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Translation services

Legal translation in Dubai

Legal translation turns contracts, court papers and official records into Arabic or English for use before UAE courts and authorities. Global Sky PRO prepares your file and arranges translation by Ministry of Justice (MOJ)-licensed legal translators, then checks the result with you before you submit it.

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Overview

What legal translation means in the UAE

Arabic is the language of UAE courts, and many official processes run in Arabic, so a document written in another language usually needs a translation before anyone can act on it. A legal translation is more than accurate wording. It is prepared by a translator licensed for official work, carries their stamp and signature, and is laid out so an official can match every line to your original.

Documents for official use are translated by Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translators. The profession has been regulated by a federal decree-law since 2 January 2023, and we confirm the current requirement with the receiving office before you submit. Global Sky PRO is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Our role is to prepare your file, arrange the licensed translation, check it carefully with you and explain what happens next.

We also work in the other direction. If you have received an Arabic judgment, notice or contract and need to understand it, or need to send it to a lawyer or company abroad, we arrange an English translation through the same licensed route.

Who it's for

Who it's for

  • 01

    People with a court or rental case

    Parties preparing documents for Dubai Courts or the Rental Dispute Center (RDC), which asks for documents in Arabic or legally translated.

  • 02

    Companies and investors

    Businesses submitting contracts, board resolutions, powers of attorney or foreign company documents to a UAE authority or bank.

  • 03

    Families and individuals

    Anyone handling an inheritance file, a marriage or divorce record, or a power of attorney that has to be used officially.

  • 04

    Lawyers and their clients

    Advocates who need a dependable translation of evidence or correspondence, prepared to a consistent standard with a clear ready date.

Our part

What we do, and what we don't

Clear boundaries, so you know exactly what you're paying for and who decides each step.

Included

  • A check of where the translation will be used and what that office usually asks for
  • Translation by an MOJ-licensed legal translator, stamped and signed for official use
  • Arabic to English and English to Arabic legal translation
  • Translation of stamps, seals and handwritten notes that appear on the original
  • A review of names, dates, figures and passport spellings against your original before finalising
  • Consistent terminology across related documents in the same case or file
  • Guidance on whether your document also needs attestation, and help arranging it

Not included

  • Legal advice on what a contract, judgment or notice means for you
  • Representation in court, or filing a case on your behalf
  • Changing the content of a document, even if you believe the original is wrong
  • Deciding whether a court or authority accepts the translation, which is always its decision
Documents

What to send us

  • A clear scan or photo of every page, including stamps and the reverse side if it is marked
  • The name of the court, authority or company that will receive the translation
  • Your passport copy, so names are spelled exactly as they appear there
  • Any case number, reference number or earlier translation linked to the same matter
  • The original document, if the receiving office asks to see it with the translation

For long or technical files, such as judgments or contracts with several parties, we may ask for an editable copy if one exists.

Fees and timing

Two fees, shown separately

  • Government fees, paid at cost

    There is no government fee for the translation itself. If your file needs attestation, or a court or authority charges a filing fee, that amount is set by the authority, paid at cost and shown 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

    Timing depends on length, subject and how readable the original is. We confirm a ready date in writing with your quote and tell you early if anything changes.

Process

How it works, step by step

Each step shows who does what, so you always know where things stand.

  • You
  • Global Sky PRO
  • Authority

  1. Step 1: Share the document and its purpose

    You

    Send every page by WhatsApp or bring it to our Bur Dubai office, and tell us where the translation is going.

  2. Step 2: Check the requirement and quote

    Global Sky PRO

    We check what the receiving office usually expects, note any attestation it may need first, and quote our service fee in writing.

  3. Step 3: Arrange the licensed translation

    Global Sky PRO

    An MOJ-licensed legal translator translates the full document, including stamps, seals and notes, then stamps and signs the translation.

  4. Step 4: Review names and figures

    You

    We send you a copy to check spellings, dates and amounts against your own records before it is finalised.

  5. Step 5: Hand over the final translation

    Global Sky PRO

    You collect the stamped translation from our office, with a digital copy where the receiving office accepts one.

  6. Step 6: The receiving office reviews it

    Authority

    The court or authority decides whether the translation meets its requirements and tells you if it needs anything further.

Good to know

Details that save time

Documents that typically need legal translation

Legal translation covers far more than court papers. These are typical documents that need it, grouped by where they usually end up.

  • Court and dispute papers: claims, judgments, memos, notices and evidence
  • Rental files: tenancy contracts, notices and payment records for the RDC
  • Company documents: memorandums and articles of association, board resolutions and commercial registers
  • Powers of attorney, declarations and affidavits
  • Family and inheritance records: marriage and divorce certificates, wills and death certificates
  • Commercial contracts, agency agreements and settlement agreements

Why translations get sent back

Most problems with legal translations come from the source document or a mismatch with other papers in the file, not from the language itself. A few checks before you submit can save you a second trip.

  • Names spelled differently from the passport or Emirates ID
  • Pages, stamps or handwritten notes left out of the translation
  • A translation made from an unattested copy when the office needed the attested version
  • Figures, dates or reference numbers that do not match the original
  • A translation prepared for one office being reused for another with different rules

Legal translation is not legal advice

A translator's job is to say exactly what the document says in another language, not to explain what it means for you. We will not soften a clause, fill a gap or suggest wording that changes the effect of a document. If you need to understand your rights or options, speak to a licensed advocate. We can translate their advice and your correspondence so you can work with them clearly.

FAQs

Legal translation: your questions

Short answers here. Your situation may differ, so ask us before you decide.

Still have a question?

An adviser replies during opening hours, Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00.

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Who is allowed to translate documents for UAE courts?

For official use, the translation should come from a legal translator holding a Ministry of Justice license. Since 2 January 2023, the translation profession has been regulated by a federal decree-law, so the translator's license matters, not just their language skills. We arrange your translation through that licensed route and confirm the current requirement with the receiving office before you submit.

Which documents need legal translation?

Any document in a language other than Arabic that you will submit to a UAE court, the RDC or another authority usually needs one. Common examples are contracts, powers of attorney, judgments, company documents and family records. If you only need to understand a document, or share it privately, a general translation may be enough. We help you decide before you pay.

Will courts accept my translation?

Acceptance is always the court's decision, not ours. Courts work in Arabic, and the RDC asks for documents in Arabic or legally translated, which is why we use MOJ-licensed legal translators and check every name and figure with you. If a court asks for something more, such as a different copy of the original, tell us and we help you prepare it.

Do you translate stamps, seals and handwritten notes?

Yes. A legal translation covers everything on the page that carries meaning, including stamps, seals, signatures and handwritten notes. Where a mark cannot be read, the translator records that rather than guessing. That is one reason we ask for a clear scan of every page, including the reverse side if it has been stamped.

Do I need to bring the original document?

Not usually to start. A clear scan or photo of every page is enough for the translation work itself. The receiving office may ask to see the original alongside the translation when you submit, so keep it safe and ready. If the scan is hard to read, we may ask you to bring the original to our office.

Does a legal translation also need attestation?

Sometimes. Attestation confirms that the original document is genuine, and it is a separate step from translation. Foreign documents usually pass through their home country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy and then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). We check what your receiving office needs and can arrange both, translating once the document is in its final form.

Which law regulates legal translation in the UAE?

Legal translation in the UAE is regulated by Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 Regulating the Translation Profession, in force since 2 January 2023. Translation may only be practised after registration in a list kept by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and a license from the competent authority. Translators take a legal oath before an appeal court, work personally from within the UAE and must translate accurately without changing the content.

Source: UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession

Can any legal translator translate any language pair?

No, a registered legal translator may only work in the languages they are licensed for. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, each translator in the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) list translates only from and into their licensed languages, and a translation house only takes on work in its translators' licensed languages. If your document is in a less common language, we first confirm that a registered translator licensed for that pair is available, then send your quote.

Source: UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession

Who is responsible if a legal translation contains an error?

The registered translator is accountable for the accuracy of their work. Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 requires translators to work accurately and honestly without changing the content, and to hold professional liability insurance unless their translation house's policy covers them. Intentionally altering the truth of a translation is a criminal offence under the same law. If you spot a mistake, tell us before you submit, and we check it against your original and have it corrected.

Source: UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession

Is my document kept confidential during legal translation?

Yes, registered translators are legally bound to keep your information confidential. Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 requires them to keep secret any information they obtain through their work, and disclosing secrets is one of the offences it penalises. Translators must also do the work personally and from within the UAE rather than passing it to someone else. If you would rather not send a sensitive file by WhatsApp, bring it to our Bur Dubai office instead.

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.

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