Attestation is the official authentication of a document so that it is legally recognised in the UAE. It is the chain of stamps and confirmations by a notary, government departments and, for foreign documents, embassies and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs that proves a document is genuine.
Where you’ll see it
Attestation comes up whenever a document created in one country needs to be used in another a power of attorney signed abroad, a marriage or birth certificate, or corporate papers. Getting a foreign POA attested correctly so it works for a UAE property deal is a typical task a power of attorney specialist coordinates.
Why it matters
A document that is not properly attested can simply be refused by a UAE notary, trustee office or government body, no matter how genuine it is. For property transactions that depend on a foreign-signed POA, missing a step in the attestation chain can stall the whole transfer until it is redone.
What it is not
Attestation is not the same as translation, though the two often go together a foreign document usually needs both legal translation into Arabic and attestation. It is also not the same as notarisation alone; notarisation is one link in the chain, while attestation is the wider process that makes the document usable across borders.
Example
An owner in the UK signs a POA to sell their Dubai apartment. To be accepted here, the POA is notarised in the UK, attested by the UAE embassy in London, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and legally translated into Arabic after which the trustee office will accept it.
Connected documents and parties
The underlying document (e.g. POA), notary certification, embassy and MOFA stamps, legal translation; document owner, notary, embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Going deeper: for the full attestation chain on a power of attorney used in the UAE, see the POA and attestation guidance.
Related Terms
Notarisation, Apostille, Power of Attorney (POA), Non-Resident POA, Corporate POA
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Last reviewed: June 2026