Key takeaways
- MOFA attests only documents that already carry the earlier stamps the chain needs.
- Fees: AED 150 per personal document, AED 2,000 per commercial document.
- Individuals apply with UAE PASS on the MOFA website or app; companies use a company account.
- MOFA lists 1 to 3 business days for courier-based attestation inside the UAE, and within 2 hours for eligible UAE-issued digital documents.
- The UAE isn't party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille doesn't replace the embassy and MOFA stages.
Before you apply: check the earlier stamps
MOFA is the last stage, not the first. A foreign document normally passes through the issuing country's foreign ministry and the UAE embassy or consulate there before MOFA will attest it. A UAE-issued document is attested by the body that issued it first, unless it's a digital government document or was attested electronically.
MOFA wants the original, not laminated, in English or Arabic or with an official translation. Look at the back of the document: some stages may already be done.
Step by step: attesting at MOFA online
- 1. Sign in. Individuals use UAE PASS on the MOFA website or the UAE MOFA app; companies log in with a company account.
- 2. Choose the document type and issuing authority carefully; choosing the wrong one is a common reason for rejection.
- 3. Add your documents. You can include up to five documents that use the same attestation method in one application.
- 4. Pay the MOFA fee and the courier fee.
- 5. Send the original by courier, unless it's an eligible digital document attested online.
- 6. Receive the attested document back by courier.
Fees and timing
| Item | MOFA figure |
|---|---|
| Personal document (birth, marriage, degree) | AED 150 |
| Commercial document (company papers, contracts) | AED 2,000 |
| Courier-based attestation inside the UAE | 1 to 3 business days, depending on the courier |
| Eligible UAE-issued digital documents | Within 2 hours in official working hours |
| Courier, normal | 3 working days, up to 25 documents per transaction |
| Courier, express | 1 working day, up to 10 documents |
These times cover the MOFA stage only. Home-country and embassy stages follow their own schedules.
Why MOFA rejects applications
- Incorrect information, or details that don't match the document.
- An altered or laminated document.
- The wrong issuing authority or document type selected.
- A missing earlier stamp.
- A language MOFA doesn't accept, without an official translation.
A submitted application can't be edited and a rejected one can't be reopened, so you file a new application once the problem is fixed. MOFA refunds the attestation fee for rejected applications automatically, usually within 14 days, with some exceptions; delivery fees aren't refunded.
After MOFA
MOFA says an attested document has no expiry date, though the receiving body can ask for a recent document. Many UAE authorities, including the courts, also need an Arabic legal translation. See legal translation requirements.
We check every stamp before submission and file the MOFA request for you. See attestation services.
Sources
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.