Apostille services
An apostille is a single certificate that replaces the whole embassy chain — but only between countries that are both party to the 1961 Hague Convention. The UAE is not one of them, which changes what you need depending on which way your document is travelling.
If your document was issued in a Hague Convention country and is going to another Hague country, one apostille from the issuing country's competent authority is enough. We obtain apostilles through our offices and partners in Europe, North America and Asia, usually without you posting anything yourself.
If your document is going to or coming from the UAE, an apostille alone will not do. Documents for use in the UAE need home-country authentication, UAE embassy legalisation and MOFAIC attestation. Documents issued in the UAE and used abroad need MOFAIC attestation followed by the destination country's embassy in the UAE. This catches a lot of people out, usually after they have already paid for an apostille that the receiving office will not accept.
Before you order anything, tell us where the document was issued and where it is going. That pair of facts determines the route, and we will tell you if the cheaper option is the correct one.
How it works
- 1Send a scanEmail or upload the document, and tell us which authority will receive it.
- 2Get a written quoteA fixed price and a realistic date, with government fees shown separately from our fee.
- 3We handle the countersSubmission, tracking, fees and follow-up, with an update whenever the status changes.
- 4DeliverySigned PDF the moment it is ready, hard copies by courier or collected in person.
Apostille services in the UAE
Questions we are asked
Can I get an apostille for a UAE document?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so UAE-issued documents cannot be apostilled. They are legalised instead, through MOFAIC and then the destination country's embassy in the UAE.
I was told my document needs an apostille for Dubai. Is that wrong?
Almost certainly, yes. It is a common misunderstanding. Documents for use in the UAE follow the consular legalisation route. Send us a scan and we will tell you the correct chain for your document and issuing country.
Which countries accept apostilles?
Around 130 contracting parties, and the list changes as states accede. Because accession and entry into force are separate dates, we check the current HCCH status table for your specific country rather than working from a stored list.
Do you apostille documents outside the UAE?
Yes. Through our international offices and partner network we obtain apostilles in the country of issue and courier the finished document wherever it is needed.
Request a quote
Prices vary by document, language pair and receiving authority, so we quote rather than publish a rate card. Most enquiries are answered within one working day.