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Attesting South African Documents for the UAE

If you need to use your South African documents in the UAE, you will need to have them attested. Whilst you could do this yourself, we can take away all the hassle associated with this long-winded process for you. Whether you have a South African degree or other qualification, a birth, marriage or death certificate, or in fact any other personal or company document originating from South Africa, find out below what’s involved so you avoid any costly errors.

How does it work?

Attesting a document issued in South Africa can be complicated, especially as the requirements can change depending on who you need to present it to, and exactly what type of document it is. It’s harder still if you are no longer in the country. Fortunately, most documents follow a similar pattern which we’ve broken down for you. There are however some situations where things are a little different, so if you want to make sure that you are fully informed, speak to one of our advisers and we’ll look at your individual circumstances free of charge.
south africa saqa verification uae

Official Verification

In some cases, your first step is to get your document verified by one official body or another. In the case of a degree or higher-education diploma qualification it will need to be verified by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) using their VeriSearch system.
Pre-Legalisation

Certification by a South African Notary Public

For those documents that don’t go through official verification, including birth, marriage, death certificates, high school, secondary and matric certificates and transcripts, these will need to be notarised by a South African Notary Public. The notary will take a copy of the original document and certify that it is a true copy. They will then attach a notarial cover sheet to the document with a seal before signing and stamping it.
Notarisation

Authentication by High Court

For any document that has been notarised, these bundled documents must be presented to a registrar of the High Court for the notary’s signature to be authenticated. Once authenticated, the registrar will sign and seal the document.
Pre-Authentication
South Africa DIRCO Authentication for UAE

South African Government Authentication

Once a document has been properly authenticated or verified, it is then presented to the Department of International Relations & Co-operation (DIRCO). Their office will check that the seal and signature of the relevant department matches their official record and authenticates it accordingly. Once authenticated, DIRCO will issue a Certificate of Authentication and this page will be bound by a green ribbon to the notarial page and copy of the document.
Dirco Legalisation in South Africa
uae embassy pretoria stamp

UAE Embassy Attestation

The final step in South Africa is for the document to be attested by the UAE Embassy in Pretoria. An official UAE-government sticker and seal is attached alongside the authentication by DIRCO during this stage. This authentication sticker confirms to the UAE authorities that the document has gone through all the necessary steps in South Africa.
UAE Embassy in Pretoria
mofa stamp uae

MoFA Attestation (UAE)

n the UAE, another attestation stamp is needed which is handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in any of the UAE emirates. The addition of this stamp confirms that the processes in South Africa have been completed correctly. Some employers will do this for you, so we would advise that you check with them to avoid paying for anything unnecessarily.
Learn More About MoFA Attestation Here  ????
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UAE)

Translation from English into Arabic

In certain circumstances, your document may also require translation into Arabic. Again, your employer may handle this for you so best to check. If required, the whole document and its relevant stamps are translated from English into Arabic by a recognised certified translator. Once the translation has been done, then everything has been completed to make it fully useable within the UAE.
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Translation

Attestation Notes

  • The UAE Embassy in South Africa will not attest any document that has already been attested for use in another country.
  • Degrees and their transcripts are treated as separate document and cannot be bundled together. They must be processed and attested individually.
  • When attesting a birth, marriage or death certificate, only an original, unabridged version can be processed.
  • Arabic translation is usually required for use in all emirates other than Dubai, and also if the document is to be used within one of the Dubai Free Zone authorities including (but not limited to) the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).
  • If we are arranging to have a new birth, marriage or death certificate issued for you, we will require you to complete a Power of Attorney (PoA) and application form authorising us to do so.
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Why choose Vital Certificates?

Acceptance Guarantee
We guarantee your document will be valid in the country for which it was attested.
Document Checking
Your documents will be checked prior to submission to ensure they are accepted.
Service Updates
Regular service updates mean you always know where your documents are.
Industry Leading Staff
Our advisers undertake regular training so the advice they give is always up-to-date.
Scanning Service
Get a digital copy of your completed documents prior to receiving shipment.
Fully Inclusive Price
Fees always include all charges, shipping and VAT (where applicable).

Docs from any country...

We're able to attest a range of documents for use in the UAE, no matter where you're from. You can rest assured that by using our service, your attested documents will be accepted within the UAE.
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Contact

Vital Certificates Ltd
210 Clover Bay Tower 
Marasi Drive
Business Bay
PO Box 114666
+971 (0)4 340 7131
Monday - Friday, 8:30AM - 5:30PM
© 2006 – 2024 Vital Certificates Ltd (Dubai Branch). A branch of Vital Certificates Ltd, Registered in England and Wales number 6568017. Dubai Trade Licence number 734816.
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