Plain explainers
Difference between notary and attestation: notarisation and attestation in the UAE
The difference between attestation and notarization is the question each one answers. Notarisation answers "did this person really sign this?": a notary checks the signer's identity and watches them sign. Attestation answers "is this seal genuine?": an authority such as MOFAIC confirms the stamp already on a document so that another country or office will accept it.
In the UAE the two often happen one after the other, which is why people mix them up. A power of attorney for use abroad is first notarised, then attested. A degree certificate issued by a university is never notarised at all; it is only attested. This page sets out which documents need which step, who does each, and in what order.
We are Notary Services in Dubai, with an in-house notary public in Business Bay. We draft and notarise documents and take care of the attestation that follows.
- Notarisation: a notary verifies identity, checks capacity and consent, witnesses the signature or oath, and seals the document. In the UAE this is done by public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls.
- Attestation: MOFAIC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirms the seals and signatures on a document issued in or outside the UAE, so that it can be used elsewhere.
- Notarisation comes first for documents that a person signs. Attestation comes after, when the document travels.
- MOFAIC charges AED 150 to attest a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one.
- The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so attestation, not an apostille, is how documents move between the UAE and other countries.
Side by side
Notary vs attestation, side by side
| Notarisation | Attestation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it confirms | The identity and consent of the person signing | That a seal or signature already on the document is genuine |
| Who does it | A public notary, a private notary or a UAE consul | MOFAIC in the UAE; foreign ministries and embassies abroad |
| What you bring | Your original ID and the unsigned document | The document, already signed and sealed |
| Is the signer present? | Yes, in person or through an approved remote channel | No, the document goes on its own |
| Typical documents | Powers of attorney, affidavits, consent letters, declarations, signature authentications | Degrees, birth and marriage certificates, notarised documents going abroad, commercial papers |
| Fee example | AED 100 per party for a power of attorney on the federal schedule | AED 150 personal, AED 2,000 commercial at MOFAIC |
| Result | A notarised document | An attested document, accepted by the next authority in the chain |
If you are comparing attested vs notarized papers, you probably hold one of each and want to know if one can replace the other. It cannot. They are different checks by different offices.
Which one does your document need?
Ask two questions.
1. Did a private person sign it, or did an authority issue it?
- A document that you or another private person signs, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit, a consent letter or a company resolution, needs a notary to confirm the signature.
- A document an authority issued, such as a degree, a birth certificate or a police clearance, already carries that authority's seal. It does not go to a notary; it goes straight to attestation.
2. Will it be used in the same country?
- A document notarised in Dubai for use in Dubai usually needs nothing more.
- A document going to another country usually needs attestation after the notary, and sometimes legalisation by that country's embassy.
Case by case
The order of steps
A UAE document going abroad
- Notary. You sign before a Dubai Courts notary, a private notary, or the notary in your emirate.
- MOFAIC. MOFAIC attests the notary's seal.
- Embassy. If the destination country asks, its embassy in the UAE legalises the MOFAIC stamp.
A foreign document coming into the UAE
- Home country. The document is attested by the foreign ministry of the country that issued it. If it is a signed private document, it is notarised there first.
- UAE embassy. The UAE embassy or consulate in that country attests it.
- MOFAIC. MOFAIC attests it in the UAE.
MOFAIC's own guidance states this chain for documents issued abroad, and Dubai Courts applies the same chain to powers of attorney issued outside the UAE. A document that arrives with an apostille but without the UAE embassy step is not ready for use here.
Three examples
01
A power of attorney for a flat in another country
You sign it before a notary in Dubai. MOFAIC attests the notary's seal. The other country's embassy may then legalise it. Notary first, then attestation.
02
A university degree for a UAE job
The university issued it, so there is nothing to notarise. It is attested in its home country, by the UAE embassy there, and by MOFAIC. Attestation only.
03
A consent letter for a child's holiday abroad
The parent signs before a notary. If the airline or the destination only needs a notarised letter, that is the end. Notarisation only. Our child travel consent page explains where each parent signs.
Where notarisation stops and attestation starts
The notary's job ends when the seal goes on. The notary does not send your document to MOFAIC or to an embassy, and does not check whether a foreign authority will accept it. That is your step, or ours if you ask us to handle it.
MOFAIC's job starts with a finished document. MOFAIC asks for the original in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation, and will not attest a laminated document. It does not witness signatures or take oaths.
MOFAIC also runs an electronic attestation system, eDAS, for some commercial documents such as invoices and certificates of origin. That is still attestation, not notarisation, and not an apostille.
Watch for
Mistakes people often make
- Taking a degree certificate to a notary It needs attestation, not notarisation.
- Taking a foreign notarised document to a Dubai notary to be notarised again. It needs the attestation chain.
- Asking for an apostille for use in the UAE. The UAE does not issue or accept apostilles; use attestation.
- Paying the personal fee for a commercial document A general or commercial power of attorney is on MOFAIC's commercial list, at AED 2,000, not AED 150.
- Laminating a certificate that will later need attestation.
Prices
Fees in short
| Step | Government fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notarising a power of attorney, federal schedule | AED 100 per party | Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 9 |
| Authenticating signatures, federal schedule | AED 200 per party | Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 8 |
| Affidavit, federal schedule | AED 300 | Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 12 |
| MOFAIC attestation, personal document | AED 150 | MOFAIC FAQ |
| MOFAIC attestation, commercial document | AED 2,000 | MOFAIC FAQ |
Dubai private notaries charge under a separate Dubai Courts decision. The full list, with our own starting prices, is on notary public charges.
How we help
We prepare the document for the notary and handle the attestation after it, so one team follows it from draft to final stamp. MOFA attestation handling for a personal document starts from AED 150, and for a commercial document from AED 300, plus the MOFAIC fee at cost. All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
For the attestation chain country by country, see the guides at dubainotaryservices.com. For what a notary's seal proves, read what notarized means. For everything we prepare, see our services.
What is the difference between notary and attestation in simple words?
A notary confirms who signed a document. Attestation confirms that the seal on a document is genuine, so another authority will accept it. Notary first, attestation after, when a document travels.
Is attested the same as notarised?
No. Notarised means signed before a notary. Attested means an authority such as MOFAIC or an embassy has confirmed the seal. A document can be one, the other, or both.
Does every document need both?
No. A document used in the same country where it was notarised usually needs no attestation. A certificate issued by an authority needs attestation but never a notary.
Can MOFAIC attest a document that was not notarised?
MOFAIC attests seals and signatures of authorities. A private document you signed yourself normally needs a notary's seal first, so there is something for MOFAIC to attest.
Is attestation the same as an apostille?
No. An apostille is a single certificate used between countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. The UAE is not a party to it, so the UAE uses attestation instead.
Guides
More guides
Explainer
What is a notarized letter? UAE meaning and examples
A letter signed before a notary who checks your ID and adds an official endorsement. What it looks like and when you need one.
Read more
Explainer
Notary public certification in Dubai: signatures, copies and the notary's own status
Notary public certification explained: a certified signature, a certified copy, and how to check that a notary in Dubai is registered.
Read more
Foreign documents
"My commission expires" on a notarised document
What the phrase means on a foreign notarised document, whether it still works after that date, and what the UAE needs from it.
Read more
Contact
Talk to us
Not sure whether you need a notary, attestation or both? Send us the document and the name of the office that asked for it.
Phone and WhatsApp
Office
707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)
How notarisation works
More in this section
Hub
Notarized means signed before a notary who checked your identity and sealed the document. What that proves, what it does not, and how it works in the UAE.
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Articles 3 and 7: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- MOFAIC attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- MOFAIC FAQ (fees, document lists, chain for documents issued abroad, eDAS): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Dubai Courts, power of attorney service page, archived 16 March 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055912/https://www.dc.gov.ae/PublicServices/GessServiceDetails.aspx?lang=en&ServiceCode=G4
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41