Attesting South African Documents for the UAE

If you're planning to work, study, or conduct business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and you're from South Africa, you'll need to go through the document attestation process. Attesting South African documents for use in the UAE is a crucial step to ensure your documents are recognized and valid within the UAE's legal and administrative systems - you might not be able to use them to get a job or visa if they aren't attested.

Don't worry, though. In this blog, we'll talk you through the crucial steps involved and give you a really simple way to get it done. When it comes to attesting South African documents for the UAE, we've got you covered.

The steps for attesting South African documents for the UAE

Step 1: Notarisation

The first step in attesting South African documents for the UAE is to have your documents notarised by a South African notary public. That means you need to find a South African notary and have them confirm the authenticity of your documents - whether it's a diploma, degree, birth, marriage or death certificate or other important document. They'll need to look at it, confirm it's real, and add their seal of approval.

Step 2: Authentication by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)

Next, you'll need to submit your documents to the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). DIRCO will authenticate the documents and confirm the legitimacy of the notary public's signature. This is one of the most important steps - the UAE authorities will only recognise documents if they've been properly authenticated by the South African government.

Step 3: Legalization by the UAE Embassy in South Africa

Once you've had your documents authenticated by DIRCO, you'll then need to have them legalised at the UAE Embassy in South Africa. This means submitting your documents to the embassy for further verification and authentication. You'll need to be careful, though - make sure that you check the embassy's specific requirements and fees, as these can vary.

Step 4: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Attestation (MoFA) in the UAE

Finally, you'll need to have your documents attested at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in the UAE. Once MoFA have added their stamp your documents will be recognised by any UAE authorities, employers or educational institutions. Happy days!

There's a potential 5th step, too. If your documents aren't in English, you'll need to have them translated by a certified translator. The translation will then need to be notarised and authenticated by DIRCO.

The easiest way to legalise your documents...

It's a fairly lengthy, complicated process, but it's just how attesting South African documents for the UAE works. It's unavoidable if you've got business in the Emirates.

Luckily for you, we've got a really simple solution - get us to do it for you!

As attestation experts, we know the process of attesting South African documents for the UAE like the back of our hand. We can attest your documents for you. Instead of trying to get your head around embassies, DIRCO and the MoFA yourself, just send your documents to us. Our team of attestation experts will take them through the proper channels and send them back to you, primed and ready to present in the UAE. You can spend your time sorting other things out - or just relaxing knowing you're in safe hands!

Don't worry, you're in the right place! Vital Certificates have been attesting documents from all over the world since 2006, so we have the knowledge and the experience to help, whatever your circumstance. Our 100% Guarantee ensures your documents will be attested first time, so you never have to worry about which notary to pick or which document type you have.

Get in touch using one of the methods below, and we’ll advise you on how to move forward. Or if you want a deeper dive into the intricacies of attesting an South African certificate for the UAE, just click the link!