Documents & PRO

The layer beneath everything else. When it stalls, so does the company formation, the bank account and the visa.

Attestation, legalisation and sworn translation, performed directly rather than subcontracted — the work GSDC was built on.

The practice

What We Handle

The government-facing layer

Performed directly rather than subcontracted — which is why it moves at our pace.

Attestation & Legalisation→Foreign documents prepared for use in the UAE, and UAE documents prepared for use abroad.Legal & Sworn Translation→Translation by approved translators for official use, across a range of languages.PRO Services & Government Liaison→Applications, submissions, renewals and the physical attendance many procedures still require.

Scope

What Needs Attestation

Broadly, any document issued outside the UAE that a UAE authority, bank, court or employer is asked to rely on. In practice, most commonly:

People & visas

Degree & professional certificatesEmployment visas, Golden Visa professional routes, licensing

Marriage & birth certificatesFamily and dependant visas

Police clearance certificatesCertain licences and visa categories

Company & banking

Corporate documents of a foreign parentSubsidiary or branch formation, corporate shareholders, banking

Board resolutionsCorporate changes, bank mandates, re-domiciliation

Powers of attorneyActing on behalf of an absent shareholder or party

Courts & regulators

Commercial agreementsCourt filings, regulated submissions

The sequence

How the Chain Works

The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention — an apostille is neither required nor sufficient here. Documents go through attestation instead: a chain in which each step must be completed before the next.

Origin-country stamp

The document is certified as original at the embassy or consulate in the UAE of the country that issued it.

UAE MOFA attestation

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests the document for official use.

Legal translation into Arabic

By an approved translator, where the receiving authority requires it.

Requirements differ by country of origin and by the authority that will receive the document — which is why the intended use should be established before the process starts, not after.

Order Attestation

Complications

Where It Goes Wrong

The chain started in the wrong place

A document authenticated domestically but never legalised at the UAE mission will be rejected, and the process restarts.

Translation by an unapproved translator

Official use generally requires a translator approved for the purpose. An accurate translation from the wrong source is still refused.

Name inconsistencies

A name spelled differently across passport, certificate and translation stops a file. Transliteration should be settled deliberately at the first document rather than corrected across all of them later.

Documents attested too early

Some have a validity window for the receiving authority. Attesting far in advance of use can mean doing it twice.

Started too late

Attestation depends on authorities in another country and cannot be accelerated by paying more attention to it. It is the step most likely to delay a formation or a visa, and the one most often left until it is on the critical path.

Documents & PRODubai · United Arab Emirates

FAQ

Questions

How long does attestation take?

It depends almost entirely on the country of origin and its authorities. UAE-side steps are comparatively quick; the foreign leg is the variable. We give a realistic estimate for the specific country at the outset.

Can you attest a document I already hold abroad?

Often yes, depending on the document and the country. Some steps must be completed where the document was issued, and we set out what has to happen locally before anything can proceed here.

Do all documents need Arabic translation?

Not all — it depends on the receiving authority. Courts and many government submissions require it; some processes accept English.

Can you translate into languages other than Arabic and English?

Yes. We handle sworn and legal translation across a range of languages for official use.

What is a power of attorney used for here?

Allowing someone to act on your behalf — signing, submitting, collecting, incorporating — when you are outside the UAE. It is the single most useful document for anyone managing UAE affairs remotely, and it is worth arranging before it is needed.

Do you handle the physical attendance?

Yes. Much of this work still requires someone to be present at a counter, and that is what a PRO function is for.