Key takeaways
- MOFA Verify (verify.mofa.gov.ae) checks digitally attested documents by reference number and issue date, QR scan or PDF upload.
- A digital attestation sits on the document's last page, with the reference number, date, amount paid and a verification element.
- MOFA also points to UAE PASS for digitally attested government certificates; for a paper attestation, ask MOFA on 80044444.
- MOFA emails status updates, and you can track an application on the MOFA website or app, or on MOFA Verify.
- Attestation confirms the stamps and signatures, not the certificate's content; only the issuer can confirm that.
Where to check a MOFA attestation online
These checks are built for digital attestations: MOFA Verify says its scan and upload check is for digitally attested documents only.
| What you have | Where to check | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Reference number and issue date of a digital attestation | MOFA Verify, Document Status | Enter both to confirm the attestation |
| A digitally attested PDF or its QR code | MOFA Verify | Upload the PDF or scan the QR code |
| Digitally attested certificate from a UAE government entity | UAE PASS website | Click "verify the document" and upload it |
| Paper attestation done through a courier | MOFA customer service, 80044444 | Ask how to verify it |
| An application still in progress | MOFA website or app with UAE PASS, or Application Status on MOFA Verify | Check the status of your request |
MOFA says a digital attestation isn't an electronic copy of a paper stamp: it's applied to the document itself and shown on the last page, with the reference number, attestation date, amount paid and a verification element.
Step by step: verify a digitally attested document
- 1. Find the reference number and date. On a digitally attested PDF, they're on the attestation page at the end of the document.
- 2. Open MOFA Verify. MOFA's attestation page links to it as Document Verification After Attestation, at verify.mofa.gov.ae. It doesn't need an account.
- 3. Enter the reference number and issue date exactly as they're printed.
- 4. Or scan or upload. MOFA Verify can scan the QR code or take the PDF; UAE PASS and MOFA's Document Verification page (Verified or Not Verified) also accept uploads.
- 5. Compare the result with the document you were given. If the details don't line up, don't rely on it until the issuer or MOFA confirms it.
MOFA's digital attestation rules don't treat a scan, photo or manually created copy as an original digital document, so check the original PDF.
How to track an attestation application's status
MOFA emails status updates to your registered address, and you can see the status on the MOFA website or app, signed in with UAE PASS. MOFA's user guide shows applications tracked in My Workspace by tracking number or submission date. MOFA's FAQs say request IDs start with ATS-, and digital applications may start with DATS. On MOFA Verify, Application Status finds an application by its number and registered mobile, with an OTP.
| What you're tracking | Where to look |
|---|---|
| A MOFA attestation application | Status emails, My Workspace on the MOFA website or app, or Application Status on MOFA Verify |
| The courier carrying your original | The email or WhatsApp tracking notification sent once the courier has it |
| A completed digital attestation | My Requests, the completion email, or Document Status on MOFA Verify |
| A birth or death certificate attested through MOHAP | MOHAP's notification; MOHAP's call centre for delays |
| A public school certificate attested at issue | Emirates Schools Establishment's notification and call centre |
Digitally attested birth, death and school certificates
MOFA lists nine types that go only through digital attestation when issued as eligible digital documents by a supported UAE government issuer. They include birth, death and police clearance certificates, educational documents, medical reports, powers of attorney, court documents and civil status certificates, each carrying a verification mechanism such as a QR code, barcode or reference number.
When you issue a birth or death certificate through MOHAP's digital channels, you can add MOFA's digital attestation at the same time. The certificate then carries the digital seals of MOHAP, MOFA and the UAE Embassy in the destination country, for a total of AED 300 (AED 150 each for MOFA and the embassy) at the time of writing. MOFA's FAQs send you to UAE PASS to check these certificates. See birth certificate attestation for a family visa.
If a check fails, and what it doesn't prove
- If MOFA Verify shows Document Not Verified, double-check the reference number and that the document uploaded completely, as its FAQs advise.
- Make sure the PDF is complete. MOFA says not to use a download that's missing the attestation page; download it again and open the latest version.
- Still stuck? Contact MOFA customer service on 80044444 with the application reference number.
- If someone else gave you the document, ask them for the original PDF or the reference number, and don't rely on it until it checks out.
Employers and banks: MOFA Verify names individuals and government entities as its users and needs no account, and MOFA describes no separate channel for private employers or banks. Share the reference number and issue date, or the PDF.
A valid result confirms the attestation, not the certificate behind it. The UAE government portal says attestation verifies the authenticity of a stamp and signature on a document. Whether a degree was really earned, or a certificate's details are right, is for the issuing body to confirm. That's what document verification covers.
How Global Sky PRO helps
We prepare and submit MOFA attestation requests and check the status for you until the document is back. We don't attest documents ourselves: the issuing bodies, UAE embassies and MOFA do, and the decision is theirs. For the full application process, see how to attest documents from MOFA and our attestation services.
Sources
- MOFA: documents attestation service
- MOFA: FAQs
- MOFA Verify: digital document verification
- MOFA: document verification service
- MOFA: list of documents available for digital attestation
- MOFA: documents attestation user guide
- UAE government portal: preparing to work
Official sources checked on 9 November 2026. This guide explains published rules in plain English and is not legal or tax advice. Rules change; we check the current position for your case before you act.