Document Attestation in the UAE for Use in India
Neha Navaneeth
Marketing & Content Associate
Oct 1, 2025
Have you landed a job in the UAE and need to submit “attested” academic credentials, commercial or other personal documents to the UAE authorities? Many find the document attestation process in India complex, time-consuming, and involving multiple authorities.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to the document attestation process in India for use in the UAE.
Why does attestation matter for NRIs in the UAE?
Attestation matters for NRIs in the UAE because the government and private organizations in the UAE rely on the state and the Union Government of India’s attestation for verifying the genuineness and validity of a document issued in India.
Usually, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India, issues Apostille stamps on public documents such as academic records, professional certificates, or other personal documents to authenticate and legalize them. Any member country of the Hague Apostille Convention (HAC) considers this stamp as sufficient proof of authenticity.
However, the UAE is not a member country of the HAC and does not recognize the Apostille stamp as proof of documentary authenticity. It is the fundamental reason behind mandatory attestations by government authorities with their official seals on documents to be submitted in the UAE.
Mostly, UAE NRIs are required to legalize documents through attestation in India for,
Pursuing employment and professional opportunities
Securing residency and family sponsorship
Academic and educational pursuits
Business and commercial purposes
Documents commonly required for attestation in India
Attestation of every official document in India for legal validity in the UAE begins with notarization. This involves a Notary Public verifying genuineness of an official-use document. Notary stamp and signature of the Notary Public is proof of that verification.
Once a notary authentication is complete, the attestation process of documents usually varies with the nature of a specific document and their intended use. For this purpose, we can segregate documents in 3 major categories
Educational
Commercial
Personal
Categories of documents | Example | Procedure/steps for attestation/authentication in India |
Education | Bachelor’s, Master’s, Diplomas and certifications |
|
Commercial | Board resolution, invoices, certificate of origin, article of association, etc. |
|
Personal | Birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearance certificate, 10th and 12th certificate, etc. |
|
Timelines & fees for attestation in the UAE
The time taken for authentication of a document at every step varies significantly along with costs of authentication. We have mentioned approximate estimations of time taken at each stage. Expenses are official costs. Actual costs can be more.
Stages of authentication/attestation | Usual timeline | Usual costs |
Notarization | 2 to 5 days | Basic notary fees + number of copies notarized documents (stamped and signed) + service provider specific charges |
Normal attestation/authentication by the state government department (HRD, Home Affairs or equivalent) | 2 to 7 days | Free + service provider specific charges |
Normal attestation/authentication by MEA | 5 to 7 working days | Free + service provider specific charges |
Attestation by chamber of commerce | 2 to 5 working days | Varies with documents. Ranges from 100/- to 400/- |
Authentication by the UAE Embassy in India | 3 to 5 working days | Approximately 3750/- per document |
Final authentication by MOFA | 1 to 2 working days | Approximately 3300/- per document |
Tips to avoid delays in attestation
Know the critical deadlines for attested document submissions.
Start early. Do not wait for the last minute.
Choose help from authentic service providers.
Track status regularly once you submit documents for attestation.
