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Attestation & Legalisation

Philippines Attestation UAE 2026: CHED, PSA, DFA Apostille to MOFA

Philippines attestation UAE 2026: CHED CAV, PSA copies, DFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA, with fees and times. Need help? WhatsApp MIRDXB PRO.

Mir Ali
Mir Ali Founder, MIRDXB PRO
Updated 10 Oct 2026 46 min read
Philippines Attestation UAE 2026: CHED, PSA, DFA Apostille to MOFA (illustrative photo)
Reviewed by Mir Ali, founder of MIRDXB PRO. Checked against official sources and the real cases we have handled over the past three years. How we write and check our guides

Key takeaways

  • Philippines attestation (UAE) runs in four stages, in this order: the right Philippine original (PSA copy, or school records with a CHED CAV), the DFA apostille, the UAE Embassy Manila, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Skip one and the next stage has nothing to certify.
  • The DFA apostille is required, and it is not the end. The Philippines has applied the Apostille Convention since 14 May 2019; the UAE is not a party (HCCH status table). The UAE Embassy Manila’s published rule is that all documents for authentication “must bear the DFA Apostille”.
  • Degrees from private colleges need a CHED CAV before the DFA. The DFA lists certified true copies from the school plus a Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from CHED; state universities issue their own CAV, DepEd and TESDA records need a regional-office CAV.
  • Birth and marriage certificates must be PSA-issued originals. The DFA apostilles the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) copy, and the “PSA QR entries must match the details on the document”.
  • Published fees per document: DFA apostille PHP 100 (regular, five working days) or PHP 200 (expedited, two working days); UAE Embassy Manila PHP 2,350 (last published figure); MOFA AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one. A diploma and a transcript are two documents.
  • The UAE Embassy stage is now applied for online. A 2024 embassy announcement is titled “Attestation Services are now available only online”; older FAQ answers still mention W Express and VFS counters. We show both and tell you how to confirm.
  • Attestation is not degree recognition. Recognition of a university degree is a separate Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) service, and professional licensing is separate again.
  • Documents already in the UAE cannot be apostilled here. The DFA apostille is issued at DFA offices in the Philippines, so the original goes home with a representative or courier, or a fresh PSA copy is ordered there.

In short: A Philippine document becomes valid in the UAE through four steps, in this order: the right original (a PSA-issued birth or marriage certificate, or school records with a CHED or school CAV), the DFA apostille in the Philippines (PHP 100 regular, five working days; PHP 200 expedited, two), authentication by the UAE Embassy in Manila (last published at PHP 2,350 per document), then attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (AED 150 per personal document, AED 2,000 commercial). The apostille alone is not enough, because the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and the DFA issues the apostille only at its offices in the Philippines.

Philippine degree, PSA birth or marriage certificate needed in the UAE? Send MIRDXB PRO a photo of each document and its stamps. We tell you which stages are missing and quote in writing before we start.

Check my Philippine documents

Philippines attestation (UAE) is the chain of official certifications that makes a Philippine degree, transcript, PSA birth certificate, PSA marriage certificate or other Philippine document usable before a UAE employer, school, court or immigration authority: the issuing body or CHED verifies it, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) apostilles it, the UAE Embassy Manila authenticates the DFA apostille, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives the final attestation. Each stage certifies the seal of the stage before it. None of them confirms that the content of your document is true or that the document belongs to you.

This guide to Philippine documents attestation covers the Philippine route only: what CHED, the PSA and the DFA need, what the UAE Embassy Manila publishes, what MOFA does at the end, what changes if your documents are already in the UAE, the published fees and times, and the mistakes that send Philippine files back.

The general order of attestation for every country is in our attestation process guide, the full fee schedule is in our attestation cost guide, and the question of whether the UAE accepts apostilles is answered in our apostille vs attestation guide. We link to them rather than repeat them.

Every statement here comes from a page we read on 24 September 2026: the DFA’s apostille site, CHED’s regional CAV guidance, the UAE Embassy Manila’s pages on mofa.gov.ae, MOFA’s attestation service page and FAQ, MoHESR, u.ae and the HCCH. Where official pages disagree, or where a page would not open, we say so rather than fill the gap. We re-checked the DFA and CHED fees, the HCCH status table, MOFA’s fees and times and the UAE Embassy Manila pages on 10 October 2026; what changed is listed in the update note near the end.

Philippines attestation UAE at a glance: which route fits your document?

Find your document in the left column. The Philippine stages differ by document; the UAE stages are the same for all of them.

Your documentPhilippine step before the DFADFA apostilleUAE Embassy ManilaMOFA UAE
College diploma and transcript (private college or local university)Certified true copies from the school, then a CHED CAVYes, PHP 100 or 200 per documentPHP 2,350 per documentAED 150 per document
College diploma and transcript (state university or college)Certified true copies and a CAV from the school itselfYesPHP 2,350 per documentAED 150 per document
High school recordsCertified true copies from the school, then a DepEd regional office CAVYesPHP 2,350AED 150
TESDA certificate or vocational recordsCertified true copies from the school, then a TESDA regional office CAVYesPHP 2,350AED 150
Birth certificatePSA-issued original (a PSA-certified LCR copy for new or unclear records)Yes, or e-Apostille for a PSA e-CertificatePHP 2,350AED 150
Marriage certificatePSA-issued originalYesPHP 2,350AED 150
CENOMAR or death certificatePSA-issued originalYesPHP 2,350AED 150
NBI clearanceNBI original with dry seal, verifiable onlineYesPHP 2,350AED 150
PRC licence or board certificateOriginal or certified true copy from the PRCYesPHP 2,350AED 150
Private document (affidavit, SPA, company resolution)Notarised, then a Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA) from the Regional Trial CourtYesPHP 2,350AED 150 personal, AED 2,000 commercial
Philippines attestation UAE route: CHED CAV or PSA original, DFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA UAE, with fees and published times for each stage
The Philippine route in order: the right original first, then the DFA apostille, the UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA, with the published fee and time at each stage.

Philippines attestation UAE: how MIRDXB PRO helps

You can do much of this yourself, and this guide is written so that you can. Where we come in is the part that is hard from Dubai: a relative in the Philippines who has never queued at CHED or the DFA, a PSA copy that does not match the passport, a nurse with five documents and a start date, or a family who needs a degree, a marriage certificate and two birth certificates before a visa application. MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and visa services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, and attestation is one of the services our team handles.

What we do

  • Read the stamps already on your documents and tell you which stage each one has reached: PSA or school original, CHED CAV, DFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA.
  • Write the instructions for your representative in the Philippines: which PSA copy to order, which school office issues certified true copies, which CAV applies, what the DFA wants and what authorisation they need.
  • Check every name and date against your passport before anything is paid, including middle names and maiden and married surnames.
  • File the UAE-side application for the UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA stage through MOFA’s online service, grouping documents of the same fee band where the rules allow.
  • Handle degree cases end to end through our degree certificate attestation service, and mixed family files through our document attestation service in Dubai.
  • Arrange legal translation, if a UAE authority asks for an Arabic version, through a Ministry of Justice listed translator.
  • Verify the finished documents and give you every reference number before they go to an employer, school or immigration.

How it works

  1. WhatsApp us photos of both sides of each document, your passport data page and what the documents are for (work permit, family visa, school, licensing).
  2. We map each document: stages done, stages missing, the fee band at MOFA and the realistic order.
  3. We quote in writing: government, DFA and embassy fees at cost, and our own fee as a separate line.
  4. Your representative runs the Philippine stages with our checklist, or you do them yourself on a home visit.
  5. We file the UAE stages and track them, and tell you the moment anything is queried.
  6. We verify and hand over the attested documents with their reference numbers, and help with the visa, permit or licence they were for.

What it costs

Government and mission fees are passed on at cost, with receipts: DFA, UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA. Our service charge for the UAE MOFA step is AED 250 per attestation, on top of MOFA’s fee; for the other stages our fee depends on how many documents there are and how many stages remain, and it is quoted in writing before we start. Our general price guide is on the fees page.

Why residents use us

  • We publish our sources. Every fee and time in this guide links to the page it came from, so you can check our quote line by line.
  • We tell you when you do not need us. If you are going home on leave and can walk your documents through CHED, the DFA and the embassy yourself, we will say so.
  • We cover the whole chain, from the Philippine stages to MOFA and on to GDRFA or ICP visas and MOHRE work permits.
  • You can visit us in Al Barsha 1, Dubai: visits by appointment; whatsApp us any time, 24 hours; office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 (Dubai time).
Documents still in the Philippines and you are in Dubai? We write the step-by-step for your representative and run the UAE side for you.

Plan it with us on WhatsApp

Does the UAE accept a Philippine apostille, or is attestation still needed?

The short answer is both, in sequence. The DFA apostille is required, and the UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA stages still follow it, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. That full chain is what people mean by Philippine document legalisation for the UAE.

Most confusion about Philippine documents comes from one fact that sounds like it should settle everything: the Philippines issues apostilles. The HCCH status table lists the Philippines as a contracting party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 14 May 2019. Before that date, the DFA issued an Authentication Certificate, the “red ribbon”. The DFA now says: “Authentication is still required for all Philippine documents to be used abroad, but this time with an Apostille instead of an Authentication Certificate (‘red ribbon’).”

The United Arab Emirates does not appear on the same HCCH status table. An apostille only replaces legalisation between two countries that are both parties. So for the UAE, the DFA apostille cannot be the final step. The DFA itself points this out: if your document is to be used where the Convention does not apply, “you should contact the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to use the document.”

That is exactly what the UAE Embassy Manila has done. Its FAQ states that all documents for authentication to the Embassy “must bear the DFA Apostille”. In the Philippine route, the apostille does the job a foreign ministry attestation does in other countries: it is the national step the UAE Embassy then authenticates. People who read “the UAE does not accept apostilles” and skip the DFA, and people who read “the Philippines is an apostille country” and stop at the DFA, both end up with a document the UAE will not accept.

Two opposite mistakes, same result

Taking a diploma straight to the UAE Embassy without a DFA apostille: rejected, because there is no DFA seal to authenticate. Flying to Dubai with only a DFA apostille: rejected at MOFA or by the employer, because the UAE stages are missing. The route is DFA apostille, then UAE Embassy Manila, then MOFA. The wider comparison, with other countries, is in our apostille vs attestation guide.

Stage 1: get the right Philippine original

The DFA does not apostille whatever you hand it. It apostilles documents issued or verified by the specific office it recognises for that document type. Getting this stage right is where most Philippine files are won or lost, and it is also the stage that takes longest, because it depends on schools, CHED regional offices and the PSA.

PSA civil registry documents: birth, marriage, death and CENOMAR

For civil registry documents, the DFA’s documentary requirements ask for the “Original document issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)/ National Statistics Office (NSO)”. This covers the birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate and the Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR). The DFA adds a condition that catches people out: “PSA QR entries must match the details on the document.”

So the document you attest is the PSA copy, not the copy the city or municipal civil registrar hands out. A local civil registry (LCR) copy is used only where the PSA entries are unclear: the DFA then asks for an LCR copy of the birth (Form 1A), death (Form 2A) or marriage (Form 3A) certificate. For newly registered records, the DFA requires that the LCR copy be “certified by PSA”.

SituationWhat the DFA asks forWhat this means for you
Normal PSA recordPSA or NSO issued originalOrder the PSA copy through a PSA outlet or PSA’s online channels, and check it against your passport before it goes anywhere
PSA entries unclear or hard to readLCR copy (Form 1A, 2A or 3A) as wellAsk the local civil registrar for the formatted LCR copy
Newly registered record (for example, a late registration)LCR copy certified by PSAAllow extra time: the record must reach the PSA first
QR code details do not match the printed detailsNot accepted as isResolve the mismatch with the PSA or the civil registrar before the DFA stage
PSA e-CertificateEligible for e-ApostilleCheck that the UAE Embassy will accept an e-Apostille first (see Stage 2)

PSA fees and delivery times are published on PSA’s own channels and are not repeated here, because we could not read a PSA fee schedule on the day of checking. What matters for the attestation is the version: a PSA-issued original.

School and university records: which CAV you need

Educational documents need an extra verification step in the Philippines before the DFA will act. The step is called a Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV), and who issues it depends on the type of school. The DFA’s documentary requirements set it out like this:

Where you studiedWhat the DFA requiresWho issues the CAV
Private university or college, or a local university or collegeCertified true copies from the school, and a CAV from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)CHED regional office, after endorsement by the school registrar
State university or collegeCertified true copies and a CAV from the schoolThe school itself
Elementary or high schoolCertified true copies from the school, and a CAV from the DepEd regional officeDepartment of Education regional office
Technical or vocational schoolCertified true copies from the school, and a CAV from the TESDA regional officeTESDA regional office

The distinction between state and private institutions matters. A graduate of a state university who goes to a CHED office for a CAV has gone to the wrong place; a graduate of a private college who takes only the school’s own certification to the DFA has skipped CHED.

How the CHED CAV works

CHED regional offices publish their own CAV procedures. CHED Caraga’s page, which we read on 24 September 2026, is typical. The process runs through the school: “The Registrar certifies the authenticity of the documents and endorses it to CHED”, CHED validates the records, the applicant pays, and the CAV is issued on security paper.

  • Documents: the diploma (for graduates) or a certification of the total units earned (for unit earners), the official transcript of records, and proof of payment.
  • Optional documents: a certification of name correction where names differ, and a notarised authorisation with valid IDs of both parties if a representative applies for you.
  • Who it is for: graduates and unit earners of private higher education institutions, local universities and colleges, and closed institutions.
  • Fees published by CHED Caraga: CAV PHP 80 and certified true copy PHP 30 per copy, citing CHED Administrative Order No. 04, series of 2014.
  • Output: a CAV on security paper, released by the CHED regional records office.

CHED also runs an electronic CAV (eCAV). CHED Region 1 describes it as available through the eGovPH app (eGovPH, then national government agencies, then CHED, then “CHED eCAV”), and CHED’s One Touch portal lists it among its integrated systems. Neither page we read published eCAV fees or times, and we did not find a DFA statement on how an eCAV is presented for apostille. Ask your CHED regional office which route it uses for your school before you start.

Closed schools and name changes

If your college has closed, CHED Caraga’s page lists closed institutions among those it serves, because CHED holds or can locate the records. If your name has changed since graduation, ask the registrar for the name-correction certification at the same time as the certified true copies. It is much harder to add later, once the CAV and apostille have been issued in the old form.

Other Philippine documents: NBI, PRC, courts and private papers

  • NBI clearance: the DFA wants the “Original document issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with dry seal and verifiable online”. If the clearance is in your married name and your ID is in your maiden name, the DFA asks for a copy of the marriage certificate.
  • PRC documents (licence, board rating, certificate of good standing): “Original/Certified True Copies from PRC”.
  • Court documents (annulment decisions, adoption orders): “Certified True Copies from the Court”.
  • Private documents such as affidavits, special powers of attorney and company papers: the DFA apostilles them only “if they have been notarized and subsequently issued a Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA)”, signed by the Executive Judge or Vice-Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court.

Stage 2: the DFA apostille

Once the original is right, the DFA apostilles it. This is the Philippine government’s authentication, and it is the only Philippine stamp the UAE Embassy Manila looks for.

PointWhat the DFA publishes
Fee, regularPHP 100 per document, “released after five working days”
Fee, expeditedPHP 200 per document, “released after two working days”
e-ApostilleFirst phase covers PSA-issued civil registry documents only. PHP 200, charged separately from the PSA e-Certificate fee of PHP 300. Applied for at e-app1.apostille.gov.ph, paid through Landbank’s LinkBiz portal, delivered by email
WhereDFA Aseana in Parañaque and DFA consular offices in NCR, Pampanga, La Union, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, among others
AppointmentThrough appointment.apostille.gov.ph. Walk-ins are accepted for document owners, for immediate family members with proof of kinship, and for authorised representatives
Representatives“A representative may process and claim an Apostille on behalf of the document owner”; applicants “may authorize a courier as his/her representative”
ClaimingNo appointment needed to claim at DFA Aseana; consular offices coordinate by email
What it certifiesThe origin of the document: the signature and authority of the official who signed it, not its content

Source: DFA Authentication Division, apostille.gov.ph FAQs and documentary requirements, read 24 September 2026. Working days exclude weekends and Philippine holidays, so a regular-processing document dropped on a Thursday comes back the following Thursday at the earliest.

Check before you use an e-Apostille

The DFA warns that “Not all countries accept an e-Apostille and would still require the physical copy of the apostille and the underlying public document”, and asks applicants to check with the end user first. We found no UAE Embassy Manila statement saying it accepts an e-Apostille in place of the paper apostille. Until the Embassy confirms in writing, use the paper apostille on the PSA original for anything going to the UAE.

One apostille per document

The apostille is attached to a single public document. A diploma and a transcript are two documents; a CHED CAV relates to the school records it verifies. Count your documents before you budget: every apostilled document then becomes a separate item at the UAE Embassy and at MOFA. MOFA’s FAQ confirms that a degree certificate and its transcript are counted as two documents.

Stage 3: how does the UAE Embassy in Manila authenticate Philippine documents?

The UAE Embassy Manila authenticates the DFA apostille. This is the UAE’s first look at your document, and the stage that most online guides describe from memory. Here is what the Embassy’s pages on mofa.gov.ae have published.

PointPublished positionWhere
PrerequisiteAll documents “must bear the DFA Apostille”Embassy FAQ
FeePHP 2,350 per documentEmbassy FAQ (last published figure)
TimeAt least 3 to 5 working daysEmbassy FAQ
GroupingSeveral documents of the same cost band can go in one request under “Other Certificates”; a birth certificate (AED 150) and a commercial power of attorney (AED 2,000) “CAN NOT be grouped as one transaction”Embassy FAQ
How to applyAnnouncement titled “Attestation Services are now available only online” (2024)Embassy announcements page
Address9th Floor, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Tower 2, Paseo de Roxas corner Makati Avenue, Bel-Air, Makati City 1226Embassy home page
HoursMonday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday closedEmbassy home page
Contact+63 2 8822 1777; ManilaEMB@mofa.gov.ae; MOFA 24/7 line +971 800 44444Embassy home page

Online only, or counters too? What the pages say

The published guidance does not line up, and we would rather show you the conflict than pick a side.

  • The newer position: the Embassy published a 2024 notice titled “Attestation Services are now available only online”. On 10 October 2026 the “Attestation” link on the Embassy’s services page opens MOFA’s own attestation service, where documents issued outside the UAE are applied for online through the UAE Mission option, with UAE PASS.
  • The older wording: earlier FAQ answers listed three channels (W Express, VFS Services and online through MOFA), said DHL or Express would carry documents to the Embassy, and described an appointment by email for documents applied for online.
  • Hours: older FAQ text gave 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday. The Embassy home page now shows Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and does not show Friday hours.

Our reading: start the application online through MOFA’s website or app with UAE PASS, select that the document was issued outside the UAE, and follow the courier instructions the system gives you. MOFA’s own attestation page tells applicants with foreign-issued documents to “visit the website of the UAE Mission in your country of residence to confirm whether the service is available electronically”. Before anyone travels to Makati with originals, email ManilaEMB@mofa.gov.ae or call MOFA on +971 800 44444 and ask how the original is to be delivered.

Embassy pages that no longer load

On 24 September 2026 the Embassy’s FAQ, announcement and “about the embassy” pages returned a MOFA “unknown area” error, and on 10 October 2026 the FAQ and announcement addresses returned a 404 page. The PHP 2,350 fee, the 3 to 5 working days, the grouping rule and the DFA apostille requirement are therefore shown as last published on the Embassy FAQ. The Embassy home page (address, hours, contact) did load on 10 October 2026. MOFA’s online service shows the total fee before you pay, so treat that screen as the current figure.

The grouping rule, used properly

The grouping rule does not reduce the per-document fee; each document still carries its own PHP 2,350 and its own MOFA fee. What it saves is separate transactions, separate tracking numbers and the risk that a family’s documents come back on different days. Sort your file into two piles before you apply: personal documents (birth, marriage, degree, transcript, CENOMAR) and commercial documents (company powers of attorney, board resolutions, agreements). Each pile is its own transaction.

Stage 4: MOFA in the UAE

The UAE Embassy stamp is not the end. MOFA’s attestation is what UAE authorities check, and a file that stops at the Embassy looks finished but is not. MOFA’s service description says the service lets customers obtain “attestation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Mission in the destination country” for documents issued inside or outside the UAE.

PointMOFA’s published position
FeeAED 150 per personal document; AED 2,000 per commercial document (Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2022, in force 1 February 2023)
CountingDegree certificate and transcript are two documents
Log in“UAE PASS is required to sign in”
Inside the UAECourier route 1 to 3 business days; digital attestation within 2 hours applies to eligible UAE-issued digital documents, not Philippine paper originals
Outside the UAE“May take up to 7 business days, depending on the selected courier service provider” (MOFA attestation page, 10 October 2026; it said up to 15 in September)
ConditionOriginals, not laminated; information in the application must match the document; incomplete applications are rejected and cannot be edited afterwards
LanguageArabic or English, or with a legal translation
Help800 44444 in the UAE, +971 800 44444 from abroad

Philippine documents are almost always in English, so they rarely need translating for MOFA. A UAE court, notary or some government departments may still ask for an Arabic legal translation of an attested document. That translation must be made by a translator on the Ministry of Justice list (Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, Article 3), which our legal translation service in Dubai arranges.

How MOFA’s digital and courier routes work in detail, and how to verify a MOFA attestation, is covered step by step in our attestation process guide.

Philippine documents attestation, document by document

The UAE stages are identical for every personal document: PHP 2,350 at the Embassy and AED 150 at MOFA. What changes is the Philippine preparation, what the document is used for in the UAE, and the mistakes that go with it.

College diploma and transcript of records

Used forMOHRE work permits where a qualification sets the skill level, degree recognition, professional licensing, some Golden visa routes, teaching posts
Philippine stepsCertified true copies from the registrar; CHED CAV (private or local college) or the school’s own CAV (state university)
ThenDFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA
CountDiploma and transcript are two documents at the Embassy and at MOFA
WatchDiplomas in a maiden name; CAV requested from the wrong office; transcripts forgotten until an authority asks for them

Ask the receiving party whether they need the transcript at all before you pay for it. Many work permit files need only the degree certificate, while licensing bodies and teaching regulators often want both. The degree is also the document that gates everything else for a family: no work permit, no residence visa, no family visas. Our degree certificate attestation service takes a Philippine degree from the CHED stage to MOFA.

PSA birth certificate

Used forChild residence visas, school enrolment, adding a child to a sponsor’s file, Golden visa family members
Philippine stepsPSA-issued original; PSA-certified LCR copy for late or new registrations
ThenDFA apostille (paper, or e-Apostille only if the Embassy confirms), UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA
WatchLate registrations, annotations, QR entries that do not match, spellings that differ from the passport

A late-registered birth is not a problem in itself, but the record must have reached the PSA, and the DFA asks for a PSA-certified LCR copy for new registrations. If a child was born in the UAE, the birth certificate is a UAE document and follows the UAE route instead (issuing health authority, then MOFA); our birth certificate attestation service covers both situations.

PSA marriage certificate

Used forSponsoring a wife or husband, family visa renewals, linking a maiden-name degree to a married-name passport
Philippine stepsPSA-issued original
ThenDFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA
WatchReligious ceremonies never registered with the civil registrar; recent marriages not yet transmitted to the PSA

The marriage certificate often does two jobs. It is the document for spouse sponsorship, and it is the linking evidence for any document issued before the marriage in a different surname. A married woman with a pre-marriage diploma usually needs her marriage certificate attested even if she is not sponsoring anyone. If you married in the UAE, the certificate is a UAE document and follows the UAE route; our marriage certificate attestation service handles both.

NBI clearance

Some employers, licensing bodies and visa categories ask for a police clearance from the home country. For the Philippines that is the NBI clearance, which the DFA apostilles if it is the original with dry seal and verifiable online. The practical risk is timing: receiving parties often accept a clearance only within a set period after issue. Ask for their validity rule first, then work backwards, so the clearance is still fresh when it reaches them after the Embassy and MOFA.

PRC licence and board certificates

Nurses, teachers, engineers, pharmacists and other licensed professionals are usually asked for their Professional Regulation Commission documents alongside the degree: the licence, board rating or certificate of good standing. The DFA wants originals or PRC-certified true copies. Put them in the same Embassy request as the diploma and transcript, since they are in the same personal-document fee band, and give the licensing authority in the UAE the full set at once.

Commercial documents

Company powers of attorney, board resolutions, agency agreements and certificates of good standing follow the same route (notarisation and CANA where the document is private, then the DFA, the Embassy and MOFA), but MOFA charges AED 2,000 per commercial document, and the Embassy will not group them with personal documents. A power of attorney that mixes family and business matters may be classed as commercial. Our earlier version of this guide suggested a lower MOFA rate could apply to commercial documents already attested abroad; that claim has been removed, and the reasoning is in the correction note at the end.

Can Philippine documents be attested in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

Only the last stage. MOFA attestation is done in the UAE, online. The DFA apostille and the UAE Embassy Manila stage both happen in the Philippines, and the DFA lists no apostille service at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai. So attestation at the Philippine consulate in Dubai is not a step on the UAE route for a Philippine-issued degree or PSA certificate.

Many Filipino residents came to the UAE on a job that did not need attested documents, and discover the gap later: a promotion that needs a recognised degree, a family visa, a Golden visa application or a school place. The first thing to know is what cannot be done here.

The DFA apostille is issued in the Philippines

The DFA lists its apostille sites as DFA Aseana in Parañaque and its consular offices in the Philippines. We found no DFA page offering the apostille at a Philippine embassy or consulate abroad. The UAE Embassy Manila is, by definition, in Manila. So a Philippine document sitting in a drawer in Dubai has to travel back, or be replaced by a fresh PSA copy or school copy issued in the Philippines.

Your four options

OptionBest forWhat to watch
Home visit: run the chain yourself on leaveAnyone going home in the next few monthsDFA regular processing is five working days and the Embassy at least 3 to 5; plan the order and a courier back if leave is short
Representative in the Philippines: a relative or trusted personDegrees needing a CHED CAV, where someone must deal with the registrarCHED asks for a notarised authorisation with IDs of both parties; the DFA accepts walk-ins by immediate family with proof of kinship, and authorised representatives
Fresh PSA copy: ordered in the PhilippinesBirth, marriage and CENOMAR, where your existing copy is old or wornOrder the PSA copy, not an LCR copy, and have it delivered to your representative, not to Dubai
Courier authorised by youWhere no relative can helpThe DFA says applicants “may authorize a courier as his/her representative”; use a tracked service both ways

What the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai can do

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai are the Philippine government’s offices in the UAE. They do not replace the DFA apostille for a document issued in the Philippines, and they are not a stage in the UAE route for Philippine documents. Where they help is on the Philippine side of your arrangements, for example with the notarial formalities for an authorisation or special power of attorney you sign in the UAE for your representative, and with civil registry reports for births and marriages that took place in the UAE.

Their websites refused automated access when we checked on 24 September 2026, so we could not confirm their current service list, fees or appointment rules. Check directly with the post before relying on a document signed here, and ask the CHED office or DFA site your representative will use what form of authorisation it accepts from someone abroad.

Documents issued in the UAE are a different route

If the document was issued in the UAE (a Dubai birth certificate for your child, a UAE marriage contract, a UAE degree), it does not go through the DFA or the UAE Embassy Manila for use in the UAE. It goes through its UAE issuing authority and then MOFA, often by digital attestation within two hours. If it is going to the Philippines instead, the rules of the destination apply. Both routes are in our attestation process guide.

Attestation, degree recognition and licensing: three different things

Attestation proves your Philippine document is genuine. It does not say what your degree is worth in the UAE, and it does not let you practise a regulated profession. Filipino nurses, teachers and engineers often need all three, from three different authorities.

ProcessWho does itWhat it answers
AttestationCHED or the PSA, the DFA, the UAE Embassy Manila, MOFAIs the document genuine and properly issued?
Degree recognition (equivalency)Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) for university degreesIs the qualification recognised in the UAE, and at what level?
Professional licensingThe health or education regulator for your emirate and sectorMay this person practise here?

MoHESR’s current recognition rules (Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025: a genuine degree from an institution licensed or accredited when the degree was issued), its fee lines (AED 350 partner verification plus AED 50 report) and its 18 working days are explained in our MOHRE equivalency certificate guide. For a MOHRE work permit, u.ae text provided by MOHRE sets one test for skill levels 1 to 5: a certificate higher than secondary or its equivalent, attested, and a salary of at least AED 4,000. Start recognition and licensing as early as each authority allows; they usually take longer than the attestation itself.

How much does Philippines attestation for the UAE cost?

Four fee lines on this route are published and fixed per document. The rest (PSA copies, school certified true copies, notarisation, courier, representatives) are set by the provider and vary. Here are the published lines, with where each comes from.

StagePublished feeSource
CHED CAV (private or local college)PHP 80 per CAV; certified true copy PHP 30 per copyCHED Caraga CAV page, citing CHED Administrative Order No. 04, s. 2014
School certified true copies, DepEd or TESDA CAVSet by the school or office; not centrally publishedAsk the registrar or regional office
PSA copyPublished on PSA channels; varies by outlet and deliverypsa.gov.ph
DFA apostillePHP 100 regular (five working days); PHP 200 expedited (two working days)apostille.gov.ph FAQs
DFA e-Apostille (PSA documents only)PHP 200, plus PSA e-Certificate PHP 300apostille.gov.ph FAQs
UAE Embassy ManilaPHP 2,350 per document (last published figure)UAE Embassy Manila FAQ (no longer loads on 10 October 2026); MOFA’s application screen shows the current total
MOFA, personal documentAED 150MOFA FAQ; Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2022
MOFA, commercial documentAED 2,000MOFA FAQ; Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2022
Legal translation, if asked forTranslator’s priceMinistry of Justice listed translators

Worked totals from the published lines

These totals use only the published fees above. They leave out school copy fees, PSA fees, notarisation, couriers, representatives and any service fee, and they are shown in the currency in which each stage is paid, without conversion.

FileDocumentsCHED CAVDFA (regular)UAE EmbassyPhilippine side totalMOFA UAE
Nurse: diploma, transcript, PRC licence3PHP 80PHP 300PHP 7,050PHP 7,430AED 450
Family: marriage, two births, diploma, transcript5PHP 80PHP 500PHP 11,750PHP 12,330AED 750
One PSA birth certificate1nonePHP 100PHP 2,350PHP 2,450AED 150
One company power of attorney (commercial)1nonePHP 100PHP 2,350PHP 2,450AED 2,000

With expedited DFA processing the Philippine-side totals rise by PHP 100 per document: PHP 7,730 for the nurse, PHP 12,830 for the family and PHP 2,550 for a single document. The UAE Embassy fee is by far the largest Philippine-side line, which is why counting documents carefully, and not attesting ones nobody asked for, is where money is saved. The full cost picture for every country, including MOFA’s invoice lines, is in our attestation cost guide.

How long does Philippines attestation for the UAE take?

Three stages have published times. The rest depend on Philippine offices that do not publish a fixed time, or on couriers.

StagePublished timeWhat drives it
PSA copyNot fixed here; depends on outlet and deliveryWhether the record is clear, annotated or newly registered
School certified true copies and CHED CAVNot published on the CHED pages we readRegistrar endorsement, CHED validation, closed schools
DFA apostilleFive working days regular; two working days expeditedAppointment availability; DFA site
UAE Embassy ManilaAt least 3 to 5 working daysOnline application, delivery of the original
International courier to the UAEProvider’s timeCustoms and service level
MOFA1 to 3 business days by courier inside the UAE; up to 7 business days for the service outside the UAECourier provider
Philippines attestation UAE published times: DFA apostille 2 or 5 working days, UAE Embassy Manila at least 3 to 5 working days, MOFA 1 to 3 business days inside the UAE, up to 7 outside
Published stage times on the Philippine route. CHED, PSA and courier times are not published as fixed figures and are not shown.

Add the published times together and the fastest possible UAE-bound path from DFA to MOFA, with expedited DFA processing, is two working days at the DFA, three at the Embassy, courier time, and one at MOFA. Realistically, plan in weeks, not days, once document preparation, CHED and couriers are included. We do not give a guaranteed total, because the longest stages belong to offices we do not control.

Working backwards from a start date

  1. Start date or visa deadline: ask your employer or sponsor what must be in hand, and when.
  2. Work permit or visa application: needs the MOFA-attested documents, and for some roles MoHESR recognition.
  3. Recognition: MoHESR publishes 18 working days; licensing bodies set their own times.
  4. MOFA: 1 to 3 business days by courier once the documents are in the UAE.
  5. Courier from Manila: the provider’s time.
  6. UAE Embassy Manila: at least 3 to 5 working days.
  7. DFA apostille: two or five working days, plus the appointment wait.
  8. CHED CAV or PSA copy: the stage with the most uncertainty. Start here first.

Running a Philippine file from Dubai

It is entirely workable to attest Philippine documents while living in the UAE. It needs one person on the ground, one person owning the sequence, and very clear instructions.

You needWhy
A representative in the PhilippinesCHED works through the registrar and the DFA works with originals; someone must carry them
A notarised authorisation, with IDs of both partiesCHED Caraga lists it for representatives; the DFA accepts authorised representatives
A photo of your passport data pageSo the representative can check spellings on every PSA copy and school record before it is used
A written list of which version of each documentPSA copy, not LCR copy; CHED CAV or school CAV; certified true copies
A UAE PASS accountMOFA requires UAE PASS to sign in; the online Embassy application is made through MOFA’s system
Tracked courier both waysOriginals cross a border; replacing a diploma is the Philippine institution’s timeline, not yours
Before your relative queues anywhere

Send them three things in one message: a photo of your passport data page, a photo of exactly which document you need (a PSA copy looks different from a local civil registrar copy), and the list of stages. The two failures that waste a trip are the wrong version of a certificate and a name difference nobody spotted.

Where Philippine files go wrong, and how to fix them

ProblemWhy it failsFix
No DFA apostilleThe UAE Embassy authenticates the DFA’s seal; without it there is nothing to authenticateDFA apostille first, always
Local civil registrar copy instead of the PSA copyThe DFA requires the PSA or NSO issued originalOrder the PSA copy; use an LCR copy only where the DFA asks for it
QR details do not match the printed documentThe DFA requires that PSA QR entries matchResolve with the PSA or civil registrar before the DFA
Private college degree without a CHED CAVThe DFA requires a CHED CAV for private and local collegesRegistrar endorsement, then CHED CAV, then DFA
State university graduate sent to CHEDState universities issue their own CAVAsk the university registrar for the school CAV
Transcript left outLicensing or recognition asks for it later; a second full chainAsk the receiving party at the start; attest both together if needed
Personal and commercial documents in one Embassy requestDifferent cost bands “CAN NOT be grouped as one transaction”Two separate requests
Travelling to Makati without confirmingThe Embassy announced an online-only service; older FAQ answers mention countersApply online; email the Embassy about delivery of originals
Stopping after the EmbassyMOFA is still required for use in the UAEBudget AED 150 per personal document and 1 to 3 business days
Laminated diploma or PSA copyMOFA will not attest laminated documentsOrder a new copy or certified true copy; never laminate
e-Apostille sent to the EmbassyThe DFA warns not every country accepts it; no Embassy statement foundUse the paper apostille unless the Embassy confirms in writing
Assuming attestation equals recognitionRecognition is a MoHESR service; licensing is separate againStart recognition and licensing in parallel

Names: the problem attestation cannot fix

Philippine documents usually show a given name, a middle name (traditionally the mother’s maiden surname) and a surname. Passports and foreign systems do not always carry the middle name the same way, and a married woman’s documents can span her maiden and married surnames. Attestation confirms that a document is genuine. It does not say the document is yours.

So where names differ, you need either a correction by the issuing authority (CHED Caraga lists a certification of name correction as an optional CAV document), or linking evidence that runs through its own chain, usually the PSA marriage certificate. Lay every document beside your passport and compare letter by letter before anything is paid. It takes ten minutes and prevents the failure that is hardest to fix from Dubai.

What circulates online that is not true

ClaimWhat the official pages say
“The UAE does not accept apostilles, so skip the DFA.”The UAE Embassy Manila requires the DFA apostille on every document before it authenticates.
“The Philippines is an apostille country, so the DFA apostille is enough for Dubai.”The UAE is not on the HCCH status table; the UAE Embassy and MOFA stages are still needed.
“You still need a red ribbon.”The red ribbon was replaced by the apostille when the Convention entered into force for the Philippines on 14 May 2019.
“Any certified copy of a birth certificate will do.”The DFA requires the PSA or NSO issued original; LCR copies only in defined cases.
“Every degree needs a CHED CAV.”State universities and colleges issue their own CAV; DepEd and TESDA records need their own regional CAV.
“Grouping documents at the Embassy cuts the fee.”Grouping puts same-band documents in one transaction; each document still carries its fee.
“The Philippine Consulate in Dubai can apostille your PSA certificate.”The DFA lists its apostille sites in the Philippines; we found no apostille service at posts abroad.
“A commercial document already attested abroad costs AED 150 at MOFA.”Not on MOFA’s current FAQ or fee lookup for foreign-issued commercial documents, which show AED 2,000.
“Attested means recognised.”Recognition of a university degree is a separate MoHESR service.
“You can check it at verify.mofa.gov.ae only.”MOFA also offers UAE PASS “verify the document”, using the attestation reference number and issue date.

Philippines attestation UAE checklist: before you start

  1. Ask the receiving party exactly which documents they need attested, and whether transcripts are included.
  2. Check that every PSA document is a PSA-issued original and that its QR details match.
  3. Check which CAV applies to each school record: CHED, the state university, DepEd or TESDA.
  4. Compare every name and date with your passport, including middle names and surnames.
  5. Make sure nothing is laminated, trimmed or damaged.
  6. Sort documents into personal and commercial piles for the Embassy.
  7. Book the DFA appointment and decide regular or expedited processing.
  8. Set up UAE PASS and confirm with the Embassy how originals are delivered.
  9. Decide whether recognition (MoHESR) or professional licensing is also needed, and start it early.
  10. Scan every document, front and back, before it leaves your hands, and keep every reference number.

Philippines attestation UAE: five illustrative cases

These are illustrative cases, built from common situations; they are not the records of named clients. The figures are the published ones.

1. A nurse with a hospital offer in Dubai

Situation. A nurse from a private college in the Visayas has an offer from a Dubai hospital. The employer asks for the diploma, transcript and PRC licence, attested. What was needed. Certified true copies from the registrar, a CHED CAV, DFA apostilles on three documents, one UAE Embassy request for all three (same fee band), then MOFA. Published fees. CAV PHP 80, DFA PHP 300 regular, Embassy PHP 7,050, MOFA AED 450. The lesson. The licensing application was started at the same time as the CHED stage, not after MOFA. Licensing is usually the longest thread; attestation should never be what everyone waits for.

2. A PSA birth certificate that came back from the DFA

Situation. A father in Abu Dhabi asked his sister in Manila to “get the birth certificate apostilled” for his daughter’s school admission. She collected a copy from the city civil registrar and took it to the DFA. What happened. The DFA asks for the PSA or NSO issued original; an LCR copy is used only where PSA entries are unclear. What fixed it. A PSA copy was ordered, the QR details checked against the printed entries and the child’s passport, then the DFA apostille, the Embassy and MOFA. The lesson. Send your representative a photo of what a PSA copy looks like. “Get my birth certificate” is not enough.

3. A diploma in a maiden name, a passport in a married name

Situation. An accountant’s diploma and transcript show her maiden surname; her passport shows her married surname. She is not sponsoring anyone. What was needed. The PSA marriage certificate, run through its own chain (DFA, Embassy, MOFA) as linking evidence, grouped in the same Embassy request as the diploma and transcript. Published fees. DFA PHP 300, Embassy PHP 7,050, MOFA AED 450 for the three documents, plus the CHED CAV. The lesson. The marriage certificate belongs in the file from the start, not after the degree has been questioned.

4. A family already living in Dubai

Situation. A resident in Dubai for six years is promoted into a role at a higher skill level and wants to sponsor his wife and two children. His documents are in the Philippines. What was needed. Diploma and transcript (CHED CAV), PSA marriage certificate and two PSA birth certificates: five documents. A notarised authorisation for his brother, who handled CHED and the DFA. One personal-document request at the Embassy. Published fees. CAV PHP 80, DFA PHP 500 regular, Embassy PHP 11,750, MOFA AED 750. The lesson. One person owning the sequence, and one message with the passport photos and a list of exact versions, saved the family a second round.

5. A company power of attorney for a Dubai branch

Situation. A Philippine company needs a power of attorney for its manager in Dubai. It was sent to the Embassy in the same request as the manager’s birth certificate. What happened. The Embassy FAQ says a birth certificate and a commercial power of attorney “CAN NOT be grouped as one transaction”. What fixed it. Notarisation and CANA, DFA apostille, then two separate Embassy transactions. MOFA charged AED 2,000 for the power of attorney and AED 150 for the birth certificate. The lesson. Split personal and commercial documents before applying, and budget the commercial MOFA rate.

Your situation looks like one of these cases? Tell us which one, and we will check your documents against it.

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How to verify every figure in this guide

Figure or ruleWhere to check itWhat to look for
DFA apostille PHP 100 and PHP 200, five and two working daysapostille.gov.ph, FAQsThe fee question and release times
e-Apostille PHP 200 plus PSA e-Certificate PHP 300apostille.gov.ph, FAQsThe e-Apostille section
PSA original; CHED, school, DepEd and TESDA CAV rules; NBI, PRC, CANAapostille.gov.ph, documentary requirementsThe requirement for each document type
CHED CAV PHP 80, CTC PHP 30CHED Caraga, “How to apply for CAV”The fees line citing CHED AO 04, s. 2014
Philippines in force 14 May 2019; UAE not a partyHCCH Apostille Convention status tableThe Philippines row; absence of the UAE
DFA apostille required; PHP 2,350; 3 to 5 working days; groupingUAE Embassy Manila FAQ, as last published (the page no longer loads); MOFA’s application screen for the current feeThe attestation questions
Online applicationMOFA attestation service page; the Embassy’s services page links to itThe route for documents issued outside the UAE through a UAE Mission
Embassy address and hoursUAE Embassy Manila home pageThe contact block
MOFA AED 150 and AED 2,000; degree and transcript two documentsMOFA FAQ; Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2022Fee answers
MOFA 1 to 3 business days; up to 7 outside the UAE; UAE PASSMOFA attestation service pageService completion duration
MoHESR recognitionMoHESR service card; our equivalency guideFee and time fields
Legal translation by listed translatorsFederal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, Article 3The rule on listed translators
Correction/Update, 10 October 2026

(1) MOFA’s attestation page now says the courier route outside the UAE may take up to 7 business days, not up to 15; the stage table, the time table and both charts are corrected. (2) The UAE Embassy Manila FAQ and its online-only announcement no longer load (404), so those source links were replaced with the Embassy’s services page, and the PHP 2,350 Embassy fee is labelled as the last published figure. (3) The UAE Embassy in Riyadh comparison was removed because its page no longer loads. Re-checked the same day with no change: DFA apostille PHP 100 and PHP 200 (apostille.gov.ph and the HCCH competent authority page), CHED CAV PHP 80 and certified true copy PHP 30, the HCCH status table (Philippines in force 14 May 2019; the UAE not a party), MOFA AED 150 and AED 2,000 with degree and transcript counted as two documents, and the Embassy’s address and hours.

Correction/Update, 24 September 2026

This guide has been rewritten. Changes to earlier statements: (1) the claim that a commercial document already attested outside the UAE is charged AED 150 at MOFA has been removed: MOFA’s current FAQ and fee lookup show AED 2,000 for foreign-issued commercial documents; (2) degree recognition is now attributed to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, not the Ministry of Education, and the “2023 relaxations” with a medicine and engineering carve-out have been replaced by Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025 (see our equivalency guide); (3) the three submission channels (W Express, VFS, online) are now shown alongside the Embassy’s 2024 announcement that attestation is available only online; (4) the Embassy’s hours are updated to its current home page (Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday; (5) Philippine-side requirements and fees previously left out are now included from the DFA and CHED (PSA original, CHED and school CAV rules, DFA PHP 100 or 200, CHED CAV PHP 80); (6) verification now includes UAE PASS “verify the document” as well as verify.mofa.gov.ae.

What we will and will not do

We willWe will not
Tell you which stages each document has reached and which are missingPromise a finish date that depends on CHED, the PSA, the DFA or the Embassy
Quote government, DFA and Embassy fees at cost, and our fee separately in writingHide our fee inside a “per document” package price
Write clear instructions for your representative in the PhilippinesSubmit a document with a name that does not match your passport and hope it passes
File the UAE-side stages and verify the resultUse anything but the official route, or offer to “skip” a stage
Tell you when you can do it yourself on a home visitAttest documents nobody has asked for, to increase the file
Point you to the official page for every figureGive legal advice on court documents, annulments or inheritance
Want the Philippine stages and the UAE side handled as one file, with every fee shown before you pay? Start on WhatsApp.

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Philippines attestation UAE: frequently asked questions

Do I need a DFA apostille for the UAE, and is it enough?

You need it, and it is not enough. The UAE Embassy Manila requires all documents for authentication to bear the DFA apostille. But an apostille only replaces legalisation between two parties to the Apostille Convention: the Philippines joined on 14 May 2019, and the UAE is not on the HCCH status table. So after the DFA come the UAE Embassy Manila and MOFA attestation in the UAE (AED 150 per personal document). A file that stops at the Embassy stamp is still incomplete.

Do I need a CHED CAV for my degree?

If you graduated from a private college or a local university or college, yes: the DFA asks for certified true copies from the school and a CAV from CHED. If you graduated from a state university or college, the CAV comes from the school itself. High school records need a DepEd regional office CAV, and vocational records a TESDA regional office CAV. Ask your registrar which applies before you start.

Which birth or marriage certificate copy do I need?

The PSA-issued original. The DFA’s requirement for civil registry documents is the original issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority or the National Statistics Office, and the PSA QR entries must match the printed details. A local civil registrar copy is only used where PSA entries are unclear, and for newly registered records it must be certified by PSA.

How much does the DFA apostille cost and how long does it take?

The DFA publishes PHP 100 per document for regular processing, released after five working days, and PHP 200 for expedited processing, released after two working days. The e-Apostille for PSA documents costs PHP 200 plus the PSA e-Certificate fee of PHP 300. Book through appointment.apostille.gov.ph, or use the walk-in rules for document owners, immediate family and authorised representatives.

Will the UAE Embassy Manila accept an e-Apostille?

We found no statement from the UAE Embassy Manila saying it does. The DFA itself warns that not all countries accept an e-Apostille and some still want the paper apostille and the underlying document. For anything going to the UAE, use the paper apostille on the PSA original unless the Embassy confirms in writing that an e-Apostille is acceptable.

How much does the UAE Embassy Manila charge, and how long does it take?

The Embassy’s FAQ last published PHP 2,350 per document and at least 3 to 5 working days; that page no longer loads, and MOFA’s online application shows the current total before you pay. Several documents of the same cost band can be grouped in one request, but each still carries its own fee. MOFA’s attestation in the UAE is a separate AED 150 per personal document or AED 2,000 per commercial document.

Can I walk in to the UAE Embassy Manila for attestation?

Do not assume so. A 2024 Embassy announcement is titled “Attestation Services are now available only online”, while older FAQ answers mention W Express, VFS and email appointments. Apply online through MOFA’s website or app with UAE PASS, and email ManilaEMB@mofa.gov.ae or call +971 800 44444 to confirm how the original is delivered before anyone travels to Makati.

Can the Philippine Consulate in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi apostille my documents?

We found no DFA page offering the apostille at Philippine posts abroad; the DFA lists DFA Aseana and its consular offices in the Philippines. The Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai can help with Philippine-side formalities, such as an authorisation you sign here for your representative. Confirm their current services directly, as their websites did not load for us.

My documents are in Dubai. How do I get them attested?

Send them back to a representative in the Philippines by tracked courier, or order a fresh PSA copy there. Your representative handles CHED and the DFA with a notarised authorisation; the DFA also accepts immediate family with proof of kinship and authorised couriers. Then apply online for the UAE Embassy stage, and complete MOFA once the documents reach the UAE.

My name on the diploma differs from my passport. What should I do?

Attestation confirms a document is genuine, not that it is yours. Where the difference is a marriage, attest your PSA marriage certificate as linking evidence in the same request. Where it is a spelling error, ask the registrar for a certification of name correction, which CHED lists as an optional CAV document. Fix it before the DFA stage, not after.

Does an attested Philippine degree count as recognised in the UAE?

No. Attestation proves the document is genuine. Recognition of a university degree is a separate service of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, currently AED 350 partner verification plus AED 50 report and 18 working days on its service card. Professional licensing by the health or education regulator is separate again. Our equivalency guide covers recognition in detail.

Can MIRDXB PRO handle Philippines attestation for me, and what does it cost?

Yes. We check which stages each document has reached, write the instructions for your representative in the Philippines, file the UAE Embassy and MOFA stages online, and verify the result. DFA, Embassy and MOFA fees are passed on at cost with receipts. Our service charge for the UAE MOFA step is AED 250 per attestation, on top of MOFA’s fee; for the other stages our fee depends on the number of documents and the stages left, and it is quoted in writing before we start. Send photos on WhatsApp to begin.

Getting Philippine documents through CHED, the PSA, the DFA, the UAE Embassy and MOFA, and then into the visa, permit or licence they are for, is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles from Al Barsha. You can also contact us directly.

Please note. This guide sets out the procedures, fees and times published by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, CHED, the PSA, the UAE Embassy Manila, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MoHESR and the HCCH, verified 24 September 2026; DFA and CHED fees, the HCCH status table, MOFA fees and times and the UAE Embassy Manila pages re-checked 10 October 2026. They can change, and each authority’s own screen and decision are final. Where official pages differ, as on the Embassy’s channels and hours, both positions are shown; where a page could not be opened on the day, we say so. The cases are built from common situations and are illustrative, not the records of named clients. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Mir Ali

Written by

Mir Ali

Mir Ali founded MIRDXB PRO, a PRO and visa services firm in Al Barsha, Dubai. Over the past three years he has personally handled more than 100 visa, Emirates ID, labour and company files across MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP and DET, and he reviews every guide on this site against those real cases.

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