Birth, marriage and death certificates are some of the documents we translate most often, because almost every major process in Dubai eventually asks for one in Arabic: a family visa, a school enrolment, a marriage or divorce file, an inheritance case. Most of the delays we see come from the steps around the translation, not the translation itself, so this guide covers both.
Where these certificates are usually submitted
- Birth certificates: family visa applications, school registration, adding a child to a residency file, and Emirates ID.
- Marriage certificates: spousal visa sponsorship, joint bank accounts, property and inheritance matters, and personal status files.
- Death certificates: inheritance and estate proceedings, closing bank accounts, and ending contracts held by the deceased.
If the certificate was issued outside the UAE
A certificate issued abroad usually has to be attested before a UAE authority will accept it: first in the issuing country, by that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by the UAE embassy there, and finally by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which certifies the authenticity of the signatures and seals. The certified Arabic translation is normally prepared last, so it reproduces the attestation stamps already on the page. Our guide Attestation or translation first? explains why the order matters.
We handle the UAE attestation follow-up and the translation in the same office, so you are not managing two providers for one certificate.
Why the translation must be certified
Arabic is the official language of the UAE under Article 7 of the Constitution, and for the courts the rule is explicit: documents must be in Arabic, or translated by a legal translator approved by the Ministry of Justice (u.ae, civil cases). Immigration, schools and banks apply the same standard in practice. You can confirm any translator in the Ministry’s public search; ours is registered under number 302.
Names are where certificates get rejected
A certificate often spells a name differently from the passport, especially when the original is in another script. The translation has to follow the official record, so we match every name to the passport or Emirates ID. Send a copy with the certificate. The same applies to places of birth and dates, which we reproduce exactly as written, with any ambiguity noted rather than guessed.
Condition of the original is not a barrier
Older certificates are often handwritten, stamped several times, or only available as a photograph. Scans, photos, handwritten forms and stamped originals are routine for us and do not need to be re-issued before we work from them. If a stamp or a line is genuinely unreadable, the translation says so, rather than inventing it.
Turnaround
A single certificate is usually ready the same day once any attestation is complete. Several certificates for one family file can usually be done together within the day.
Questions we hear
Do I need to translate the attestation stamps as well?
Yes, when they are on the document you submit. That is the main reason the translation is done after attestation.
Can one translation be used for both the visa and the school?
Usually yes, if both accept a certified translation of the complete certificate. Tell us every place it is going.
Do you translate certificates from languages other than English?
Yes, including French, Russian, Turkish and others, through translators we have worked with before.
Send the certificate
Send a clear photo or scan on WhatsApp to +971 54 588 5472, tell us where it is being submitted, and you will have a quote within 10 minutes. We are open every day from 9 am to 10 pm, Fridays until 7 pm. Related: Certified translation services · Document attestation · Educational certificate attestation