Examples of when you may need documents to be attested / legalised include the following :
- Marriage certificate when you are applying for a Spouse visa in UAE;
- Birth certificates of children when applying for a Residence visa for them in UAE;
- Marriage certificate when you are applying for a Divorce in UAE;
- Marriage (or Divorce) certificate and birth certificate of any children when applying for resolution of children matters through the UAE Court;
- Any Court Orders granting custody, care and control of any children who are to live with you in the UAE;
- Any Court Orders granting contact or visitation rights with children who live in the UAE.
Other examples include educational qualifications if seeking employment in UAE;
- Passports and Driving Licences;
- Official Company documents.
First, your official document will need to be legalised by the Foreign Office in the Country where it was issued.
The document will then need to be stamped by the UAE Embassy in that Country. If there is not a UAE Embassy in that Country, it may have to be stamped by the UAE Embassy in a neighbouring Country.
The document then needs to be brought to the UAE and stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the document is required to be translated to Arabic (most likely if it is to be used in UAE), it should be translated by a Court approved translator and then, finally, stamped by the Ministry of Justice.
You may want to bear the above in mind, if you marry in another Country or give birth in another Country. You may need to factor in a few extra days for your stay so that you can attend to the legalisation of the documents in that Country. Although we can put you in touch with Agents who can assist with the legalisation of foreign documents, it may be a costly exercise and will take some time.
For further information or advice in relation to the requirements for legalised documents, please contact our Family Department.
Head of Family Law / Senior Consultant