Guide
Document attestation for the UAE: the route and what changes the fee
Updated
Attestation is the PRO service most often quoted as a flat price per document. The Ministry's own service description explains why a flat price is a simplification.
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What the service does
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs service enables a customer to obtain the attestation of the Ministry and of the UAE mission in the destination country. Attestation certifies the authenticity of the signatures and seals on documents issued inside or outside the United Arab Emirates (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
You do not choose the route
The Ministry's website determines the route automatically from the issuing authority and the document type: digital attestation, or attestation through an approved courier service provider. The Ministry is explicit that a customer cannot choose between them. It warns against selecting an incorrect issuing authority, document type or destination country to obtain a different method.
| Route | Used for | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Digital attestation | Eligible UAE-issued digital documents that can be verified electronically | Within 2 hours, during official working hours |
| Approved courier service provider | Documents that do not meet the requirements for digital attestation | 1 to 3 business days, depending on the courier and whether it is inside or outside the UAE |
The four things that change the fee
The Ministry states that the applicable fees depend on:
- the number of documents;
- the attestation completion option applied to the application;
- the attestations included in the selected service;
- whether the document is personal or commercial.
The total amount payable is displayed before payment. With four variables, a single per-document price quoted to you in advance is an estimate.
What a PRO adds here
- Origin-country steps. A document issued abroad usually needs notarisation and foreign ministry attestation in its own country, and often UAE embassy attestation there, before it reaches the UAE Ministry at all.
- Handling originals. Where the courier route applies, someone has to get the physical document to the provider and back.
- Getting the classification right first time. Because the route is decided automatically from the issuing authority and document type, a wrong entry means a wrong route, and applications cannot be modified after submission.
- Commercial documents. Commercial invoices go through a separate electronic system rather than the ordinary attestation flow.
Applications cannot be modified or corrected after submission, so review everything before paying. That single rule is the strongest argument for using someone who does this daily.