Certified translation gives your certificates, licenses and personal records a stamped Arabic or English version that UAE ministries, embassies and banks can work with. We arrange it through Ministry of Justice (MOJ)-licensed legal translators and check every name and date with you first.
When people in Dubai ask for a certified or official translation, they usually mean one an authority can rely on: prepared by a licensed legal translator, stamped and signed, and matched page by page to the original. It is the standard route for the everyday paperwork of living and working in the UAE, from a marriage certificate for a family visa to a university transcript for a new job.
The receiving office decides what it accepts. Some embassies, for example, may keep their own list of translators or ask for the translation to be done in the home country. We check that before we start, so you do not pay for a translation the office cannot use.
People sponsoring family members, changing status or applying for residence who need personal records in Arabic.
Anyone submitting degrees, transcripts or professional licenses for equivalency, registration or a new role.
Account holders and borrowers asked by a UAE bank for translated statements, certificates or company papers.
Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.
If your document is not yet attested, ask us first, as it can make sense to complete attestation before translating.
Government fees, paid at cost
No government fee applies to the translation itself. Any attestation or application fee is set by the authority, paid at cost and listed separately from our service fee.
Global Sky PRO service fee
Quoted in writing before we start, so you know the full cost up front.
Timing
A single certificate is simpler than a multi-page record. We confirm your ready date in writing with the quote.
Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.
Share a clear scan on WhatsApp or visit our Fahidi Heights office, and tell us who will receive the translation.
We check that a certified translation is what that office needs and send our service fee in writing.
An MOJ-licensed legal translator prepares, stamps and signs the translation.
You confirm names, dates and numbers against your own records before we finalise it.
The ministry, embassy or bank reviews your translation and decides whether it meets its requirements.
Both follow the same licensed route for official use. On this site, certified translation covers standard personal and business records that follow a familiar format, while legal translation covers contracts, court papers and powers of attorney, where specialist legal wording needs extra care. If you are not sure which applies, send us the document and we will tell you.
Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.
It is a translation prepared, stamped and signed by a legal translator licensed by the Ministry of Justice, so an authority can rely on it. In Dubai it is often called an official translation. It is the usual route for certificates, licenses and statements that you will submit to a UAE ministry, embassy or bank.
UAE ministries, courts, police, banks and universities commonly ask for translations prepared by MOJ-licensed legal translators, but each office decides for itself. Embassies may follow their own rules, and some ask for translation in the home country. Tell us where your document is going and we check the current requirement before you pay.
In the UAE the two overlap, because both are produced by MOJ-licensed legal translators for official use. On our site, certified translation covers standard records such as certificates and statements, while legal translation covers contracts, court papers and powers of attorney, where legal wording needs specialist care. What matters most is the receiving office's requirement, and we help you match it.
Often, if it was issued outside the UAE. A foreign document is usually attested by its home country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Finishing that chain first means the attestation stamps appear in your translation too. We can tell you what your document needs and arrange both steps.
Not always, because English documents can usually be attested as they are. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attests original documents in English or Arabic, or with an official translation. The office that finally receives your certificate may still ask for an Arabic version, particularly for court use. Tell us where the certificate is going and we check its requirement before you pay for a translation you may not need.
Source: MOFA: attestation FAQs
Often, yes, as long as the original document has not changed and the second office accepts it. Each receiving office decides for itself, and some ask for a recent translation or for the stamped original rather than a copy. If the document has since gained new stamps, such as attestation, the translation should be updated so it matches. Keep the stamped original safe and check with the new office before you reuse it.
Source: UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession
Raise it before the translation starts, because a certified translation cannot correct the original. Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 requires translators to translate accurately without changing the content. Where a name is written in another script, it can be rendered to match your passport. For a genuine mismatch, the issuing authority may need to correct its record, or the receiving office may accept supporting evidence, and we help you check which applies.
Source: UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession
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Documents for official use are translated by Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translators. Last reviewed 31 October 2026 by the Global Sky PRO team.