Key takeaways
- Documents presented to UAE courts must be in Arabic or translated by an MOJ-registered legal translator.
- Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 has regulated legal translation since 2 January 2023.
- Translators may only work in the language pairs they're licensed for.
- The Rental Dispute Center accepts documents in Arabic or with a legal translation.
- Translation doesn't replace attestation: foreign documents usually need both.
When you need a legal translation
| Situation | Why |
|---|---|
| Court cases and memos | Courts accept documents in Arabic or translated by an MOJ-registered translator |
| Rental Dispute Center cases | Documents in Arabic or legally translated |
| Grade 12 equivalency from abroad | The UAE government portal says certificates must be legally translated and duly attested |
| Company documents | Foreign corporate documents used officially |
Rules translators must follow
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, the profession may only be practised after registration in the MOJ's list and a license from the competent authority. Each translator works only from and into their licensed languages, keeps clients' information confidential and holds professional liability insurance unless the translation house's policy covers them.
Translation and attestation: the right order
Attestation proves a document is genuine; translation makes it readable to the authority. For a foreign document, the usual order is attestation in the issuing country and by MOFA, then the Arabic legal translation, unless the receiving office asks otherwise. Some offices want the translation attested too, so ask before you start. See how MOFA attestation works.
Getting it right
- Send clear, complete scans, including stamps and the back of each page.
- Give the spelling of names exactly as in your passport.
- Tell the translator which authority will receive it.
- Check numbers, dates and names in the draft before it's stamped.
- Keep the original with the translation; offices usually want both.
We arrange translations by MOJ-licensed legal translators and check them with you before submission. See legal translation.
Sources
- UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 on the translation profession
- UAE government portal: civil cases
- Rental Dispute Center: register a first instance rental lawsuit
- UAE government portal: equalising high school certificates
Official sources checked on 7 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.