new hires submitting a health certificate as part of an overseas recruitment or employment file.
- Family visa sponsors or dependents, where a medical document issued abroad needs to be recognised by a UAE authority.
- UAE residents with a foreign-issued medical report who need a UAE employer, school, or government department to accept it as valid.
How Long Does Medical Attestation Take, and What Does It Cost?
For a UAE-issued sick-leave certificate, MOHAP’s own published fee is AED 50, and straightforward electronic applications that do not need medical committee review are typically processed within two working days; longer leave that needs sub-committee or Higher Medical Committee review takes longer. For a certificate issued abroad, timelines depend on the home country’s notarization and Ministry of Foreign Affairs stages — which vary widely by country — plus the UAE Embassy and UAE MOFA stages once the document reaches the UAE-side part of the chain. Because each stage and authority sets its own pace and fees, it is best to get a specific estimate for your certificate, its country of origin, and its intended use rather than relying on a general figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is medical attestation?
Medical attestation is the process of certifying that a medical certificate, sick-leave note, or medical report is genuine, so a UAE employer, insurer, or government authority can rely on it. It is carried out either through the UAE’s domestic MOHAP system (for UAE-issued certificates) or through the international UAE MOFA attestation chain (for certificates issued abroad).
Is medical attestation the same as the UAE's residence visa medical fitness test?
No. The medical fitness test for a UAE residence visa is carried out and recognised entirely within the UAE as part of the visa process itself. Medical attestation is a separate process that validates an existing medical document — a sick-leave note, medical report, or health certificate — rather than a visa-specific in-country test.
How do I get a UAE-issued medical certificate attested?
You apply through the MOHAP website or smart app using UAE PASS within one month of the certificate’s issue date. Leave of five days or less is usually attested electronically; longer leave needs review by the emirate’s medical sub-committee or MOHAP’s Higher Medical Committee. Our full step-by-step guide covers the documents you will need.
How do I get a medical certificate issued abroad attested for UAE use?
It has to go through notarization or local health-authority verification in the issuing country, that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication, UAE Embassy or Consulate legalization, and then UAE MOFA attestation once it reaches the UAE. If it is being used as sick leave or a medical report, it is then reviewed by a MOHAP medical committee.
How much does medical attestation cost in the UAE?
MOHAP’s published fee for attesting a UAE-issued sick-leave certificate electronically is AED 50. Costs for certificates issued abroad depend on the home country’s notarization and Ministry of Foreign Affairs fees plus the UAE Embassy and UAE MOFA stages, which vary by country — it is best to get a specific estimate for your situation.
Who usually needs an attested medical certificate in the UAE?
Employees claiming extended sick leave, insurance claimants, job applicants submitting a health certificate as part of a recruitment file, and family visa sponsors or dependents with a foreign-issued medical document are the most common cases.
This guide is based on the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s own published guidance on attesting medical leaves and reports, and on the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ documents-attestation process, both checked in October 2026. For the full step-by-step process, see our guide on how to get a medical certificate attested for UAE use, our Medical Certificate Attestation service, or the foundational explainer on what certificate attestation means.
Need a Medical Certificate Attested?
Whether your certificate was issued in the UAE or abroad, we handle the attestation process end to end — MOHAP, UAE Embassy legalization, and UAE MOFA attestation — so it is accepted the first time.
