Document Attestation
Marriage certificate attestation Dubai
Mandatory before any spouse sponsorship, and usually the critical path on the whole file. Plus the name mismatch that fails applications at the very last step.
Official fees fromAED 150at cost, line by line
- 7Government authorities we file with
- 0%Mark-up on government fees
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- 200+Guides, updated as rules change
- 1Named officer on your file, start to finish
The government entities your application is processed through
We prepare and submit applications on your written authorisation. MIRDXB PRO is a private service provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of any authority shown. Names and logos belong to their owners and are shown for identification only.
Official fees
What the authorities charge, line by line
Official fees for Marriage Certificate Attestation start from
AED 150
One marriage certificate issued abroad, home-country and UAE Embassy stamps done, MOFA attestation
- Official fee cards, linked line by line
- Paid at cost, receipts handed over
- Your total confirmed in writing first
Marriage certificate, UAE stage
Civil certificate issued abroad · embassy stamp done
OfficialAED 150
Get this quotedSee all 1 fee lines and sources
Marriage certificate, UAE stage: official fees MOFA attestation, personal document issued outside the UAE (AED 150) MOFA AED 150 Official fees AED 150 Marriage and child's birth certificate
2 personal documents issued abroad
OfficialAED 300
Get this quotedSee all 1 fee lines and sources
Marriage and child's birth certificate: official fees MOFA attestation, personal document issued outside the UAE x 2 (AED 150 each) MOFA AED 300 Official fees AED 300
Home-country stages (issuing body, notary or state authentication, foreign ministry or apostille) and the UAE Embassy or Consulate stamp abroad are set by each country or mission, not by a UAE fee schedule, so we quote them per document. Arabic legal translation, the family visa fees and our own service fee are quoted separately. Fees are set by each authority and can change without notice; we confirm the current figure on your quote.
Work out a visa total in the fee calculator or see how we price our own fee.
The short version
- An attested marriage certificate is required to sponsor a husband or wife in the UAE. ICP lists an "attested marriage contract" as the proof of kinship.
- The chain starts in the country that issued it, so if you are not yet in the UAE, do this before you fly.
- Only the last step is done here: UAE MOFA, AED 150, online only, 1 to 3 business days by courier inside the UAE.
- Names must match the passports exactly. This is the most common failure, and it surfaces at the very end.
In short: A marriage certificate issued abroad must be attested in order before it can support a UAE spouse visa: the issuing registry or a notary, the home country's foreign ministry, the UAE Embassy in that country, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). An apostille never replaces the UAE Embassy and MOFA stages, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. MOFA charges AED 150 per personal document, online only, and takes 1 to 3 business days inside the UAE or up to 7 from abroad. Translation into Arabic, where needed, comes after attestation. A marriage contract issued by a UAE court needs none of the foreign stages.
When a spouse sponsorship stalls, the marriage certificate is very often the reason. Either it was never attested, or it was attested out of order, or the names on it do not match the passports.
Do you need marriage certificate attestation for a UAE spouse visa?
Yes, if the marriage was registered outside the UAE. The marriage certificate is the legal proof of the relationship you are sponsoring. ICP lists an attested marriage contract as the proof of kinship for a resident's spouse, and GDRFA Dubai asks for a marriage contract certified by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs when a husband opens a sponsor file for his wife. A photocopy, an unattested original, or a document that has not been through the chain is not accepted, because attestation is what makes a foreign document verifiable to a UAE authority. Our document attestation service explains how the full chain works for every document type.
Married in the UAE? A marriage contract issued by a UAE court, or a civil marriage certificate from the Dubai Courts or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, is a UAE document. It does not go through a foreign ministry or a UAE Embassy, and it is issued in Arabic or in Arabic and English. MOFA attestation of a UAE-issued certificate matters mainly when you need to use it in another country.
Attestation sits outside the visa timeline. A family visa takes two to four weeks from a complete file; attestation can add four to ten. If it has not begun, it is your critical path, not the visa.
How do you attest a marriage certificate for the UAE?
1. Issuing authority
The civil registry, court or authority that issued or registered the marriage provides the original or certified copy, and confirms it where that country requires it.
2. Home country authentication
Notary or state-level authentication, where the jurisdiction requires it before the foreign ministry will act. For Indian documents this is the state authentication step before MEA.
3. Home country Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Attests the preceding seals and signatures. In apostille countries such as the Philippines and the United Kingdom, this stage is the apostille.
4. UAE Embassy or Consulate in that country
Connects the foreign chain to the UAE system. This link is done by the UAE mission in that country, and it is not skipped for apostilled documents. Some missions offer one digital application covering this stage and MOFA together.
5. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The final link. Applied for online on the MOFA website or app with UAE PASS, with an approved courier collecting the original. AED 150, and 1 to 3 business days inside the UAE.
6. Legal translation into Arabic, where needed
After attestation, by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. A translation prepared first will not carry the stamps and must be redone. A certificate in neither Arabic nor English needs an official translation before MOFA will accept it.
From India, Pakistan, the Philippines or the UK
- India: state authentication, then the Ministry of External Affairs. MEA uses normal attestation, not an apostille, for countries outside the Hague Convention such as the UAE. Then the UAE Embassy in New Delhi or a UAE consulate, then MOFA.
- Pakistan: a marriage registration certificate issued by the competent authority, then Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the UAE mission in Pakistan, then MOFA. Pakistan joined the Apostille Convention in 2023, but an apostille alone still does not work for the UAE.
- Philippines: a PSA-issued original, the DFA apostille, the UAE Embassy in Manila, then MOFA. See our Philippine documents attestation guide.
- United Kingdom: a certified copy from the register office or GRO, the FCDO apostille, the UAE Embassy in London, then MOFA.
Whatever the country, the order is fixed. The UAE has not joined the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille never replaces the UAE Embassy and MOFA stages on its own. Our apostille vs attestation guide explains the rule country by country.
The name problem
This deserves its own section because it causes more late-stage failures than the chain itself.
| Issue | What happens | Fix before starting |
|---|---|---|
| Wife's maiden name on the certificate, married name on the passport | Relationship cannot be matched | Supporting evidence linking both names |
| Different transliteration of an Arabic or Urdu name | Treated as a different person | Affidavit or corrected document |
| Middle name present on one document, absent on the other | Query raised on the visa application | Consistency check before submission |
| Religious certificate only, never registered with the authority | Cannot enter the chain | Register the marriage and obtain the official certificate first |
Put the marriage certificate next to both passports and compare the names character by character. If anything differs, deal with it now: discovering it after four links of attestation is expensive and slow.
How much does marriage certificate attestation cost in the UAE?
The UAE part is fixed: MOFA charges AED 150 per personal document, and a marriage certificate is a personal document. The fee is set by Cabinet Resolution No. 38 of 2022 and listed in MOFA's FAQs. The larger costs are incurred abroad and differ by country.
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UAE MOFA attestation | AED 150 | Government fee per personal document |
| UAE Embassy stamp abroad | Set by the mission | Not part of the AED 150; paid in the issuing country |
| Home country registry, notary and foreign ministry | Varies | Set by each country; agency charges where the ministry only accepts documents through agencies |
| Legal translation into Arabic | AED 250 to 400 | Typical market rate, not a government fee |
| Our service charge, UAE MOFA step | AED 250 | Per certificate, on top of MOFA's AED 150; any home-country stages we coordinate are quoted in writing |
Our service charge for the UAE MOFA step is AED 250 per certificate, so a certificate already attested abroad costs AED 400 in total with us (AED 250 + MOFA's AED 150). Any home-country stages are quoted per certificate after seeing what is already on it, because a certificate that already carries two stamps costs far less to finish than one that has none. Government and embassy fees pass through at cost, with our handling stated separately. For country-by-country figures see the MOFA attestation page and the attestation cost guide.
What we need to quote you
Send photographs showing
- The marriage certificate, front and back
- Any stamps or attestation stickers already applied, legible
- Both passports, photo pages
- Where it was issued and roughly when
- Whether the certificate is a registered civil certificate or a religious one
How long does marriage certificate attestation take?
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Issuing authority verification | 3 days to 3 weeks |
| Home authentication and foreign ministry | 1 to 3 weeks |
| UAE Embassy abroad | 3 days to 2 weeks |
| UAE MOFA | 1 to 3 business days inside the UAE; up to 7 from abroad |
| Legal translation | 1 to 3 working days |
| End to end | 4 to 10 weeks |
The MOFA times are MOFA's own published processing times; the earlier stages are typical ranges and depend on the country and the mission's workload. MOFA's 2-hour digital route applies only to eligible UAE-issued digital documents, not to a paper certificate from abroad.
What happens next
Once attested and translated, the certificate supports the spouse sponsorship application. You will also need the salary and accommodation gates cleared: AED 4,000 monthly salary (or AED 3,000 with employer housing) and a registered Ejari tenancy or title deed. GDRFA Dubai's entry permit for a family member costs AED 200 plus 5% VAT, about AED 210, before the residence, Emirates ID and medical lines.
We run attestation and the visa file together so they overlap rather than queue. See the family residence visa page for the full cost table, dependent visa sponsorship for the requirements, or the salary requirement explained if you are unsure whether you qualify. If the certificate needs translating, our legal translation service covers it.
MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO and visa services company in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. We are not MOFA or an embassy. We check the certificate and its stamps, arrange the stages abroad through the official channels, and submit the MOFA application and the visa file for you.
Marriage certificate attestation questions
Do I need to attest my marriage certificate for a UAE spouse visa?
Yes, if it was issued outside the UAE. ICP lists an attested marriage contract as the proof of kinship for a spouse, and an unattested certificate or photocopy is not accepted. The chain must be completed in the correct order.
How much does marriage certificate attestation cost in the UAE?
The UAE MOFA fee is AED 150 per personal document. The home country stages and the UAE Embassy stamp abroad are charged separately and vary by country, and a legal translation typically costs AED 250 to 400 at market rates. Our service charge for the UAE MOFA step is AED 250 per certificate, on top of MOFA's fee.
How long does marriage certificate attestation take?
Four to ten weeks end to end, depending on the issuing country. The UAE MOFA step itself takes 1 to 3 business days inside the UAE, or up to 7 business days when applied for from abroad. Attestation runs outside the visa timeline and is usually the critical path on a spouse sponsorship file.
Can I attest my marriage certificate from within the UAE?
Only the final UAE MOFA attestation link. The issuing authority, home country authentication and UAE Embassy links must be completed in the country that issued the certificate, so the original often has to be couriered back.
Can marriage certificate attestation be done online?
The UAE MOFA step is online only: you apply on the MOFA website or app with UAE PASS, and an approved courier collects the original. MOFA has no walk-in counters. Whether the earlier stages can be done online depends on the issuing country and the UAE mission there.
We married in the UAE. Does our marriage certificate need attestation?
Not the foreign chain. A marriage contract issued by a UAE court, or a civil marriage certificate from the Dubai Courts or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, is a UAE document and is issued in Arabic or in Arabic and English. MOFA attestation of a UAE certificate is mainly needed to use it in another country.
Does an apostille replace attestation for the UAE?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostilled marriage certificate still needs the UAE Embassy stamp in the issuing country and then UAE MOFA. In apostille countries, the apostille is the stamp the UAE mission certifies next.
My wife's name differs between the certificate and her passport. Is that a problem?
Yes, and it is the most common late-stage failure. Maiden versus married name, different transliterations, or a middle name on one document but not the other all raise queries. Resolve it before starting attestation, not after.
Is a religious marriage certificate accepted?
Generally not on its own. The chain verifies an official's signature, so it starts from a certificate issued or registered by the competent authority in that country, such as a PSA-issued certificate in the Philippines. If you hold only a religious certificate, register the marriage and obtain the official certificate first.
Do I translate before or after attestation?
After. A translation prepared beforehand will not carry the attestation stamps and will generally have to be redone. Use a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice.
- MOFA UAE: Documents attestation (channels, conditions, processing times)
- MOFA UAE: FAQs (AED 150 personal documents, no customer happiness centres)
- MOFA UAE: Attestation guide
- MOFA UAE: Verify an attested document
- ICP: Issuing residency permit (attested marriage contract as proof of kinship)
- GDRFA Dubai: Entry visa for residence without work, family (certified marriage contract, AED 200 + VAT)
- GDRFA Dubai: Sponsor file registration (marriage contract certified by UAE MOFA)
- u.ae: Residence visa for family members (AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation)
- u.ae: Marriage as per the Sharia law (foreign documents attested and translated by an authorised translator)
- UAE Ministry of Justice: Search for legal translators (Arabic)
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
- India MEA: Attestation and apostille (normal attestation for non-Hague countries)
Please note. The MOFA fee, online-only channel and processing times were re-checked against mofa.gov.ae on 10 to 11 October 2026; the proof-of-kinship and income rules against ICP, GDRFA Dubai and u.ae on 11 October 2026; and the UAE's apostille status against the HCCH status table (last updated 30 June 2026). Fees can change; the MOFA and GDRFA payment screens are final. Requirements vary by issuing country. MIRDXB PRO is a private company, not a government body. General information, not legal advice.
Deadlines
The dates that cost money if you miss them
30 days
To register a birth in the UAE
Residents have a maximum of 30 days to register a birth, and the hospital or health authority asks for an attested marriage certificate, in Arabic or with an Arabic translation. u.ae
120 days
From birth to finish a UAE-born baby's papers
The attested birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and residence visa must be done within 120 days of birth; u.ae states AED 100 a day after that and the baby cannot leave the UAE. u.ae
Why MIRDXB PRO
Checked first. Filed right. Priced in writing.
We check before we quote
ILOE, WPS, company category, card validity, overstay and attestation, all checked on day one.
Government fees at cost
Published fees passed through unchanged. Our fee is separate, fixed and in writing before you commit.
Filed at the right counter
Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE, ICP or the owning authority, in the order the authorities need it.
We tell you when the answer is no
We would rather lose the work than lodge something that fails.
How it works
From first message to final stamp, in four steps
- 01
Tell us what you need
One WhatsApp message or call about your situation.
About 30 seconds - 02
We check and quote
File checks first, then government fees, our fee and the timeline in writing.
Before anything is paid - 03
We file it
Submitted at Amer, Tasheel, MOHRE or the owning authority, in the right order.
24h target to submit urgent files - 04
Done, with updates
Progress on WhatsApp at every stage until the file is closed.
Named officer throughout
Knowledge Hub
Read before you apply
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- MOFA AttestationThe final UAE stamp that completes an overseas document.Official fees from AED 150
- Degree Certificate AttestationThe full chain plus MOHRE equivalency — sequenced so nothing is wasted.Official fees from AED 150
- Birth Certificate AttestationRequired for child sponsorship — and both parents must be named on it.Official fees from AED 150
- Legal TranslationMOJ-certified Arabic translation — after attestation, never before.
- Document AttestationDegree, marriage and birth certificates, sequenced correctly.Official fees from AED 150
Fixed quote
Get Marriage Certificate Attestation handled
Send us your situation. We confirm what applies to your file, the published government fees and our own fee, in writing, before anything is paid.
- WhatsApp+971 56 897 4054
- Call+971 56 897 4054
- Emailinfo@mirdxbpro.com
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- OfficeAl Barsha 1, Dubai, UAE
Get your fixed quote
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Prefer to talk now? WhatsApp +971 56 897 4054 or email info@mirdxbpro.com.
MIRDXB PRO is a private PRO services company acting solely on the written authorisation of its clients. We are not a government body and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official agent of GDRFA Dubai, ICP, MOHRE, MOFA, Amer, Tasheel or any other authority. Government fees are passed on at cost; our own fee is quoted in writing before we start. Fees, eligibility rules and processing times are set by the relevant authority and can change without notice. This page is general information, not legal advice.