The UAE does not accept UK apostilles alone. Because the UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, every UK document intended for use in the UAE must go through a three-stage legalisation process. From early 2025, the UAE Embassy in London introduced a fully digital attestation system, replacing traditional ink stamps with electronic processing connected directly to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here is how the process works, stage by stage.
Stage 1 - Solicitor or Notary Certification (Where Required)
Private documents - including degree certificates, employer letters, professional qualifications and most business documents - must be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before any further steps. Civil registration documents such as birth and marriage certificates issued by the GRO, a local registry office, the National Records of Scotland, or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland do not require solicitor certification and can proceed directly to Stage 2. ACRO police certificates bearing a wet ink signature can also proceed directly. Personal documents including birth, marriage and death certificates must be submitted in their original form throughout the entire process.
Stage 2 - FCDO Apostille
Once in the correct format, the document is submitted to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for apostille. The apostille is mandatory - the UAE Embassy will not accept any document without a valid UK apostille attached. Documents must be apostilled individually. Bundled apostilles are not accepted by the UAE Embassy under any circumstances. Standard FCDO postal processing costs £45 per document and takes around ten working days.
Stage 3 - UAE Embassy Digital Attestation (London)
The apostilled document is then submitted to the UAE Embassy in London. The Embassy scans the document, applies a digital attestation electronically, and approves it for MOFA certification. Physical stamps and stickers are no longer used. The UAE Embassy does not offer an expedited service - standard processing takes approximately eight to ten working days. During Ramadan and Eid, delays are common and additional time should be factored in.
Stage 4 - MOFA Digital Attestation (UAE)
Following Embassy approval, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs completes the final legalisation step. MOFA issues a digital attestation certificate as a secure PDF, emailed directly to the applicant. This digital MOFA certificate is fully recognised across the UAE for work visas, immigration, company formation, banking and education purposes. The physical document with the apostille attached is also returned.
Total timeline
Between FCDO apostille processing and UAE Embassy attestation, the full process typically takes three to four weeks from the point documents are ready for submission. Allow more time if solicitor certification or replacement documents are also required. Call our team on +44 204 646 9400 to confirm the full requirements for your specific documents and manage the process.