A passport with travel stamps
Attestation

Document verification in the UAE

Document verification means getting the body that issued a certificate to confirm it is genuine and says what it claims. We help you obtain that confirmation for an employer, a licensing body or ahead of UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation, and we check your documents for the problems that hold verification up.

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Overview

What document verification means

Verification answers one question: did the named institution really issue this document, to this person, with these details? Only the issuer can answer that with authority, so verification always goes back to the university, school, employer or government office that produced the document.

In the UAE, verification is built into attestation. For a document issued here, the issuing body confirms it first and MOFA attests after that; some birth, death and school certificates already carry digital MOFA attestation. For a foreign document, your home country's authorities check it before the UAE embassy and MOFA add their stamps. Some employers and licensing bodies run their own checks on top, contacting the issuer directly or through a screening company they appoint.

We sit between you and those offices. We get your documents into the state each checker expects, make the requests that can be made on your behalf and keep things moving until you have the confirmation you need.

Who it's for

Who it's for

  • 01

    Job offers that depend on checked certificates

    Employers often want verified degrees, diplomas or experience letters before they confirm a role or apply for a work permit.

  • 02

    Professionals applying for a UAE license

    Licensing bodies in regulated fields commonly verify qualifications and experience before registering a practitioner.

  • 03

    Anyone about to start attestation

    A verification check at the start avoids sending a document through a chain it cannot complete.

  • 04

    Companies checking documents they've received

    Businesses that want an issuer to confirm a certificate a candidate or partner has supplied, with that person's consent.

Our part

What we do, and what we don't

Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.

Included

  • A pre-check of names, dates, seals, signatures and page counts across your documents
  • Identifying who must verify each document and what they need from you
  • Preparing request letters, consent forms and application forms for issuing bodies
  • Submitting requests to UAE issuing bodies online where a representative can apply
  • Following up with the issuer and keeping you updated on WhatsApp or email
  • Taking verified documents on to MOFA attestation or translation if needed

Not included

  • We don't decide whether a document is genuine; only the issuer can confirm that
  • We won't process documents that appear altered or were not issued by the named institution
  • We don't run background or criminal record checks on people or companies
  • We can't make an issuer reply faster than its own process allows
Documents

Documents you'll need

  • The original document, or a clear colour scan for the pre-check
  • Transcripts or mark sheets, if the checker asks for them
  • Passport copy, and Emirates ID if you have one
  • A signed consent or authorisation for the issuer to release your details
  • The employer's or licensing body's request, showing what must be verified
  • Proof of any name change, if your current name differs from the document

Some institutions charge their own fee or use their own form, which we confirm when we contact them.

Fees and timing

Two fees, shown separately

  • Government fees, paid at cost

    Issuers set their own verification fees, if they charge one, and we pass them on at cost. When the next step is MOFA attestation, the ministry's fee is AED 150 for a personal document or AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Institution and government fees always appear apart from our service fee.

  • Global Sky PRO service fee

    Quoted in writing before we start, so you know the full cost up front.

  • Timing

    Verification moves at the pace of the issuer. Institutions with online records can confirm quickly; older or closed institutions take longer. We tell you what to expect once we know who must respond.

Process

How it works, step by step

Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.

  • You
  • Global Sky PRO
  • Authority

  1. Step 1: Share the document and the request

    You

    Send a scan of each document and the employer's or authority's request, so we know which checks are needed and by when.

  2. Step 2: Pre-check

    Global Sky PRO

    We review the documents for mismatches and missing elements that would stop verification, and tell you what to fix first.

  3. Step 3: Sign the authorisations

    You

    You sign the consent or authorisation letters the issuer needs before it can release information or deal with us.

  4. Step 4: Request verification

    Global Sky PRO

    We submit the request to the issuer, or prepare it for you to send if the institution only deals with the holder, and follow up.

  5. Step 5: The issuer confirms

    Authority

    The issuing institution or authority confirms the document, by letter, through an online record or with its attestation stamp.

  6. Step 6: Next steps

    Global Sky PRO

    We pass the result to you or the requesting body and, if attestation is next, take the document on through MOFA.

Good to know

Details that save time

Verification or attestation: which do you need

The two are linked but not the same. Verification confirms that a document is genuine. Attestation is the formal chain of stamps that lets a UAE authority accept it. You can hold a verified document that has not been attested, and the attestation chain itself begins with a check by the first authority.

Read the request carefully. If it mentions MOFA, the embassy or legalisation, you need attestation. If it talks about confirming with the university or primary source verification, you need verification. If it mentions both, we plan them together so the same document is not posted twice.

What holds verification up

Most delays are caused by details rather than doubts about the document.

  • Your name is spelled differently on the certificate and your passport
  • The institution has merged, been renamed or closed, so its records sit elsewhere
  • The issuer needs your signed consent and has not received it
  • Transcripts were requested but not included
  • The document is laminated or its stamps are unreadable
FAQs

Document verification: your questions

Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.

Still have a question?

An adviser replies during opening hours, Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00.

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What is document verification?

Document verification is confirmation, from the body that issued a document, that it is genuine and its details are correct. It can come as a letter, an online record or the issuer's attestation stamp. Employers, licensing bodies and the attestation chain all rely on it. We prepare the request, collect the consents the issuer needs and follow up until it responds.

When do employers ask for verification?

Usually before they confirm a role or apply for a work permit, and especially in regulated fields such as healthcare, education and finance. Some ask for attested certificates, some for direct confirmation from the university or former employer, and some for both. The offer letter or HR request normally says which, and we read it with you to plan the right steps.

How is verification different from attestation?

Verification confirms a document is genuine; attestation makes it officially acceptable in the UAE. Attestation runs through the issuing authority, the UAE embassy for foreign documents and finally MOFA, and the first link in that chain is itself a form of verification. An employer may ask for either or both. We explain which you need before any fee is paid.

Can you verify a document from a university that has closed?

Often, yes, but it takes more work. When an institution closes or merges, its records usually pass to another body, such as a successor university or an education authority. We help you find out who holds the records now and what they need from you. Expect this route to take longer than verifying with an institution that is still operating.

How can I check that a digitally attested UAE certificate is genuine?

Use the Document Verification option on the UAE PASS website, where you upload the document and check its validity. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) points to this route for digitally attested certificates issued by UAE government entities, such as school certificates and Ministry of Health and Prevention birth or death certificates. A valid result confirms the digital attestation; the receiving office still decides what else it needs. For paper certificates, we help you contact the issuer.

Source: MOFA: document attestation FAQs

What is primary source verification for a DHA license?

Primary source verification (PSV) is the Dubai Health Authority's check of your licensing documents directly with the organisations that issued them, and its manual says PSV can also be called document verification. DHA delegates PSV to a third-party verification agency. It covers qualifications, experience letters, licenses or registrations and good standing certificates, which must be no older than six months when you apply. DHA cannot process your registration until PSV is complete. We help you gather documents and consents.

Source: DHA: Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals, version 1.3

Can I verify a Dubai Chambers certificate of origin online?

Yes. Dubai Chambers has an online Document Verification page where you choose the document type, such as a certificate of origin, a membership certificate or a document attestation, and enter the details it asks for. When the record matches, a copy of the certificate is displayed as a PDF. This helps when a buyer, bank or authority wants to confirm a chamber document before relying on it. For documents from other issuers, we help you contact the issuer directly.

Source: Dubai Chambers: Document Verification

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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.

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