Apostille vs attestation: what the UAE accepts

What an apostille is

The Apostille Convention, formally the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, replaces embassy legalisation with a single certificate. A competent authority in the country where the document was issued adds it, on the document itself or on an attached sheet called an allonge.

An apostille certifies the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted and, where relevant, the seal or stamp. It applies only when a document issued in one contracting state is used in another. Documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents, and administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, fall outside the Convention.

Apostille vs attestation at a glance

In short: an apostille is one stamp that works between member countries. The UAE asks for a chain of stamps that ends at MOFA.

Is the UAE part of the Apostille Convention?

No. The HCCH status table, last updated 30 June 2026, lists 130 contracting parties, and the UAE isn't one of them. Several GCC neighbours are, as are countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

An apostille from any of these countries doesn't change what UAE authorities ask for.

What the UAE asks for instead

MOFA sets out the chain for a document issued outside the UAE:

• 1. Home-country stage. The issuing country's foreign ministry attests the original, after any notary or issuing-body step that country needs.
• 2. UAE embassy or consulate. The UAE mission in the issuing country attests it. You apply as that mission specifies: online, by post (London, for example) or in person.
• 3. MOFA in the UAE. The original is attested through the MOFA website or app. MOFA's FAQ lists AED 150 per personal and AED 2,000 per commercial document (invoices priced by value) at the time of writing.

For the MOFA stage in detail, see how to attest documents from MOFA.

When an apostille is part of the home-country stage

Each country runs its own first stage. The UAE Embassy in London says UK documents must be attested by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The FCDO's Legalisation Office checks the signature, stamp or seal against its records and attaches an apostille. For a UK document, the FCDO apostille, after any solicitor or notary step, comes before the UAE Embassy and MOFA.

India works differently. Its Ministry of External Affairs issues apostilles for Convention members and a separate attestation for countries that aren't members. The UAE isn't on the HCCH list, so India's separate attestation applies. Ask the UAE mission in the issuing country which home-country stamp it expects before you start.

UAE documents going to apostille countries

The UAE can't issue apostilles, because only a contracting state's competent authority issues them. A UAE document for use abroad must first be certified or attested by the relevant competent authority, where that applies, then by MOFA. Digital Attestation covers only supported digital documents from approved UAE government entities.

If you use MOFA's Digital Attestation, it may ask where attestation will be completed. For some destinations you can choose: MOFA attestation only, with any further step done separately at the destination country's embassy or consulate in the UAE, or MOFA plus the UAE embassy or consulate responsible for that country, in one application. You can't change the option after you submit, so confirm what the receiving authority accepts first.

We check which stamps your document already has, then prepare and submit the MOFA request and follow it up; the authorities do the attesting. See attestation services and personal certificate attestation.