Document legalization for the UAE: essential for entrepreneurs.

Consular legalization of documents for the UAE is referred to in requirements and official documents as "Embassy Attestation Dubai." It is required when there is a need to submit certificates, diplomas, notarial deeds, court decisions, and other documents to the governmental authorities of the United Arab Emirates.

Apostille or Consular Legalization?

Apostille certifies the authenticity of signatures on notarial deeds, court decisions, certificates, diplomas within the territory of countries that are members of the Hague Convention. Documents with an apostille are accepted in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Iceland, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland, France, and other countries, but the UAE is not included in this list. For documents from Russia to be presented in the UAE, consular legalization is required.

How to Obtain Consular Legalization for the UAE

Legalization gives documents legal significance for other countries. Without it, personal and commercial documentation will be considered invalid. Legalization may be required for entrepreneurs planning to open a business in the UAE, suppliers of goods and services dealing with counterparts from the United Arab Emirates, participants in tenders and auctions.

To obtain consular legalization of documents, the following steps are required:

• Notarize copies by contacting any notary.
• Translate into Arabic and have it notarized.
• Submit for attestation to the Ministry of Justice.
• Legalize at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Submit for attestation to the consulate and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

The procedure is the same for private documents (certificates, employment records, diplomas) and legal entity documents (charters, orders, licenses).

Cost of Consular Legalization for the UAE

The cost includes payment for the services of a notary, translator, and intermediary, fees of relevant authorities, and the embassy fee of the UAE. Additionally, payment is made for shipping and courier delivery within the city.

In the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, there is no fee for consular legalization. The fee in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is 350 rubles. The cost of certifying private documents at the UAE embassy is 4200 rubles, for commercial documents - 44,800 rubles. Payment can be made by card through the embassy's website. The amount on the receipt is indicated in dirhams, but the money is debited in the currency of the card.

Legalization for legal entities is more expensive than confirming the authenticity of personal documents. For example, the final cost of legalizing a marriage certificate issued in Russia will be $150-200, and for documents of a Russian company, it will be from $1000.

Timing of Consular Legalization for the UAE

Passing through all stages, including translation, takes up to two months. The exact time frame is determined by several factors, and waiting time is influenced by the workload of departments, the remoteness of the applicant's place of residence, and the volume of work - company founding documents take longer to translate than a marriage or birth certificate. This time can be reduced to two to three weeks by using an intermediary.

Consular Legalization of Commercial Documents for the UAE

All documents issued outside the UAE but intended for use within this country must be legalized before being submitted to counterparts or government agencies. This includes, for example, articles of incorporation, charter, tax registration certificate, extracts from the registry, licenses.

If you plan to open a new company, branch, or relocate an existing company to the Emirates, you may need extracts from the bank account, founding documents, employment contracts, recommendation letters, diplomas confirming the qualification of the business owner and key employees authorized to sign, employment records reflecting work experience in the specialty (related to the company's activities), etc. Everything except recommendation letters and employment records needs to be properly legalized.

Legalization of Foreign Documents for the UAE

All official documents issued in other countries require legalization in the Emirates. A translation is required, the authenticity of which is certified by a notary. The translation is then authenticated by the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the document's country of origin, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy of the UAE.

The Embassy of the UAE in Moscow certifies not only Russian-style certificates and diplomas but also those issued in the USSR if they were issued before 1990. Certificates and other documents issued in former Soviet republics can be legalized in Russia if the notary agrees to certify them.

Questions about Consular Legalization for the UAE

The procedure raises many questions for those who have not encountered it before. Despite the high degree of standardization of the process, there are many nuances that are important to understand for a successful resolution of tasks.

What Documents are Needed in the UAE?

The list of documents required depends on the purpose of being in the UAE. For example, if you are applying for a job, you will need a diploma of previously obtained education. For unskilled labor, confirmation of qualifications is not required, but the more prestigious and responsible the position, the more serious the requirements. A work record book is usually not required.

To obtain education in the UAE, you will need a certificate or diploma, depending on the basis on which you plan to apply. Not only the diploma and its appendix are required, but also a certificate from the university confirming that it was actually issued. Additionally, diploma evaluation may be required - equating qualifications to an equivalent in a foreign education system. Evaluation is often required when applying to Canadian universities, for example, the Canadian University of Dubai.

When moving to the UAE with a family, it is worth legalizing marriage and birth certificates. The documents will be required for visa formalities. If a woman relocates alone with a child, the father's consent is required. And for a child to attend school, a personal file, medical card, and academic transcript from a Russian school - also legalized - will be needed.

To get married in the United Arab Emirates, you will need:

• the bride's birth certificate;
• a certificate of the absence of a marriage record in Russian archives;

power of attorney or consent from the father of the woman for a third party in the UAE.

• You can issue a power of attorney to a Sharia judge, as the court is authorized to conclude a marital union. All documents must be translated into Arabic, notarized, and legalized through the standard procedure in Russia and the UAE.

It is important not to confuse consent and power of attorney. Consent should be obtained if the bride has changed her religion. The father must confirm that he is informed of his daughter's intention to marry a Muslim and confirms his consent to such a union. In this case, an additional document confirming acceptance of Islam is required - reciting the Shahada in the presence of an imam in a mosque and obtaining a certificate.

If the father of the bride has passed away, a male relative - an adult brother, uncle, nephew - has the right to issue consent and power of attorney.

What are the stages of the consular legalization procedure?

The procedure is standard. Regardless of the type of document whose authenticity needs to be confirmed for submission in the UAE, the same stages must be passed:

1. Notarization of a copy by a Russian notary. Any person, even if the document does not belong to them, has the right to apply for notarization. The timeframe is one to two days.
2. Translation and notarization of the translation. A line-by-line translation into Arabic, English, or both languages in two columns is required. Only certified specialists can perform translations. Before notarization, the notary must verify the translator's identity and diploma indicating the languages of translation.
3. Notarization at the Ministry of Justice of Russia. It is possible to notarize at the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation either in person at the central office or through the MFC in Moscow. Residents of other cities can send a written request and originals by mail. A sample request for providing a government service can be downloaded from the official website of the Ministry of Justice.
4. Notarization at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents can be submitted personally to the consular department or MFC. To legalize at the department, it is necessary to make an appointment through the website. Reception at the MFC is conducted without prior appointment.
5. Notarization at the UAE Embassy. The next step is to schedule an appointment at the consular section of the UAE in Russia, after paying the fee through the electronic queue system on the website. If you have already left the territory of Russia, you can use the services of intermediaries.
6. Legalization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE in Dubai. After obtaining all the necessary stamps in Russia, the document must be legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE. This can be done online:

• complete the application form on the website or in the UAE MOFAIC app;
• pay the fee by card;
• hand over the documents to the courier and wait for their return.

A detailed instruction for filling out the application is posted on the website and on the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE via a QR code, which can be scanned from the advertisement (a PDF with a detailed description of the procedure is automatically downloaded).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA UAE) is the last authority whose certification is required. Documents legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are accepted both in Dubai and in other emirates:

• Abu Dhabi;
• Ras Al Khaimah;
• Ajman;
• Fujairah;
• Umm Al Quwain;
• Sharjah.
  

Features of Legalization of Individual Documents for the UAE

Important features of legalizing certain documents for submission to counterparts, authorities, and government structures in the UAE:

• Certificates of origin of goods are certified by relevant authorities when providing a complete package, including an invoice for the product. The fee depends on the price of the invoice.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation does not certify invoices, regulatory legal acts, accounting, and audit reports. These documents should be provided to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, not to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Order Consular Legalization for the UAE

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