Canada Degree, Diploma and Transcript Attestation for the UAE
Why Canadian Degrees Need Attestation for the UAE
Attesting a Canadian degree, diploma or transcript for UAE use means Global Affairs Canada or your issuing province authenticates it, and the UAE Embassy in Ottawa then attests it by mail before UAE MOFA accepts it. Attest Dubai manages the full chain and the reverse direction for UAE-issued degrees headed to Canada. See our Canada Certificate Attestation page for other document types.
What Is Canadian Degree Attestation for the UAE?
Canadian degree attestation for the UAE is the process that makes a degree, diploma or transcript issued in Canada accepted by employers, universities and government authorities in the UAE. In the verified chain, your document is first authenticated — either by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for federal documents and documents from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon, or by the issuing province’s own authority in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. The authenticated document is then mailed to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa, which attests Canadian-issued educational documents.
Attest Dubai manages the UAE side of this chain and can guide you through the Canadian authentication step too. For the document itself, see our Canada Certificate Attestation page.
How Do I Attest a Canadian Degree Certificate for the UAE?
The UAE Embassy in Ottawa’s own FAQ sets out the route for Canadian-issued educational documents: your degree, diploma or transcript must first be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada or your issuing province’s authority, then mailed to the Embassy together with your original passport-sized photo, a self-addressed prepaid return envelope and the Embassy’s receipt. The Embassy attests only educational documents issued in Canada.
Sealed transcripts should be mailed directly from the registrar to the Embassy — the Embassy’s FAQ is explicit that an e-transcript is not acceptable.
What Does the UAE Embassy in Ottawa Require?
Personal documents — birth, marriage and death certificates, and police clearance certificates — follow the same route as educational documents: provincial or Global Affairs Canada authentication first, then mailed to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa. The Embassy’s own page does not publish a fee or a processing time for this mail-in service, and we have not found a confirmed digital attestation option for Canadian documents, unlike some other UAE missions.
We check every document against the Embassy’s current requirements before it is mailed, so a missing authentication step doesn’t delay your attestation.
Does the UAE Accept a Canadian Apostille?
Canada has issued apostilles since it joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024. The UAE is not a party to that Convention (confirmed on the HCCH’s own status table, last updated 30 June 2026), so a Canadian apostille is only the authentication step in this chain — it is not, on its own, accepted in place of the UAE Embassy attestation that follows it.
Global Affairs Canada’s own guidance for non-Hague destinations says a document ‘may need to be legalized after authentication’ at that country’s mission in Canada — which, for UAE use, means the UAE Embassy in Ottawa step above.
What Documents Do I Need?
For the standard route, you will generally need:
- Your original degree certificate, diploma or transcript (sealed transcripts should come directly from the registrar; e-transcripts are not accepted)
- Proof of Global Affairs Canada or provincial authentication (the apostille or authentication certificate)
- A copy of your passport
- A self-addressed prepaid return envelope, if you are mailing the document to the Embassy yourself
- An authorization letter or power of attorney if someone else — family, an agent, or Attest Dubai — is handling the submission on your behalf
We check your documents before they are mailed so a missing authentication step doesn’t cause a rejection later in the chain.
How Do I Attest a UAE-Issued Degree for Use in Canada?
Canadian law does not generally require a foreign degree to be authenticated before it is accepted, so most UAE graduates can start directly with the Canadian institution, employer, regulator or credential-assessment body (such as WES) that is asking for the degree — Global Affairs Canada authenticates only documents issued in Canada.
Where a recipient does ask for authentication, the Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi has stated that a UAE-issued document must be certified by UAE MOFA before the Embassy will authenticate it. Start with UAE MOFA attestation of your degree, then contact the Embassy of Canada to confirm whether its own authentication is still needed for your situation.
Who Needs This?
This service is for:
- UAE residents applying for a job, further study, or professional licensing in the UAE with a Canadian-issued degree
- Graduates of Canadian universities and colleges who need their qualification recognised by a UAE employer, university or government authority
- Employers and universities in the UAE verifying a candidate’s Canadian qualification
- UAE graduates whose Canadian employer, institution or credential-assessment body asks for proof their degree is genuine
How Long Does It Take and What Does It Cost?
Global Affairs Canada’s own authentication service is free, though its requirements page does not publish a current processing time and refers applicants to a separate page for that figure; a provincial authority may charge its own fee. The UAE Embassy in Ottawa does not publish a fee or processing time for the mail-in attestation step that follows, and we have not found a current, official figure for the whole chain.
Tell us your situation and we’ll give you a clear, itemised quote and a realistic timeline before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to attest my Canadian degree before working in the UAE?
In most cases, yes — if a UAE employer, government authority or university asks for it. Your degree needs Global Affairs Canada or provincial authentication, then UAE Embassy in Ottawa attestation by mail, before it is accepted.
Is a Canadian apostille enough for UAE use?
No. Canada is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but the UAE is not a party to that Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted for UAE use. It is only the first step — Global Affairs Canada or provincial authentication — before the UAE Embassy in Ottawa attestation.
Can I submit a photocopy of my degree certificate?
No. Global Affairs Canada’s authentication service does not accept photocopies, and the UAE Embassy in Ottawa’s process works from the original, authenticated document.
Can I use an electronic transcript (e-transcript)?
No. The UAE Embassy in Ottawa’s own FAQ states that an e-transcript is not acceptable — sealed paper transcripts must be mailed directly from the registrar.
Which authority authenticates my document: Global Affairs Canada or my province?
It depends on where the document was issued. Global Affairs Canada authenticates federal documents and documents from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan each authenticate documents issued in that province themselves.
How long does the whole process take?
It depends mainly on how quickly the Canadian authentication step is completed before the document reaches the UAE Embassy in Ottawa. Neither Global Affairs Canada nor the Embassy publishes a combined total processing time for this chain.
Can Attest Dubai handle the Canadian authentication step for me?
We coordinate the full chain, including guiding you through the Global Affairs Canada or provincial authentication step, and we handle the UAE Embassy in Ottawa attestation and any further UAE-side needs.
I have a UAE degree and need it recognised in Canada. Where do I go?
Canadian law does not generally require authentication of a foreign degree, so start with the Canadian institution, employer or credential-assessment body that is asking for it. If authentication is specifically requested, the Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi requires UAE MOFA attestation of the degree first.
Do I need a certified translation of my degree?
If your degree isn’t in English or French, a certified translation is generally required alongside authentication and attestation. We provide certified translation as part of our service.
Does a diploma or transcript follow the same process as a degree certificate?
Yes. Diplomas and transcripts generally follow the same Global Affairs Canada/provincial authentication to UAE Embassy in Ottawa chain as degree certificates, though sealed transcripts must come directly from the registrar.
Sources and last review: UAE Embassy Ottawa, FAQs; Global Affairs Canada, Document Authentication Requirements; Embassy of Canada, Abu Dhabi; IRCC, Police Certificates: United Arab Emirates; HCCH Apostille Convention status table (last updated 30 June 2026). Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
Need Your Canadian Degree Attested for the UAE?
Send us a photo of your degree, diploma or transcript on WhatsApp and tell us where it needs to go. We’ll confirm the attestation chain, give you a free quote, and arrange free pickup anywhere in the UAE.