UAE business documents often require attestation for use internationally. Here is the complete 2025 guide to UAE company document attestation.
Types of UAE Document Attestation
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation: authenticates UAE-issued documents (trade licences, certificates of incorporation, MOAs, notarised documents) for international use. UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ) attestation: for UAE court documents and legal documents. Free zone authority attestation: some free zones certify their own documents (company profiles, certificate of good standing).
MOFA Attestation Process
For most UAE documents being sent abroad: Step 1 — notarise the document at a UAE Notary Public (AED 100-500 depending on document). Step 2 — attest at MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation). MOFA attestation: done via the MOFA online portal or Amer Centres. Cost: AED 150-300 per document. Step 3 — for use in countries that require an Apostille: UAE joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2021. UAE MOFA now issues Apostilles for UAE documents. An Apostille-stamped UAE document is accepted in all 120+ Hague Convention member countries without needing the receiving country’s embassy to re-attest.
Apostille vs. Traditional Attestation
Pre-Apostille: UAE documents needed MOFA → UAE embassy → receiving country’s foreign affairs ministry → receiving country’s chamber of commerce attestation (4 layers). Post-Apostille (since 2021): UAE MOFA Apostille is accepted directly by all 120+ Hague Convention countries (1 layer). The Apostille system saves significant time and cost for UAE businesses sending legal and corporate documents internationally.