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Short answer: a clear photo or scan sent on WhatsApp is enough to start a certified translation in Dubai. Photograph every page and both sides, flat and in good light, send your passport copy so names are spelled the same way, and tell us which authority will receive the translation. With that, the quote comes back within 10 minutes.
Most of the documents we translate never come to our office. They arrive as photos on WhatsApp, and the translation goes back stamped and ready to submit. That works well when the photos are clear and we know where the document is going. When something is missing, the job stops while we ask for it. This checklist covers what to send, how to photograph it, and the details that save a second round of messages.
1. A clear photo or scan of every page
We translate what we can read. A blurred stamp, a cut-off corner or a shadow across a date leaves a gap the translator cannot fill by guessing, and a certified translation should not contain guesses. A few minutes with the camera avoids that:
- Lay the document flat on a plain, dark surface and shoot from directly above, not at an angle.
- Use daylight or a bright room, and switch the flash off if it leaves a white glare on stamps or laminated cards.
- Keep all four edges in the frame. Serial numbers, seals and signatures often sit right at the margin.
- Send the photo as a document in WhatsApp, or as a PDF from a scanning app, so it is not compressed.
- Check it before you send it: zoom in on the smallest text. If you cannot read it, neither can we.
2. Both sides, and every page
The back of a certificate or an ID card often carries the attestation stamps, a registration number or an expiry date. Those are part of the document, so they are part of the translation. For multi-page documents such as court judgments, contracts or transcripts, send every page in order, including pages that look blank apart from a stamp. If only certain pages need translating, tell us which ones.
3. Your passport, so names match
Names are where most avoidable problems start. An Arabic name can be written in English in several ways, and an English name can be written in Arabic in more than one way too. The office receiving your file will compare the translation with your passport or Emirates ID. Send a copy of the passport (and the Emirates ID if you have one) for each person named in the document, and we spell every name exactly as it appears there. If a name is spelled differently on two of your own documents, tell us which spelling you want, so the translation does not quietly pick one.
4. Where the translation is going
A translation for a court, a ministry, a bank, an embassy or a university abroad may need a different format, and some files also need attestation. For example, the UAE Government portal states that documents presented to the UAE’s courts must be in Arabic, or translated into Arabic by a legal translator approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice (u.ae: Civil cases). For marriage under Sharia law, the same portal says documents issued outside the UAE must be officially attested and translated into Arabic by an authorised translator (u.ae: Marriage as per the Sharia law).
So one line such as “for Dubai Courts”, “for a bank in Germany” or “for my residence file” tells us what format to use and whether attestation is needed first. If you are not sure in which order to do things, our guide on attestation or translation first explains why the receiving authority decides.
5. The deadline and the delivery format
Tell us when you need it, and whether a stamped digital copy is enough or the authority wants a hard copy. For most document types we return the translation stamped online the same day, so you do not have to visit us. Hard copies and courier are available when an authority requires originals, and we ask for your original document only when the receiving authority requires it.
What happens after you send it
- Quote within 10 minutes: the cost and a realistic delivery time, before any work starts.
- Translation by a person: legal documents are translated by our team and reviewed by a second person. Our legal translator, Ahmed Muhammad Sabar, has been registered with the Ministry of Justice under number 302 since 2008.
- Delivery: the stamped translation on WhatsApp or by email, with a hard copy if needed.
Your documents are handled confidentially and used only for your translation. Companies and law firms that send documents regularly can use a corporate account, with one monthly invoice and priority delivery.
Ready? Send your document on WhatsApp to +971 54 588 5472 with your passport copy and the name of the receiving authority, and you get a quote within 10 minutes. Related: Certified translation services in Dubai · Document attestation services · Birth and marriage certificate translation