Complete procedure of MOFA attestation in the UAE

MOFA Attestation Dubai

MOFA is a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a government body that represents the UAE globally and provides services to diplomats, foreign missions, businesses and individuals.
One of the most demanded services from businesses and private individuals is attestation of documents. It becomes necessary when documents from abroad need to be made legal for the UAE, or documents issued in the UAE have to be used in their countries.

MOFA attestation in UAE is an alternative to apostilization, which is commonly used in many countries that are members of Hague convention. Since UAE is not the one, it has a different procedure of documents attestation.

What is MOFA attestation Dubai?

Attestation refers to a verification of any document to prove its validity. It is a proof that the document presented is real.

MOFA attestation in Dubai confirms the authenticity of documents. MOFA verifies them and places a special sticker which proves that the documents are genuine.

There can be 2 cases of attestation:

1. Attestation of documents issued in the UAE to be used abroad

In this scenario, you need to take the following steps:

• Attest the documents in the issuing authority in the UAE (it can be a free zone for corporate documents, Ministry of Health for birth certificates, etc.)
• Legalize them in MOFA by placing a special sticker
• In case you need to use the documents abroad, you will need to attest them in the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you want to take them

2. Attestation of the documents issued abroad to be used in the UAE

If you want to attest your documents from a foreign country for using them in the UAE, take the following steps:

• Attest documents in UAE Embassy in the country where they were issued. Normally there would be a requirement to legalize them in another government authority before the UAE Embassy - you need to check with the Embassy for local regulations
• Bring the documents to the UAE and attest them in MOFA

MOFA Attestation Procedure

There are two ways of doing MOFA attestation in UAE:

1. Registration through MOFA portal or with the SmartPass account
2. Using the MOFAic App

1. MOFA attestation through SmartPass account

SmartPass is a virtual identification tool, which allows UAE nationals and residents to carry out self-identification and login to the government service portals.

Simple ways to attest your documents using the official MOFA portal in the UAE:

STEP 1: Visit the MOFAic registration portal

• Select “Services” and choose Services for Individuals in the menu:

STEP 2: Login and submit the documents

1. Fill in the form with the information required.
2. Attach the required documents’ copies to be attested in the space provided.
3. Select the authority that will get the documents attested, then submit.

STEP 3: Get documents verified

Once the documents are submitted, the application will be sent to the authority you chose for a crosscheck.

If the documents meet up with the review requirements, then you will receive a message of approval. And with this approval message, you can proceed with required payments.

Step 4: Make the payments

After receiving the approval message:

• Revisit the MOFAic website
• Login to your account
• Select “My Tasks”
• Proceed with the payment

STEP 5: Get documents attested

To complete the UAE MOFA attestation, go to any customer happiness centre near you with the documents to be attested to complete the process. A MOFA seal will be placed on them as a confirmation of the attestation.

Alternatively, if you are outside the UAE, visit any UAE Embassy in your home country to get the documents attested.

MOFA attestation through MOFA App

If you’re using the MOFA App to apply for document attestation in the UAE, the process remains almost the same as detailed above. However, there are a few additional simple steps that make a difference.
To get started using the MOFA App, take the following steps:

1. Download the App with the keyword “UAE MOFAIC”
2. Click on your service type (individual, business, or diplomatic services)
3. Select “attestation of official documents” in the options available
4. Click on Apply
5. Login or create a new account
6. Then complete the remaining application process from the step 2 of the online registration process above

Why is MOFA attestation required in the UAE?

MOFA attestation is considered a key requirement in the UAE when you use documents issued abroad at UAE government institutions.

Attestation ensures that no fake documents are used for any legit purpose. Most common purposes for attestation of documents are:

• Dependant visas processing
• Employment
• Opening a bank account for a foreign company in UAE
• Setting up a UAE subsidiary of your foreign company