Dubai Attestation for Indian Documents: Charges and Process
Dubai attestation is what people usually call the legalization of an Indian certificate for a job, licence, school seat or company in Dubai. There is no separate Dubai embassy in India. Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, so your papers are legalized by the UAE Embassy in New Delhi and finished by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. INFINITYGRO prepares the Indian stages from its Delhi office for clients in every state.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Documents from India for Dubai
Is there a Dubai embassy in India for attestation? No. Dubai attestation is UAE attestation. Personal and educational papers are first authenticated by a notary and SDM or the state department, and company papers by a Chamber of Commerce. The MEA attests them next, then the UAE Embassy in New Delhi or a UAE consulate in India. The UAE foreign ministry adds the last stamp online after the papers reach Dubai.
Why You Will Not Find a Dubai Embassy in Delhi
Many clients call us asking for the address of the Dubai embassy. It does not exist. Embassies belong to countries, and Dubai is a city and an emirate inside the UAE, alongside Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
So when a Dubai employer, school or free zone asks for "Dubai embassy attestation", it means the stamp of the UAE mission in India followed by the UAE foreign ministry. A file stamped for Dubai is equally good in Abu Dhabi. For the general UAE route, document by document, read our UAE embassy attestation page. This page covers what Dubai offices in particular tend to ask for.
Key facts
| Dubai embassy in India | None. Dubai is an emirate of the UAE |
|---|---|
| Embassy step | UAE Embassy, New Delhi (or a UAE consulate in India) |
| Apostille | Not accepted. The UAE is outside the Hague Convention |
| First stage | Notary and SDM or state department; Chamber of Commerce for company papers |
| Final stage | UAE MOFA attestation, applied for online |
| Our India-side charge | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, embassy fee extra |
| Health workers | DHA licensing also uses DataFlow primary source verification |
| Courier | Blue Dart or a similar tracked service, charged extra |
The Dubai Attestation Chain, Stage by Stage
- Authentication in India. Degrees and personal certificates are notarised and signed by the SDM in Delhi, or verified by the education or home department of the issuing state when your checklist names it. Company papers go to a recognised Chamber of Commerce.
- MEA attestation. The Ministry of External Affairs confirms the Indian officer's signature. This is the attestation stamp, not the Apostille sticker.
- UAE Embassy. The embassy in New Delhi legalizes the MEA stamp. A UAE consulate in India does the same job.
- UAE MOFA. After the paper reaches Dubai, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests it. The ministry moved this service online, through its website and app, in July 2022, when it closed its customer happiness centres.
An Apostille is of no use for Dubai. If your degree already carries one, it still needs MEA attestation and the UAE Embassy stamp.
Who in Dubai Asks for Attested Papers
Employers and work permits
Private employers in Dubai usually ask for an attested degree before they apply for the work permit, and often for higher job titles. Their PRO will give you a checklist. Share it with us before we start. Our degree certificate attestation page explains how mark sheets and provisional certificates are handled.
Doctors, nurses and allied health staff
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licenses health professionals. DataFlow Group, which carries out the checks, states that primary source verification is mandatory for DHA. DataFlow contacts your university, hospital and council directly about your qualification, experience and licence. That check runs alongside attestation. Ask DHA or your employer which of the two your file needs, or both.
Schools and universities
Private schools in Dubai fall under the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). A school may ask for an attested birth certificate or transfer certificate for your child. Equivalency of an Indian degree is a separate federal process run by the UAE higher education ministry, and it starts from an attested degree.
Courts and notary
For divorce, inheritance, custody or a power of attorney used in Dubai, the court or notary decides what it accepts. They will tell you which Indian papers need the full chain.
Family Residence in Dubai
To sponsor a wife or husband, the Dubai resident normally needs an attested marriage certificate. Children need attested birth certificates. A registered marriage certificate goes through more smoothly than a religious one alone. See our marriage certificate attestation guide.
- Names must match the passports, letter for letter.
- Send both spouses' passport copies.
- A child's birth certificate should come from the municipal or panchayat registrar and name both parents.
Company Setup in a Dubai Free Zone or on the Mainland
Indian firms opening a branch or subsidiary in Dubai face the strictest checklists. DMCC says foreign corporate papers must be notarised and attested, that an Apostille cannot replace this, and that they must be in Arabic or English or carry a certified translation. Its list includes the certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, board resolution and register of directors.
JAFZA asks for a branch parent company's papers to be notarised and attested by the UAE Embassy or a consulate. These include the incorporation or good standing certificate, MOA and AOA, and a board resolution granting a power of attorney. Mainland licences from Dubai Economy and Tourism, and other free zones such as DIFC, set their own lists, so ask your setup agent. Our commercial document service covers the Chamber of Commerce stage.
Arabic Legal Translation
Most Dubai employers accept English papers. Courts and some government offices want Arabic, and often prefer a translation made by a legal translator licensed in the UAE. Ask the receiving office first. If an Indian translation is acceptable, we arrange a certified Arabic version.
Dubai Attestation Charges and Time
Our fee for the India-side stages is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document. That covers notary, SDM and the MEA stage. The UAE Embassy fee is separate, set by the embassy, and higher for commercial papers. UAE MOFA is paid online in the UAE. A degree by the Delhi route usually reaches the embassy stamp in about 5 to 7 working days. We confirm every figure in writing before you courier anything.
What to Send Us
Send the original papers (not laminated), a passport copy and the Dubai checklist you received. Company files need a covering letter on letterhead from the authorised signatory. Clients in Delhi can drop papers at our New Ashok Nagar office. Others courier them, and we return them by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. WhatsApp +91 85955 58517 or use our contact page.
Document guides for Dubai
The same route applies to most documents; each guide covers what to send and the common mistakes.
What the stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Dubai FAQs
Where is the Dubai embassy in India?
There is none. Dubai is part of the UAE, so Indian papers for Dubai are legalized at the UAE Embassy in New Delhi or a UAE consulate in India.
Is Dubai attestation different from Abu Dhabi attestation?
The stamps are the same. Only the checklist changes, because each employer or authority decides which papers it wants.
Will an Apostille work in Dubai?
No. The UAE has not joined the Apostille Convention. Your papers need MEA attestation and the UAE Embassy stamp, then UAE MOFA.
Do nurses need DataFlow as well as attestation for DHA?
DataFlow states that primary source verification is mandatory for DHA licensing. Whether DHA or your employer also wants an attested degree depends on your case, so ask them.
Can I finish the MOFA stage from India?
MOFA attestation is applied for online once the paper is in the UAE. Your employer, sponsor or a relative there usually handles it.
Do you collect documents from home?
No. Delhi clients drop off at our office and others send papers by courier. We return them by tracked courier.
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No country matches. Call us: we handle most embassies in New Delhi.
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Sending documents to Dubai?
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