Commercial invoices for goods imported into the UAE with a value of AED 10,000 or more need electronic attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), a rule in place since 1 February 2023. We handle that online process for you, and we also take contracts and agreements through the attestation steps they need.
Invoices and agreements both carry commercial weight, but MOFA treats them differently. A commercial invoice for imported goods is now attested electronically through MOFA's online system, and payment is due within a window that starts from the customs bill of entry date for the shipment. There is no counter to visit.
Agreements follow the classic route. A contract signed abroad, such as a distribution, agency or supply agreement, is attested in the country where it was signed, then by the UAE embassy there, then by MOFA. A contract signed in the UAE for use abroad goes the other way: the signatures are verified first, MOFA attests next, and the destination country may have further steps of its own.
The attesting is carried out by those authorities. We prepare the documents, file the requests, track deadlines and fees, and tell you what each step costs before you pay.
Businesses bringing in goods with invoices of AED 10,000 or more, including those who also need certificates of origin attested.
Firms presenting a distribution, agency or supply agreement signed abroad to UAE authorities, banks or partners.
Companies whose UAE-signed agreement must be accepted by a foreign authority or buyer.
Owners who want someone else to handle the online steps and deadlines while they run the business.
Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.
Agreements signed abroad may need a notary or other local step before the foreign ministry, which we confirm for your country.
Government fees, paid at cost
MOFA sets the fee for invoice attestation, which works differently from the AED 2,000 it charges for other commercial documents such as agreements. Late payment on an invoice request attracts a fine set by MOFA. We confirm the exact amounts before you pay and list them separately from our service fee.
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Quoted in writing before we start, so you know the full cost up front.
Timing
Invoice requests are handled online, so there is no travel or counter queue; the real risk is missing the payment window, which we track for you. Agreements signed abroad take longer because the home-country and embassy steps come first.
Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.
Share the document and tell us what it is for: clearing an import, appointing a distributor, or satisfying a bank or buyer.
We tell you whether the invoice falls under e-attestation, or which chain the agreement needs, and list every fee before you pay.
For invoices, we prepare and file the electronic request with MOFA. For agreements, we give you the home-country checklist or arrange the UAE steps.
MOFA completes the electronic attestation for the invoice, or attests the agreement once the earlier steps in the chain are done.
If the agreement needs Arabic, we arrange legal translation. We then confirm completion and send you the attested documents or record.
The two are easy to confuse. MOFA invoice e-attestation applies to commercial invoices for goods imported into the UAE and has run since 1 February 2023. E-invoicing is a separate system set up under a Ministry of Finance decision, starting with larger businesses from 1 January 2027. Being ready for one does not cover you for the other.
Most issues come from the document itself rather than the process.
Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.
Commercial invoices for goods imported into the UAE with a value of AED 10,000 or more need MOFA electronic attestation, a rule that has applied since 1 February 2023. Certificates of origin for those shipments go through the same system. Below that value, e-attestation is not mandatory under the current rule, but a buyer or clearing agent may still ask for it, so we check.
It is done online rather than at a counter. The request is filed through MOFA's electronic system, signed in with UAE PASS, and paid within a set window after the customs bill of entry date. MOFA then records the attestation electronically. We prepare and file the request, check that the details match the shipment and keep track of the payment deadline for you.
Yes. An agreement signed abroad is attested in the country where it was signed, by its foreign ministry after any local notary step, then by the UAE embassy there, and finally by MOFA in the UAE. MOFA's fee is AED 2,000 where the agreement is classed as a commercial document. If the receiving body needs Arabic, we arrange legal translation afterwards.
MOFA applies a fine to each invoice paid after the grace period that follows the bill of entry date. The amount is set by MOFA, and we confirm the current figure if it ever applies to you. The simplest way to avoid it is to file and pay promptly, which is why we track every request against its deadline.
MOFA's FAQs state that a flat fee of AED 150 plus service fees applies to commercial invoice attestation from 1 February 2023. You pay it through MOFA's eDAS electronic system within the 14-day grace period that starts on the bill of entry date; paying later adds a fine of AED 500 per invoice. Each shipment is filed as its own transaction. We confirm the amount shown on the portal before you pay and list it apart from our service fee.
Source: MOFA: document attestation FAQs
MOFA lists three exceptions: invoices that already carry a clear MOFA stamp, national purchases moving goods from one onshore area of the UAE to another, and third-country transit shipments. Moves from a free zone to onshore areas do not count as national purchases. MOFA also says no attestation is needed where the port of discharge is a free zone, and invoices for services, installation or zero-value advertising material do not have to be uploaded. We check each shipment against these rules.
Source: MOFA: document attestation FAQs
No. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) lists employment contracts and employment offers among personal documents, which it attests for AED 150, while a commercial contract or agreement, such as a distribution agreement, is a commercial document at AED 2,000. Embassy and home-country charges for a contract signed abroad are separate and paid at cost. We confirm how MOFA classes your document before you pay, and quote our own fee separately in writing.
Source: MOFA: document attestation FAQs
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Attestation is performed by the issuing authorities, the relevant embassy and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We handle preparation, submission and collection. Last reviewed 31 October 2026 by the Global Sky PRO team.