Legalisation · UAE
Document legalisation for the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE requires full legalisation. An apostille is not enough.
We handle the full legalisation chain the UAE requires, from start to finish, so your document is accepted for a work permit, by authorities and in business. If you wish, we also arrange the final UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation on site.
Send a document for reviewProcess
The UAE legalisation chain
- 1
DVV (notary)
A notary certifies the Finnish signature at DVV.
- 2
Foreign Ministry (MFA)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs authenticates the notary's authority.
- 3
UAE embassy
The UAE embassy in Helsinki confirms the document.
- 4
UAE MOFA
Final confirmation at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Service levels
Finnish stages only, or the full chain to the UAE
You can order the legalisation at two levels: the Finnish stages in Helsinki, or a turnkey service where we also arrange the final attestation at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) through our partner.
Legalisation in Finland
DVV, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in Helsinki. You or the recipient handle the UAE MOFA stage on arrival.
from €196 / document
Complete UAE legalisation, turnkey
All Finnish stages plus the final UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation through our partner, and return delivery.
from €390 / document + courier
How the turnkey service proceeds
- 01
DVV (notary)
A notary confirms the Finnish signature at DVV.
- 02
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
The MFA certifies the notary's authority.
- 03
UAE Embassy
The UAE Embassy in Helsinki attests the document.
- 04
Courier to the UAE
The original document is couriered to our partner in the United Arab Emirates.
- 05
UAE MOFA
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs performs the final attestation in about 2–3 working days.
- 06
Return delivery
The document is couriered back to Finland or to another agreed address.
Good to know about the price
- Courier delivery is charged separately: the estimated round-trip cost between Finland and the UAE is about €100.
- The UAE MOFA stage takes about 2–3 working days on site. This excludes courier transit and the Finnish stages.
- The price applies to a standard Finnish personal document. Commercial documents are quoted separately.
- Translations are not included in the price.
- The final price is confirmed after we have reviewed a copy of the document.
Send a copy of the document (PDF or a clear photo) by email, or leave a contact request below, and we confirm the price and timeline before starting.
Documents
Most common documents for the UAE
- Employment certificates and contracts
- Degree certificates (for a work permit)
- Trade register extract and company documents
- Powers of attorney
- Birth and marriage certificates
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Apostille alone: the UAE rejects it
- Missing translation or wrong order in the chain
- An out-of-date trade register extract
The price consists of official fees plus a service fee. See the prices on the main legalisation page.
Legalisation pricingGood to know
UAE legalisation in practice
A UAE work permit starts with the paper chain
Most UAE legalisations relate to work permits: the Emirati authority requires a legalised degree certificate, and often an employment certificate too, before a work permit proceeds. Start the chain as soon as the employment contract is confirmed. Every step (DVV, the Foreign Ministry, the embassy and finally the UAE MOFA) takes its own time.
For companies the most typical need is the trade register extract and board minutes for setting up a subsidiary or branch. An out-of-date extract is a common cause of rejection, many destination authorities accept only an extract a few months old.
Translations and order decide
UAE authorities require an Arabic translation for many documents, and the translation's place in the chain depends on the document. A translation or stamp done in the wrong order means part of the chain must be redone, at your own cost.
That's why we review the document and its destination use before the first stamp: we confirm the chain's steps, translation needs and total price in advance, and the document travels the whole way through a single point of contact.
FAQ
Questions about UAE legalisation
Information verified on July 28, 2026. Visa rules, fees and processing times can change without notice. We confirm the current requirements for every assignment.
Official sources: Ulkoministeriö (um.fi) · UAE:n ulkoministeriö (MoFA)
Wondering what happens after you order? The stages, the timings and who handles what are on one page.
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