Certified, legal and sworn translation in Dubai usually mean the same thing in practice: a translation done and stamped by a translator who is on the UAE Ministry of Justice list and has taken the legal oath. That is what Dubai courts, notaries and attestation offices accept. A “certified” translation made abroad, or by a translator who is not on that list, is a different thing, and it is a common reason a file gets sent back.
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Send a photo on WhatsAppIf your document is going to a court, the notary, a free zone, a bank or a government office here, what you need is legal translation in Dubai by a listed translator. The label on the quote matters much less than who signs and stamps the translation. Below we explain where each word comes from, what the law actually says, and how to check a translation before you submit it. If you are starting from scratch, our Dubai translation and attestation team can tell you which version your receiving office wants.
Why three different words for one thing?
Each word comes from a different system, and people moving to Dubai bring their home-country vocabulary with them.
- Certified translation is the UK, US and Indian term. Back home it often means a translator or agency signs a statement that the translation is accurate. In the UAE, that statement alone does not make a translation acceptable.
- Sworn translation comes from countries such as Spain, France or Germany, where translators are sworn in by a court. The UAE has its own version of this: listed translators take a legal oath before a UAE appeal court.
- Legal translation is the everyday UAE term. On a quote in Dubai it normally means a translation by a Ministry of Justice listed translator, with their stamp.
So when a Dubai office asks for a “certified” or “legal” translation, they are almost always asking for the same thing: a translation from someone on the UAE list. We also offer sworn translation under that name for customers who need the word on paper for use abroad.
What does UAE law say about accepting a translation?
The rule is in Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 on the translation profession, in force since 2 January 2023 (it replaced the 2012 law). Three articles matter for anyone handing in a translated document:
| Article | What it says, in plain words | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Article 2 | Nobody may work as a translator in the UAE without being on the Ministry of Justice list and holding a licence from the local licensing authority. | A freelancer or a typing centre without a listed translator cannot produce a translation that counts. |
| Article 3 | No authority may authenticate or certify, and no court may accept, a translated document unless the translator or translation house is on the list. | This is the line that decides whether your translation is accepted by courts and by the offices that certify documents. |
| Article 11 | A listed translator must take the legal oath before an appeal court before submitting translation work. | This is why “sworn” and “legal” translation overlap in the UAE. |
| Article 13 | The translator must put their name, registration number and the name of their translation house on the translations and certificates they sign. | You can check these details on the stamp before you submit. |
One exception exists: a court may bring in a translator who is not on the list if it needs one, as long as that person takes the oath. That is the court’s choice, not something a customer can rely on.
Will Dubai accept a translation done in my home country?
Usually not for official use here. Article 3 is written about who did the translation, and a translator abroad is not on the UAE list. Even a properly sworn translation from Madrid or a notarised one from Mumbai normally has to be translated again in the UAE if it is going to a court, the notary or another office that certifies documents.
There is a common trap here. Say your degree certificate was translated into English in your home country and that translation was attested along with the original. The attestation confirms the stamps on the paper. It does not turn the foreign translation into a UAE legal translation. If the receiving office wants Arabic, the Arabic translation still has to come from a listed translator here.
Some offices, like certain free zone or bank teams, may accept an English document without any translation at all. That is their decision, so ask them first. It can save you a step.
Which comes first: attestation or translation?
For a document issued outside the UAE, the attestation chain normally comes first and the translation second. That way the translator can translate the stamps and seals too, and the officer reading the Arabic version sees the whole page. Our guide to MOFA attestation explains the attestation side.
For a document issued inside the UAE in English, such as a local contract, there is often no attestation step at all and it goes straight to translation. If the translated document will then be used abroad, the receiving country may want it attested after translation. This is worth checking before you start, because doing the steps in the wrong order is another common reason for a redo.
How to check a legal translation before you submit it
Take two minutes with the translation in your hand before you queue at any counter:
- Look for the translator’s stamp with their name and registration number, and the name of the translation house. Article 13 requires them.
- Check the translator is on the Ministry of Justice list. Our guide on how to verify an MOJ legal translator shows how.
- Check every page is translated, including the back pages, stamps, handwritten notes and seals.
- Compare every name, date and number with your passport and Emirates ID. One wrong letter in a name is enough for an officer to reject it.
- Make sure the translation is attached to a copy of the source document, so the officer can match them.
- Ask the receiving office whether they want the translation into Arabic, English or both.
Documents where this matters most
Any document going to a Dubai court needs a listed translator: contracts in a dispute, judgments, police reports, statements and evidence. Our court judgment translation page covers the court side in more detail. Notary work is the next big group, such as powers of attorney, declarations and company documents that are drafted in two languages. Then come personal documents for visas and family matters: birth and marriage certificates, divorce papers, degrees and police clearance certificates.
A rough rule: if a government officer will stamp, file or rely on the translated document, use a listed translator. For a translation that is only for your own reading or an informal email, you don’t need one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is certified translation the same as legal translation in Dubai?
In practice yes, when the request comes from a UAE office. Both usually mean a translation by a translator on the UAE Ministry of Justice list, with their stamp and registration number. A “certified” translation made abroad, with only a signed accuracy statement, is not the same thing and is normally not accepted by Dubai courts or the notary.
Does the UAE have sworn translators?
Yes. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, translators on the Ministry of Justice list take a legal oath before an appeal court before they can submit translation work. So every legal translator listed in the UAE is, in effect, a sworn translator. Some customers ask for the word “sworn” because the country receiving the document uses it.
Can I use a translation from my home country in Dubai?
For courts, the notary and offices that certify documents, usually not. UAE law says they can only accept translations made by a translator or translation house on the UAE list. Some private bodies may accept a foreign translation or an English original without translation, so ask the receiving office before you pay for anything twice.
How do I know if a translator is approved by the Ministry of Justice?
Check the stamp: it should show the translator’s name, registration number and translation house. Then check the name against the Ministry of Justice list of translators. A listed translator’s registration runs for three years and must be renewed, so an old stamp from an expired registration is a risk worth checking.
Do I need to attest a document before translating it?
For documents issued abroad, normally yes. Complete the attestation chain first so the translator can include the attestation stamps in the translation. For English documents issued inside the UAE, you can often go straight to translation. If the receiving office has its own rule, follow theirs.
Is certified translation the same as legal translation in Dubai?
In practice yes, when the request comes from a UAE office. Both usually mean a translation by a translator on the UAE Ministry of Justice list, with their stamp and registration number. A “certified” translation made abroad, with only a signed accuracy statement, is not the same thing and is normally not accepted by Dubai courts or the notary.
Does the UAE have sworn translators?
Yes. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022, translators on the Ministry of Justice list take a legal oath before an appeal court before they can submit translation work. So every legal translator listed in the UAE is, in effect, a sworn translator. Some customers ask for the word “sworn” because the country receiving the document uses it.
Can I use a translation from my home country in Dubai?
For courts, the notary and offices that certify documents, usually not. UAE law says they can only accept translations made by a translator or translation house on the UAE list. Some private bodies may accept a foreign translation or an English original without translation, so ask the receiving office before you pay for anything twice.
How do I know if a translator is approved by the Ministry of Justice?
Check the stamp: it should show the translator’s name, registration number and translation house. Then check the name against the Ministry of Justice list of translators. A listed translator’s registration runs for three years and must be renewed, so an old stamp from an expired registration is a risk worth checking.
Do I need to attest a document before translating it?
For documents issued abroad, normally yes. Complete the attestation chain first so the translator can include the attestation stamps in the translation. For English documents issued inside the UAE, you can often go straight to translation. If the receiving office has its own rule, follow theirs.
Where Wordcraft Comes In
Our legal translations are done and stamped by legal translators licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and a second linguist checks names, dates and numbers before delivery. We translate from and into Arabic in more than 150 languages, and we can arrange the attestation steps around the translation so the order is right the first time. Free pickup and delivery of documents is available in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Send a photo of your document on WhatsApp at +971 56 681 3996 or call toll-free 800 9673: we reply with a written quote, usually within 10 to 30 minutes, and confirm the government fees and our service charge in writing before any work begins. Tell us your deadline and we confirm what is possible before we start.
Source: Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 Regulating the Translation Profession (uaelegislation.gov.ae), read 28 October 2026.
