# Degree Certificate Attestation for the UAE, Explained > Need your degree attested for a UAE job or visa? See each step from the issuing country to MOFAIC, what to send and how we handle the process. Source: https://notaryservicesdubai.com/degree-certificate-attestation-uae/ Last updated: 29 September 2026 Publisher: Notary Services Dubai, Business Bay, Dubai (+971 54 380 1094) Degree certificate attestation for the UAE is the chain of official stamps that makes a foreign degree usable for a UAE work permit, employment visa, golden visa or equivalency application. Your degree has to be checked and sealed in the country where it was issued, then sealed again by MOFAIC once it reaches the UAE. We handle the UAE side directly, with our in-house notary public for any copy or declaration that needs notarising, and we prepare your documents and manage the MOFAIC paperwork so nothing gets sent back for a missing stamp. If your employer, MOHRE or a university has asked for an "attested degree", this page walks through the full chain, what to send us, and what the cost depends on. Quick answer ## At a glance - The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is never accepted here. - Attestation always ends with MOFAIC (the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs) once the document is in the UAE. - MOFAIC's own attestation fee is AED 150 for a personal document. - Employers, MOHRE and UAE universities generally ask for degree attestation to confirm the qualification is genuine. - Original mark sheets or transcripts are usually asked for alongside the degree certificate. - Timing depends on the issuing country's own attestation queue as well as MOFAIC. ## Why the UAE asks for degree attestation A degree issued outside the UAE is, from a UAE authority's point of view, just a printed paper until it has been checked by official bodies. Attestation is the government-to-government confirmation that the university, exam board or issuing ministry really did issue that certificate. You will usually be asked for degree certificate attestation for the UAE when: - MOHRE or an employer needs to confirm your qualification before issuing a work permit or employment visa. - You are applying for a golden visa route that requires proof of an educational qualification. - A UAE university or professional body needs to run an equivalency check against your foreign degree. - A government department needs the degree as supporting evidence in a licensing or registration file. ## The attestation chain: issuing country, then MOFAIC The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille certificate is never enough on its own for a degree that will be used here. Attestation instead runs as a chain of stamps, each one confirming the stamp before it. 1. **Attestation in the issuing country.** The degree is checked and stamped by the relevant authority in the country where it was issued (for example, an education ministry, a notary, or the foreign affairs ministry there). 2. **Attestation at the UAE embassy in the issuing country.** Once the home country's own stamp is on the document, the UAE embassy or consulate there adds its own attestation. 3. **MOFAIC attestation in the UAE.** After the document arrives in the UAE, MOFAIC (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) attests it as the final step. MOFAIC's fee for a personal document is AED 150. We prepare the file, courier the originals where needed, book the MOFAIC appointment and track the degree through each stage, so you are not the one chasing three separate offices. ### Country examples The exact issuing-country steps differ by country. As a general pattern: - **India:** attestation usually runs through a state-level education department (HRD attestation) or the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), before the UAE embassy step. - **Pakistan:** attestation typically involves the issuing university, then a federal authentication step, before the UAE embassy. - **United Kingdom:** UK degrees are usually legalised through the UK's own document legalisation process before the UAE embassy step. - **Philippines:** Philippine degrees are typically authenticated through the issuing country's own foreign affairs department before the UAE embassy step. Tell us the issuing country and we will confirm the exact sequence for your degree before you send anything. ## UAE-issued degrees vs foreign degrees If your degree was issued by a UAE university for use abroad, the direction of the chain reverses: the UAE issuer's stamp, then MOFAIC in the UAE, then (if the destination country needs it) that country's embassy in the UAE. If your degree was issued abroad and you need it recognised in the UAE, it follows the chain above, ending at MOFAIC. ## Documents to send, and how originals travel For most degree attestation files, you should be ready to provide: - The original degree certificate. - The original transcript or consolidated mark sheet. - A copy of your passport. - Any prior attestation stamps already on the document, if this is a later stage of the chain. Originals usually have to travel physically between offices, since a stamp or seal has to be applied to the real document, not a scan. If your degree is still overseas, we can advise on the safest way to get it to us, and where in the chain it should enter. ## Degree certificate attestation for a UAE visa Attestation and visa applications are usually two separate steps handled by different offices, and MOHRE or your sponsor will tell you when they need the attested degree in the visa file. Fees ## Cost and timing MOFAIC's own attestation fee is AED 150 for a personal document, and that is only the MOFAIC portion of the chain. The issuing country's own attestation fees, any UAE embassy fee abroad, translation if your degree is not in Arabic, and courier costs all sit on top of that, and they vary by country and by how many stages your degree still needs. Timing depends on how quickly the issuing country's authorities process the file and on MOFAIC's own turnaround once the document is in the UAE. How we help ## How we help Any notarial step is done by us, in person at our Business Bay office with our in-house notary public, online, or on a home visit. We prepare your degree attestation file within the UAE side of the process: we check which documents you need, draft any accompanying letters, book the MOFAIC appointment, and hand your degree over to a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice if an Arabic translation is required. MOFAIC and the offices in the issuing country apply their own seals at each stage; we make sure your file reaches them complete and in the right order, and we keep you updated at every stage. FAQ ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I attest a degree certificate for the UAE? Start by getting the degree attested in the country where it was issued, then at the UAE embassy in that country, and finally by MOFAIC once the document is in the UAE. We can manage the UAE side of this and guide you on the issuing-country steps. ### Is degree certificate attestation required for a UAE visa? Employers, MOHRE and universities often ask for an attested degree as part of a work permit, employment visa or equivalency file. ### What documents are required for degree certificate attestation? You will usually need the original degree certificate, the original transcript or mark sheet, and a copy of your passport. Extra documents can apply depending on the issuing country. ### How much does degree certificate attestation cost for the UAE? MOFAIC's own fee is AED 150 for a personal document. The full cost also includes issuing-country fees, embassy fees abroad, translation and courier, so the total depends on where your degree was issued. ### What is degree attestation? Degree attestation is a chain of official checks and stamps that confirms a degree certificate was issued by the named university or exam board, so it can be relied on by an authority in another country. ### How long does degree certificate attestation take? It depends on how fast the issuing country's authorities process the file, and on MOFAIC's own turnaround once the document is in the UAE. More answers, grouped by topic, are on our [questions and answers page](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/faq/). 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Last reviewed . ### Official sources we checked (3) - MOFAIC attestation service: [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) - Hague Apostille Convention status table (HCCH): [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41) - UAE Ministry of Justice, e-Notary System: [https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx](https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx) Get started ## Ready to start your degree attestation Call or WhatsApp us on +971 54 380 1094, email support@notaryservicesdubai.com, or visit us at Empire Heights Tower B, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, and tell us the country your degree came from. We will confirm the exact chain and get your file moving. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. 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