People often ask us for a “notarized translation” when what the receiving authority actually requires is a certified legal translation. The terms get used interchangeably, but in the UAE they describe different things, issued by different bodies, for different purposes. Sending the wrong one to Dubai Courts or the Land Department means starting again.
Certified translation
A certified translation carries the stamp of a translation office licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. The stamp confirms the translator is authorised and the translation is a true rendering of the original. This is the standard the vast majority of UAE authorities ask for: Dubai Courts, the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre, the Land Department, banks, universities and immigration all work from Ministry of Justice certified translations.
Notarized translation
Notarization is a separate step performed by a Notary Public, and it does not certify that the translation itself is accurate. A notary witnesses a signature or certifies that a copy matches an original. Some specific procedures, such as certain powers of attorney, need both: a Ministry of Justice certified translation and a Notary Public attestation of the signature, side by side on the same document. Ask the receiving authority which one they mean before you order either.
Legal translation
“Legal translation” describes the type of content, not the stamp on it. It refers to translating legal material, contracts, court judgments, statutes, wills, so accurately that the meaning holds up under legal scrutiny in both languages. A legal translation should also be a certified translation if it is going to a UAE authority, but the two words are answering different questions: one is about subject matter, the other is about who is allowed to sign off on it.
What this means for you
The safest approach is not to guess which term applies. Tell us what the document is and exactly where you are submitting it, court, notary, bank, university or embassy, and we will tell you precisely what stamp or combination of stamps it needs before any work starts. Where a document also needs attestation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an embassy first, we handle that step too, so the translation and the attestation chain line up correctly.
Send your document on WhatsApp to +971 54 588 5472 and you will have a quote, and the correct answer for your situation, within 15 minutes. Related: Certified translation services · Document attestation