The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has updated the section on the consular legalization procedure on its portal. Meanwhile, the UAE Embassy in London has provided a number of clarifications regarding the legalization of documents in the United Kingdom and neighboring countries.
How consular legalization in the UAE is carried out
Legalization is the process of confirming the authenticity of stamps and signatures on documents issued in the UAE or abroad. This service is provided by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its digital channels as well as its embassies and consulates abroad,
— according to the Ministry’s guidelines..
For those located outside the UAE, it is necessary to complete registration, submit an application, pay the fee, receive an SMS confirmation, and personally visit the diplomatic mission to have the documents legalized.
Those residing within the UAE must also register, submit an application, pay the fee, and wait for the SMS confirmation. Afterwards, they are required to send the documents to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs via courier and receive the legalized documents back through the same method.
The Ministry emphasizes that applicants are responsible for the authenticity and content of the documents submitted. Incorrectly prepared applications will not be considered. If there is no UAE diplomatic mission in the foreign country, applicants should contact the Ministry’s call center for further information.
Specifics of document legalization via the UAE embassy in London
The UAE Embassy in London reminds applicants that before submitting documents for legalization for use in the Emirates, they must be pre-certified by the competent authorities of the respective countries. For Ireland and Iceland, these are the Foreign Office, and for the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Within the United Kingdom, all documents—except civil status certificates—must be certified in advance by a notary public or solicitor before being submitted to the FCDO.
If the documents were issued in British Overseas Territories, they must be apostilled by the competent authority in the respective territory before submission to the FCDO. This requirement does not apply to the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man), where FCDO certification is sufficient. Powers of attorney submitted for legalization must be notarized in advance. Each document must be legalized individually.
The UAE Embassy in London accepts legalization requests strictly by post. The submission must include a cover letter with the applicant’s contact details, including an email address and mobile phone number, a receipt confirming payment of the applicable fee, and a prepaid return envelope. A photocopy of both the front and back sides of each document must be enclosed. Processing time is five working days.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
