UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles over 3.8 million document attestation requests in 2025

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it received 3,777,893 requests for document attestation during the current year.

According to ministry statistics, a total of 1,147,001 requests were submitted within the UAE, while 647,718 were filed from outside the country through overseas missions. 

Across all service channels, requests related to personal status documents accounted for 1,826,676 applications, while commercial documents recorded 156,498 requests.

Data showed that individual users made up the majority of applicants, with 254,694 individual users accessing the service, compared with 13,560 corporate users.

The ministry said the most frequently attested personal documents were academic certificates at all levels, followed by birth certificates and certificates confirming social or civil status. 

In the commercial category, company articles of association and incorporation contracts for partners and board members topped the list, followed by commercial powers of attorney related to licensing, appointing managers, opening branches or managing shares, as well as trade licences.

Processing times range from zero to three working days, depending on the delivery option selected. 

The ministry said documents must be submitted in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legal translation, and must be properly notarised or certified by the relevant authorities. Laminated documents are not accepted.

For attestation requests submitted from outside the UAE, applicants are required to register for the service, complete the application details, select the overseas attestation option and pay the fees through available payment gateways. 

Once the application is submitted, a confirmation message containing a reference number is issued, after which applicants must visit the UAE mission in the host country to complete the attestation process.

Within the UAE, the process involves registering through the digital identity system, completing the application details, selecting the preferred delivery timeframe and courier company, and paying the required fees online. 

Applicants then receive a confirmation message with a reference number, followed by the collection and delivery of attested documents through the selected courier service.