Degree Certificate Attestation for UAE: Price Breakdown
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists a service fee of AED 150 for personal status documents such as degree certificates. Your total is higher, because the home-country education body, the home foreign ministry, the UAE Embassy, couriers and agents charge separately, and no authority publishes one all-in price.
Your employer has asked for an attested degree, and you want a number to budget against before any original leaves your hands. Searching for degree certificate attestation for UAE price turns up one fee from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the federal body that gives the final attestation, and many different totals from agents. This guide separates the official fees from the rest, shows who charges what, and puts the stages in the order you pay for them.
Degree Attestation at a Glance
These are the figures you can check yourself.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who gives the final attestation | MOFA |
| MOFA service fee | AED 150 for personal status documents such as degree certificates |
| Other fees | Set separately by each other party in the chain |
| Typical processing time | Depends mainly on the home-country stages, so no single official timeline exists |
Degree Attestation Price: Who Charges What
Every stage has its own fee-setter, so totals differ from person to person.
| Stage | Who charges | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education body verification | University or board in the issuing country | Set by that body | Varies by country |
| Home foreign ministry | Foreign ministry of the issuing country | Set by that ministry | Some countries require a national stamp first |
| UAE Embassy | UAE Embassy in the issuing country | AED 150 in MOFA’s digital attestation fee list | Paid in the issuing country |
| MOFA | MOFA | AED 150 for personal status documents | Final stage |
| Courier and agent | Private companies | Not regulated | Optional; ask for a written breakdown |
| MoHESR recognition | Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) | Verification partner fee starts from AED 345 | Only if your employer or authority requires it |
No authority publishes one all-in price for degree attestation.
According to MOFA, the service fee is AED 150 for personal status documents, a group that includes degree certificates. The AED 150 MOFA fee covers the final stage only, not the whole chain.
MOFA is a federal ministry, so the same stage and fee apply whether your job is in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate. Some employers cover attestation and others do not, so ask HR before you spend, since the degree supports your UAE employment visa process file.
Degree Attestation Order: Four Steps in Sequence
Each authority checks the stamp of the one before it.
Step 1: Verify the Certificate With the Education Body
The university or board that issued the degree confirms the certificate is genuine and adds its stamp. Fee and speed differ by country and institution.
Step 2: Take It to the Home Foreign Ministry
The foreign ministry of the country that issued the degree attests the education body’s stamp. This is often the slowest stage, because it depends on that ministry’s queue.
The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. As of 2026, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) status table, last updated 30 June 2026, does not list it among contracting parties. An apostille can cover this home-country step, but it does not replace UAE Embassy attestation.
Step 3: Get UAE Embassy and MOFA Attestation
The UAE Embassy in the issuing country attests the degree next, and MOFA gives the final attestation. Some embassies, including the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, run one digital application that covers both stages.
You complete the MOFA stage online with UAE Pass, the UAE’s national digital identity app, on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. MOFA will not attest a degree missing the earlier stamps.
Step 4: Apply for MoHESR Recognition if Required
Recognition is a separate application. According to the MoHESR service page, it starts with a verification report from a MoHESR-authorised partner, which takes up to 30 days, and a recognition report can follow within two days once requirements are met.
MoHESR recognition is not part of MOFA attestation, and neither one replaces the other. Whether you need it is decided by your employer or the authority handling your file.
Field Note: Files are often returned because one stage stamped the certificate and not the transcript, or the reverse. At each counter, confirm that every page you need is covered before you leave.
Watch Out:
- Sending the certificate to the embassy before the home foreign ministry has attested it
- Relying on an apostille alone and skipping the UAE Embassy stage
- Paying an agent one all-in figure without a written breakdown of official fees
Documents to Prepare Before Degree Attestation
Gather these before you pay for any stage; other certificates follow a similar pattern in our UAE document attestation guides.
- The original degree certificate
- The academic transcript, where the education body or embassy asks for it
- A copy of your passport
- A UAE Pass account for the MOFA stage
Indian Degree Certificate Attestation Charges in the UAE
Degrees from India follow the same chain, with the first stages handled in India.
The Indian stages run through the university or board, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, and finally MOFA. The embassy asks for the national foreign office stamp first.
Indian degree certificate attestation charges in the UAE split into two parts: rupee fees set in India, and the AED fees at the UAE end. The MEA fee and any service-centre charge are set in India, not by the UAE .
If Your Case Is Different: A degree from a country with no UAE Embassy, a name that differs from your passport, or an institution that has since closed may not fit the standard chain. You can describe your case in a consultation on your degree attestation case.
Your Next Move
- Ask HR whether MoHESR recognition is needed alongside attestation.
- Get written fee quotes for the home-country stages in the issuing country.
- Create or check your UAE Pass account before the MOFA stage.
Common Questions
How much does UAE degree attestation cost in total?
There is no fixed total. MOFA lists AED 150 for degree certificates, and the UAE Embassy stage, the education body, the home foreign ministry, courier and any agent add their own charges. Ask each party for a written fee, then add the amounts yourself.
Is an apostille enough for a UAE degree?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille can only cover the home-country step. You still need UAE Embassy attestation in the issuing country and the final MOFA attestation before the degree is accepted.
Can I attest my degree after arriving in Dubai?
Yes, but not from Dubai alone. The education body, home foreign ministry and UAE Embassy stages happen in the country that issued the degree, so someone there, such as a relative or agent, must handle them. MOFA is then completed online with UAE Pass.
Do I need MoHESR recognition as well as attestation?
Only if your employer or the authority handling your file asks for it. MoHESR recognition is a separate application that starts with a verification report from an authorised partner. Check with HR before paying, because attestation alone does not cover it.
Because the degree attestation price is built from separate stages, you can budget for each one before any original leaves your hands.
Last verified: October 2026 · Sources checked: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; UAE Embassy in New Delhi; Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Hague Conference on Private International Law.
