If you studied outside the UAE, your certificates may need up to three separate things before an employer, a university or a government body here will accept them: attestation, an equivalency or recognition decision, and a certified translation. They are handled by different bodies, and confusing them is the most common reason applications stall. This guide explains what each one is and where translation fits in.
Three different steps
- Attestation confirms that the certificate and the stamps on it are genuine. It is a chain that usually starts in the country where you studied and ends with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Equivalency or recognition is a decision by the competent UAE ministry on what your qualification is worth in the UAE system.
- Certified translation makes a certificate written in another language usable by the authority receiving it.
Not every file needs all three. Which ones you need depends on the certificate and on who is asking for it.
School certificates (Grade 12)
According to the UAE Government portal, the Ministry of Education is the authority that equalises high school certificates. Certificates presented for equivalency must be attested by the Ministry of Education in the UAE and/or the education authority in the country where they were issued, and the Ministry’s service conditions ask for the Grade 12 certificate and transcript to be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
School certificates issued abroad in a language other than Arabic or English must be legally translated and duly attested. The exact documents depend on the curriculum the student completed, so check the Ministry of Education’s equivalency service page for your case before you start.
University degrees
Degrees from outside the UAE are recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Its recognition service currently asks for the original graduation certificate, and the university must have been accredited by the relevant authority in the country of study during your period of study. An approved partner contacts the awarding institution to verify the qualification, and you may be asked for additional documents. Missing documents have to be provided within 7 working days, or the request can be closed.
Recognition and attestation are separate. An employer, a licensing body or another authority may still ask for your degree to be attested, even when the ministry’s recognition process verifies it directly with your university. Ask the body that needs the document which of the two it wants.
Where translation fits in
A certificate or transcript written in a language other than Arabic or English usually needs a certified translation before a UAE authority will look at it. Where attestation is also needed, the translation normally comes after the stamps are on the document, because it has to reproduce them. We explain the order in more detail in Attestation or translation first?
Transcripts deserve care. Course titles, grades, credit hours and grading scales are carried over exactly as they appear, with the table layout kept, so the reader can check the translation line by line against the original.
Practical tips
- Check the official service page first. Ministry requirements change, and the page for your case is the final word.
- Keep your originals safe. Attestation is stamped on the original, and the recognition service asks for the original certificate.
- Make names match your passport. Send a passport copy with the certificate so the translation spells your name exactly as your official records do.
- Translate the transcript too if the authority asks for it, not only the certificate.
How Mundo helps
Mundo is a legal translation office approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and our licence also covers document attestation and transaction follow-up. We translate certificates and transcripts with the Ministry of Justice stamp, handle the UAE attestation stages, and tell you what has to be done in the country of issue before you send the documents.
Send your certificate on WhatsApp to +971 54 588 5472, tell us who is asking for it, and you get the route and a quote within 10 minutes. Related: Document attestation · Certified translation services