Notary Services
Notarized Certificate in Dubai: How to Get One
A notarized certificate is a certificate, such as a degree, birth or marriage certificate, that a notary public has dealt with so another office will accept it. The catch most people miss is that notarisation alone is often not the end. A certificate meant for a government office or a foreign country usually needs further attestation after the notary.
We notarise your document at our Business Bay office, or by our in-house notary public online or at your home.
Notarized Certificate: What It Means
When a notary handles a certificate, the notary public records the act in the proper form and puts the official stamp and signature on it. This tells the next office that the certificate went through a regulated process.
Notarial acts in the UAE are regulated by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, which is published on the UAE legislation portal. In Dubai, notaries public are regulated by Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013.
If you want the plain meaning of the word first, read our page on what notary and notarised mean. For documents in general, see our page on a notarized document in the UAE.
Which Certificates People Ask Us to Notarise
The most common requests are:
- Degree and school certificates for jobs, visas or study.
- Birth certificates for family visas and school entry.
- Marriage certificates for spouse sponsorship.
- Company certificates for banks and licensing offices.
- Your passport copy, which is dealt with as a copy of the document.
Each has its own next step. Our pages on degree certificate attestation and marriage certificate attestation explain the full route for those two.
Talk to us
Tell us what the document is and where it will be used, and we will tell you the next step.
How to Get Documents Notarized in the UAE
The steps are short when you prepare first.
- Tell us what the certificate is and where it will be used.
- We check whether it needs a translation, and we take care of that if it does.
- You bring the original certificate and your ID to our Business Bay office, or we guide you through the online or home visit route.
- We handle your notarisation.
- We tell you if the certificate needs attestation next.
Do not sign or fill any blank field before the appointment. A notary may turn a file away if it is incomplete, or if the signing happened earlier than the appointment.
When a Notarized Certificate Needs More Than a Notary
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, as the HCCH status table shows. So a foreign certificate follows a chain: it is attested in the country that issued it, including at the UAE embassy there, and then by MOFAIC in the UAE.
MOFAIC attests documents in the UAE, as its attestation page explains. Its fees are AED 150 for personal documents and AED 2,000 for commercial documents. These fees are separate from notary fees.
Translation matters too. Translations for official use are done by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. If your certificate is not in Arabic or English, tell us at the start.
For the full chain from lawyer to MOFAIC, see our page on document attestation in Dubai.
What to Bring
- The original certificate, not a photo of it.
- Your Emirates ID or passport.
- The name of the office or country that asked for it.
- Any translation you already have.
Fees
What It Costs
The government notary fee depends on the act. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, authenticating a signature on an instrument of unspecified value is AED 200 per party, and notarising a translation in the instrument is AED 50 per page. The schedule is on the UAE legislation portal.
We confirm our own fee when you send the document, because it depends on the certificate and the route. Our page on notary public fees in Dubai explains what you pay and why.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a notarized letter?
A notarized letter is a letter that a notary has dealt with in the proper form, usually after you sign it in front of the notary. The same idea applies to a certificate. Tell us what the letter says and where it goes, and we will tell you the next step.
What does notarized mean?
It means a notary public has handled the document under the rules for notarial acts. It does not prove that every statement inside is true. Our notary meaning page explains the difference.
How to get a passport notarized?
You bring the original passport to the notary, and the passport copy is dealt with as a copy of the document. Our page on a certified true copy of your passport covers the steps.
Where to get a document notarized near me?
In Dubai you can use a government notary public at Dubai Courts or a licensed private notary. We offer in-house notary public services at our Business Bay office, online notary public services and home visit notary services. See notary near me in Dubai.
Is a notarized certificate enough for a foreign country?
Usually not. Most countries ask for attestation after the notary. Check the receiving office, then ask us what the chain needs.
More answers, grouped by topic, are on our questions and answers page.
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Get started
Next Step
Call or WhatsApp +971 54 380 1094, or email support@notaryservicesdubai.com. Tell us what the document is and where it will be used, and we will tell you the next step. Our office at Empire Heights Tower B, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests are answered 24/7. You can also contact us through the site.