A certificate issued in the United States needs the US Department of State’s Authentication Certificate — not an apostille — before it can move on to UAE Embassy Washington, DC (via VFS Global) and, in most cases, a UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stage. This guide sets out each confirmed step, the US$20 State Department fee, the roughly four-week mail-in timeline, and what is still unconfirmed about the UAE Embassy Washington and MOFA stages.
What Is the Attestation Route for a US Certificate Used in the UAE?
For a document issued in the United States and needed inside the UAE (Direction A), the route runs through four stages:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Issuing step | Get an original or certified copy of the US-issued document (for a degree, diploma or transcript, confirm the institution is US-based and regionally accredited) |
| 2. US Dept of State Authentication Certificate | US$20 per document, mail-in only, about 4 weeks, via the Office of Authentications |
| 3. UAE Embassy Washington, DC | Document attestation has been handled by VFS Global since 21 August 2025; no fee or turnaround is published |
| 4. UAE MOFA (if required) | Whether a separate MOFA attestation is still needed after the Washington/VFS step, or is already bundled in, is not confirmed on either official page |
This is the Direction A route — a document issued in the US for use inside the UAE. If you instead need a UAE-issued document legalised for use in the US, see the Direction B section below.
Why Can't I Use a US Apostille for the UAE?
The United States is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so American notaries and secretaries of state do issue apostilles for documents going to other Hague member countries. The UAE, however, is not a party to that Convention. The US Department of State’s own guidance states the distinction directly: an apostille certificate is for documents used in a country that is in the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty, and an authentication certificate is for documents used in a country that is not. Because the UAE is not an HCCH member, a US apostille is not the correct certificate for UAE use — it needs the Authentication Certificate instead.
What Is the US Department of State Authentication Certificate?
The Authentication Certificate is issued by the State Department’s Office of Authentications. Per the Department’s own page, the service currently accepts mail-in requests only, the fee is US$20 per document request (payable by check or money order), and processing takes about 4 weeks from the date the request is received. Requests are mailed to: Office of Authentications, U.S. Department of State, 44132 Mercure Cir., PO Box 1206, Sterling, VA 20166-1206.
For a state-issued document generally, the Department’s own Authentication Certificate Requirements page lists these preparatory sub-steps in order: confirm the document is an original or certified copy with a date of issuance; have it notarized; if only a county notary is available, certify it through the clerk of court where the notary is commissioned; then certify it through the secretary of state where the notary is commissioned; then submit the authentication request itself (with Form DS-4194, fees and documents). The page does not state whether every one of these sub-steps applies to every document type — for example, an already-sealed vital record — so check the “Requirements” section of travel.state.gov for your specific document before mailing anything in.
How Does the UAE Embassy Washington, DC Attestation Step Work?
Unlike most other UAE missions — London, Riyadh, Jeddah, New Delhi, Cairo, Canberra and Beirut all run a UAE Pass “digital attestation” service — the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC follows a different process, and its own website is hosted at uae-embassy.org rather than a mofa.gov.ae mission subdomain like the others. Per the Embassy’s own “Personal and Educational Documents” page, all personal documents must first be authenticated by the US Department of State’s Authentication Office; since 21 August 2025, the attestation step itself has been handled by VFS Global (1025 Vermont Ave NW, Floor 2, Washington, DC 20005; phone 313-379-3053). The Embassy’s page does not publish a fee or turnaround time for this step, and it does not state whether a separate UAE MOFA attestation is included or still required afterwards — treat both as open questions until VFS Global or the Embassy confirms otherwise.
Does a US Degree, Diploma or Transcript Need Anything Extra?
Yes. For educational documents, the UAE Embassy Washington’s page requires the issuing institution to be US-based and regionally accredited — by NEASC, MSA, NCA, SACS, NWCCU or WASC, each confirmed through the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA, chea.org). A degree from a non-regionally-accredited institution is not addressed on the Embassy’s page, so confirm that separately before relying on this route. After attestation, some UAE employers, universities or free zones also expect the degree to go through the UAE Ministry of Education’s “University Certificates Recognition” system (which replaced the earlier “equivalency” system on 22 June 2023) — this is a separate process from attestation, and whether it requires the degree to already be attested is not stated on the Ministry’s own announcement.
Is There a UAE MOFA Attestation Step After the Embassy Stage?
Possibly — this is one of the least-confirmed parts of the US route. For most other countries’ UAE missions (Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, New Delhi), one application at the embassy covers the embassy step and UAE MOFA together. The UAE Embassy Washington’s page does not say either way whether its VFS Global intake already includes a MOFA stage, or whether a further, separate MOFA attestation inside the UAE is still required. If a separate MOFA step does turn out to be necessary, MOFA’s own FAQ page cites an individual-document attestation fee of AED 150 (undated, so treat it as indicative rather than current). Until the Embassy or MOFA publishes a clearer statement, confirm directly with Attest Dubai or MOFA before assuming either way.
What About US Police Clearance, Commercial or Medical Documents?
Neither the UAE Embassy Washington’s website nor the US Department of State’s pages name a specific chain for US police clearance certificates, commercial documents (board resolutions, articles of incorporation, commercial invoices) or medical/nursing certificates issued in the US. The general personal-document route above — State Department Authentication Certificate, then UAE Embassy Washington via VFS Global — is likely the starting point, but nothing document-specific is officially published for these categories at the time of writing. If you need one of these document types attested, share a photo with Attest Dubai on WhatsApp and we will confirm the exact requirement before you send anything to Washington.
What About a UAE-Issued Document Needed for Use in the USA?
This is the reverse direction (Direction B) — for example, a UAE-issued birth certificate that needs to be recognised in the United States. The UAE side of this is more established: a UAE-issued personal document generally goes through its UAE issuing authority (for a birth certificate, the Ministry of Health and Prevention) and then UAE MOFA’s digital attestation service, which MOFA’s own FAQ prices at roughly AED 300 all-in. What is not independently confirmed is the US side — no US government page was found stating whether USCIS, a state agency, a school or an employer requires any further authentication of a UAE-issued document, or what form that would take. Because this depends on the specific US recipient, confirm directly with whoever is asking for the document before assuming a particular chain applies.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take, and What Does It Cost?
Only a few figures are officially published, so treat anything beyond them as an estimate. The US Department of State’s Authentication Certificate is confirmed at US$20 per document, mail-in only, taking about 4 weeks from receipt. Neither the UAE Embassy Washington’s page nor VFS Global’s own site publishes a fee or turnaround for the Washington attestation step. If a separate UAE MOFA attestation also turns out to be required, MOFA’s FAQ cites an undated AED 150 figure for an individual document. Add courier time both ways — the mail-in State Department step alone typically takes longer than the UAE Pass digital missions, which can clear in hours — and build in extra time if your document needs a sworn translation into Arabic or English for the UAE side.
Who Needs This Service?
This route applies to anyone who needs a US-issued personal, educational or other certificate recognised by a UAE government department, employer, university, bank or free zone — commonly for a UAE employment visa, a family/dependent visa, university admission or recognition, or setting up a company. Attest Dubai tracks each step of your document (State Department authentication, UAE Embassy Washington/VFS Global intake, and any UAE MOFA stage that applies) and tells you exactly what is confirmed and what still needs checking before you send anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a US document need an apostille or an authentication certificate for the UAE?
It needs the US Department of State’s Authentication Certificate, not an apostille. The US is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but the UAE is not, so a US apostille is not the correct certificate for UAE use.
How much does the US Department of State charge for the Authentication Certificate?
US$20 per document request, payable by check or money order to the Office of Authentications, and the service is mail-in only.
How long does the State Department's Authentication Certificate take?
About 4 weeks from the date the Office of Authentications receives your request, according to the Department’s own page.
Where do I mail my document for State Department authentication?
Office of Authentications, U.S. Department of State, 44132 Mercure Cir., PO Box 1206, Sterling, VA 20166-1206.
Does the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC attest documents directly?
Since 21 August 2025, document attestation at the UAE Embassy Washington, DC has been handled through VFS Global, after the US Department of State authentication step. The Embassy’s own website does not publish a fee or turnaround for this step.
Will I also need a UAE MOFA attestation?
Possibly, but this is not confirmed either way. The UAE Embassy Washington’s page does not state whether its VFS Global step already includes UAE MOFA attestation or whether a separate MOFA step is still required — confirm with Attest Dubai or MOFA directly.
Does a US degree need anything beyond the standard route?
Yes — the issuing institution needs to be US-based and regionally accredited (NEASC, MSA, NCA, SACS, NWCCU or WASC), per the UAE Embassy Washington’s own requirement, confirmed through CHEA.
Can Attest Dubai complete the State Department step for me?
Attest Dubai manages the UAE-side attestation and advises on each US step, including the State Department and UAE Embassy Washington stages. Share your document on WhatsApp and we will confirm exactly what your specific document needs.
What about a US police clearance certificate or commercial document?
No document-specific chain for these is officially published yet for the US. Share the document with us and we will confirm the requirement before anything is sent to Washington.
I need a UAE-issued document recognised in the US — does the same process apply?
No — that is the reverse direction. The UAE side (issuing authority, then UAE MOFA) is established, but no US government page confirms what the US recipient (USCIS, a school, a state agency) will require, so check with them directly.
Sources and last reviewed: U.S. Department of State, Authenticate Your Document; Authentication Certificate Requirements; Office of Authentications; UAE Embassy Washington, DC, Personal and Educational Documents; Council for Higher Education Accreditation (chea.org); UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQs. Reviewed 10 November 2026.
See also: US Certificate Attestation (overview of all document types), Degree Certificate Attestation for UAE, How to Attest a Degree Certificate in the UAE, and What Is Certificate Attestation?
Need Help With Your US Certificate Attestation?
Share a photo of your document on WhatsApp and we will confirm exactly which steps it needs, from the US side through to UAE MOFA.