Full attestation chain for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah documents
UAE embassy attestation is the process of getting your South African documents officially verified by the UAE embassy in Pretoria. It is required because the UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, which means a standard apostille is not accepted for documents going to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or any other emirate.
Instead of a single apostille, documents destined for the UAE must go through a multi-step attestation chain. The UAE embassy attests documents only after they have been authenticated by DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation). We handle the entire chain so you do not need to visit any office yourself.
Since the UAE has not signed the Hague Convention, a standard apostille will not be accepted. You need the full embassy attestation chain instead. If your documents are going to a Hague country (UK, Australia, EU, etc.), you need an apostille. Learn more about the difference between apostille and attestation.
The UAE attestation chain follows a strict sequence. Each authority verifies the signature from the previous step before adding their own stamp. We manage the entire process from start to finish.
Private documents are first notarised by a Notary Public. Government-issued documents such as birth certificates and police clearance certificates skip this step as they already bear official signatures.
The High Court authenticates the notary's signature. This step confirms that the notary who certified your document is a registered South African notary.
DIRCO issues a Certificate of Authentication, confirming the High Court stamp is genuine. This is the step that precedes embassy submission and typically takes about one week.
The UAE embassy in Pretoria verifies the DIRCO authentication and stamps your document. The embassy charges approximately R800-R850 (150 AED) per document. This fee is separate from our service fee.
Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. The UAE embassy fee (approximately R800-R850 / 150 AED per document) is charged by the embassy and passed through at cost.
| Service | Our Fee (ZAR) | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Full UAE Attestation Chain Notarisation + High Court + DIRCO + UAE Embassy |
R3,150 per document | 2-3 weeks |
| UAE Embassy Attestation Only Documents already authenticated by DIRCO |
R1,500 per document | 3-7 working days |
| UAE Embassy Fee Charged by the embassy (150 AED) |
R800-R850 per document | Included above |
| Local Courier | R250 | 1-2 working days |
| International Courier (to UAE) | R900 | 3-5 working days |
Note: Embassy fees (R800-R850 per document) are charged separately and paid directly to the UAE embassy. Prices shown are our service fees excluding embassy fees.
The UAE requires attested documents for almost all visa and licensing applications. These are the most common documents we attest for clients moving to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah:
We handle the entire UAE attestation chain so you do not need to visit any office. Contact us for a same-day quote.
The full UAE attestation chain takes approximately 2-3 weeks: notarisation (1 day), High Court authentication (3 days), DIRCO authentication (~1 week), and UAE embassy attestation (3-7 working days). If your documents are already DIRCO-authenticated, the embassy step alone takes 3-7 working days.
The UAE embassy charges approximately R800-R850 per document (150 AED). This fee is set by the embassy and is separate from our service fee. We pass it through at cost with no markup.
Yes. After the UAE embassy in Pretoria attests your documents, you will need MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) attestation once your documents arrive in the UAE. MOFA stamps are the final step and are typically handled by your employer or PRO (Public Relations Officer) in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Yes. We offer a nationwide courier service. You can send your documents to us from anywhere in South Africa (Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, etc.) and we handle the entire attestation chain on your behalf. We return your fully attested documents by courier.
MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) stamps are done in the UAE after the South African attestation chain is complete. We handle the SA side (notarisation through UAE embassy attestation). Once your documents arrive in the UAE, your employer or PRO handles the MOFA and MOHRE steps.
The Campus, Bryanston
Gauteng 2021, South Africa
Monday - Saturday
08:00 - 18:00