Certificate attestation in Ras Al Khaimah makes a degree, birth or marriage certificate, or company paper legally usable in the UAE or abroad. Wordcraft runs it from a real RAK office in Al Nakheel, open until 22:00 on weekdays: we check the document, work out its route through MOFA and the embassies, and return it attested. No trip to Dubai is needed.
How Attestation Works in RAK Now (September 2026)
Short answer: most attestation for RAK residents is now digital, and you rarely need to stand at a ministry counter. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) takes applications online, and for most documents issued abroad the UAE Embassy in that country already completes the MOFA step. The points below come from MOFA's own attestation service rules.
- Online with UAE PASS: MOFA attestation is requested on the ministry's website or app after a UAE PASS login. UAE-issued documents such as birth and marriage certificates are attested online, usually within an hour, with no paper original changing hands. We file the request for you from the RAK office.
- No lamination: MOFA does not accept laminated documents. If your certificate has been laminated, ask the issuer for a fresh original before anything else.
- Arabic or English: the document must be in one of the two languages or come with a certified translation, which our MOJ-certified legal translators in RAK can prepare.
- Documents from abroad: for most foreign documents, the UAE Embassy or Consulate in the issuing country now adds the MOFA attestation digitally when it legalizes the document, so there is usually no second MOFA step here.
- No apostille route: the UAE has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille by itself does not make a document valid in Ras Al Khaimah.
Source: UAE MOFA attestation services. Timing depends on which route your document takes and is confirmed in your written quote. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Route by Where Your Document Was Issued
Find your document in the first column. The last column answers the question RAK customers ask us most: will it still need MOFA once it is in the UAE?
| Where the document was issued | What happens | Separate MOFA step in the UAE? |
|---|---|---|
| In the UAE, as a digital document with a QR code or reference number | We submit it to MOFA online through UAE PASS. Nothing has to be carried to another emirate. | Yes, and it is done online |
| In the UAE, on paper | The issuing authority verifies it first (for example MOHAP for a birth certificate, or the university, KHDA or MOHESR for a degree), then MOFA attests it. | Yes, after the issuer has verified it |
| Abroad, in a country where the UAE Embassy completes MOFA digitally | Authentication in the home country, then UAE Embassy legalization with the MOFA attestation built in. | No, in most cases |
| Abroad, through an older or different route (for example, legalized before the digital change) | We check the embassy legalization and add MOFA attestation in the UAE if it is missing. | Yes, if the embassy step did not include it |
| In the UAE, for use in another country | MOFA attestation first, then legalization by that country's embassy in the UAE. An apostille is not available for UAE documents. | Yes, before the embassy |
Not sure which row is yours? A photo of the document is enough for our RAK team to tell you.
Certificate Attestation in Ras Al Khaimah: What We Handle
- Education: degrees, diplomas and transcripts, school and transfer certificates, and the nursing or teaching qualifications that licensing files depend on.
- Family and personal: birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, police clearance certificates, medical reports and experience letters.
- Company: trade licenses, certificates of incorporation, MOA and articles, board and shareholder resolutions, powers of attorney, and good-standing or incumbency certificates.
If only the ministry step is missing, our MOFA attestation service covers it on its own.
RAKEZ, RAK ICC and Mainland Company Papers
Ras Al Khaimah has a large base of companies licensed by the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), by the RAK mainland licensing authority and by the RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC). Their paperwork moves in two directions:
- Coming in: a foreign parent company's board resolution, certificate of incorporation or power of attorney, used to set up a RAK entity, add a shareholder or appoint a manager. It is authenticated in the parent company's country, legalized by the UAE Embassy there and usually translated into Arabic.
- Going out: a RAK trade license, incorporation certificate or good-standing letter requested by a foreign bank, tender board or registry. The issuing authority certifies it first (plus the Chamber of Commerce if the destination asks for it), then MOFA attests it and the destination country's embassy legalizes it.
Still choosing where to license? Our guide to doing business in RAKEZ sets out what the free zone offers.
Our Al Nakheel Office and Opening Hours
Wordcraft Ras Al Khaimah is at Shop 10, Al Rahma Building, Al Nakheel. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 22:00 and on Saturday from 8:30 to 16:00, closed on Sunday, which suits people who can only come after work. Call or WhatsApp +971 56 549 8344, or use the toll-free line 800 9673.
The same team provides legal translation in Ras Al Khaimah through MOJ-certified legal translators, arranges notarization and handles company formation and PRO work, so a single visit can cover a translated, attested and notarized file. Free document collection runs across the whole emirate.
What to Bring to the RAK Office
- The original document, not a photocopy (a UAE digital document can simply be shared as its digital file)
- A passport copy of the person named on the certificate, spelled the same way
- For a degree: the transcripts or mark sheets, if the employer or licensing body wants those attested as well
- For company papers: the trade license and the passport copy of the authorized signatory
- Your Emirates ID copy if you live in the UAE, plus a short signed authorization so our RAK staff can submit on your behalf
From First Photo to Attested Document
- Photo or walk-in: WhatsApp a picture to the RAK branch or bring the document in. The route and a written quote come back within 10–30 minutes.
- Handover: once you approve, leave the original at Al Nakheel or book a free pick-up anywhere in Ras Al Khaimah.
- Processing: we take the document through the issuer, MOFA and the embassies in order, and each stage shows in your online order.
- Return: the attested document, with its Arabic translation if you ordered one, comes back to the branch or to your door.
MOFA Attestation in Ras Al Khaimah
Many documents handled in Ras Al Khaimah need MOFA attestation, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs step that makes a certificate valid for use in the UAE, or a UAE document valid abroad. Our RAK branch in Al Nakheel handles MOFA attestation for residents of Ras Al Khaimah and the northern emirates:
- Foreign certificates for use in the UAE: degrees, marriage and birth certificates are attested in the issuing country and by the UAE Embassy there. The MOFA step is now digital, and we confirm whether it is already included for your document.
- UAE documents for use abroad: RAK-issued documents, company papers and certificates are prepared and submitted for MOFA attestation, then for the destination country's embassy.
- Legal translation: our MOJ-certified legal translators prepare the Arabic translation the authorities ask for, in the same order.
There is no need to travel to Dubai or Abu Dhabi: drop the documents at our RAK office, open until 22:00 on weekdays, or request free collection. The full process is on our MOFA attestation page, and a WhatsApp photo gets you a free quote within 10–30 minutes.
RAK Government Portal (rak.ae) and MOFA Attestation: What Your Document Needs
The Ras Al Khaimah Government portal, rak.ae, lists government e-services, including certificate attestation. Embassies, foreign authorities and most UAE ministries look for MOFA attestation. The steps your document needs depend on who will receive it, so we check the receiving office's checklist before starting and tell you the route in your quote. Companies registered with RAKEZ can bring their company documents to the same office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get MOFA attestation in Ras Al Khaimah without going to Dubai?
Yes. MOFA attestation is applied for online with UAE PASS, and we file it for you from our Al Nakheel office. UAE digital documents never need to leave RAK, and where a paper original has to reach the ministry we arrange the delivery and return. Foreign documents are handled through the issuing country and the UAE Embassy there, so you do not travel for those either.
Do you attest RAKEZ company documents for use abroad?
Yes. A RAKEZ trade license, certificate of incorporation or good-standing letter is first certified by RAKEZ as the issuing authority, then attested by MOFA, then legalized by the embassy of the country where it will be used. We check whether the destination also wants a Chamber of Commerce certification before we begin.
Is your RAK office open in the evening?
Yes. The Ras Al Khaimah branch is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 22:00 and on Saturday from 8:30 to 16:00, and it is closed on Sunday. Many customers drop off originals on their way home from work.
Do I still need MOFA after the UAE Embassy stamp?
For most countries, no. The UAE Embassy or Consulate abroad now completes the MOFA attestation digitally as part of its legalization, so the document arrives in RAK ready to use. A legalization done under the old process, or in a country on a different route, may still need MOFA here, and the table above shows how to tell.
Can a laminated certificate be attested?
No. MOFA does not accept laminated documents, and the lamination also covers security features that the issuer and the embassy need to inspect. Ask the issuing authority for a new original or certified copy and we will attest that one.
Is an apostille accepted in the UAE?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille from the issuing country does not replace legalization by the UAE Embassy. Our article Is the UAE part of the Apostille Convention? explains the background.
Do you need the original document?
For paper certificates, yes: attestation is always done on the original, never on a photocopy. The exception is a UAE digital document with a QR code or reference number, which MOFA can attest online from the digital version.
How do I verify a MOFA digital attestation?
Every digital attestation can be checked online through its QR code, which lets an employer or government office confirm that it is genuine. Our 2026 guide to digital MOFA attestation covers the check in more detail.
How long does attestation take in RAK?
That depends on the row of the table your document falls into. A QR-coded UAE certificate and a degree legalized overseas move at very different speeds, so your written quote states the expected timing for your specific document.
Will my documents need an Arabic translation?
Only if the receiving office asks for one or the document is in neither Arabic nor English. Our MOJ-certified legal translators in RAK prepare it after attestation, so the translation also covers the attestation text.
Last updated: September 2026
