MOFA attestation in Sharjah is now an online service, so there is no ministry counter to visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs closed its customer happiness centres in July 2022. You apply on its website or app with UAE PASS, and MOFA decides the route: digital or courier.
Send a photo on WhatsApp and we’ll confirm the requirements and quote in writing before we start.
Send a photo on WhatsAppMaybe an old website sent you looking for a MOFA building in Sharjah, or your HR team just said “get it stamped at MOFA”. Either way, the useful question is whether your document is ready and which route it will take. Our certificate attestation service in Sharjah starts from a photo of the paper, and this guide walks you through the same check.
Is there a MOFA customer centre in Sharjah?
Not for attestation. In its July 2022 announcement, the ministry said its Customer Happiness Centres would close from 18 July 2022 and that attestation requests would go through its website and app. Older directory listings and blog posts still show addresses, which is why people keep driving around looking for one.
When someone in Sharjah says “the MOFA office”, they usually mean a private attestation office that files the request for you. That can save you time, but it isn’t the ministry, and the attestation itself still comes from MOFA.
Digital or courier: who picks the route?
You don’t choose. MOFA’s attestation page says the route is set automatically from the issuing authority and the document type. It helps to know which one to expect, though, because the preparation is different.
| Route | Fits which documents | What you prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Digital attestation | UAE-issued electronic documents from a supported authority, with a QR code, barcode, electronic link or reference number, for use outside the UAE | The original digital file. MOFA does not accept a scan or a photo of it. |
| Approved courier | Paper originals in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation | The original, already certified by the competent authority where that applies, and not laminated |
| UAE mission abroad | Documents issued outside the UAE, through selected missions | Check the UAE embassy or consulate page for your country first |
The application shows which issuing authorities and document types are supported today, and that list can change. If your Sharjah document doesn’t appear for digital attestation, it doesn’t mean the document is a problem. It may simply take the courier route.
School certificates from Sharjah: the Dalil route
This is the part that’s different in Sharjah. On 13 May 2026, MOFA and the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) announced a joint academic certificate service on the Dalil student services platform. Parents and students can issue and attest a certificate in one transaction, covering SPEA, MOFA and the UAE mission in the destination country.
That replaces what used to be three separate procedures. The ministry says the service takes three minutes, down from six working days. That’s MOFA’s own figure for this service, so don’t apply it to other documents.
If your child’s certificate was issued through SPEA, try Dalil before you pay anyone to handle it. University degrees and certificates from other authorities are not part of this announcement, so they follow the normal route.
Family, education and company papers: where each one starts
MOFA attests the seal and signature of the authority behind a document, so that authority has to come first. In practice, that gives a Sharjah resident three common starting points:
- Family documents: UAE birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, usually needed for a family visa abroad or a school file in another country.
- Degrees and diplomas: the university and education authority steps come before MOFA, and a degree issued abroad follows the foreign document route below.
- Company papers: trade licences, MOAs, resolutions and powers of attorney. Which office certifies each one depends on where the company is licensed, so ask before you start.
A power of attorney or declaration usually has to be notarized before it can go further. Our note on which Sharjah documents need a notary, and where to go covers that step.
Five checks before you press submit
MOFA says incorrectly completed applications are rejected automatically, so these are worth two minutes:
- The destination country is final. You must decide it before you submit. It can’t be changed afterwards.
- The issuer step is done. A paper document must already be certified by the competent authority where that applies.
- The language works. Arabic or English is fine. Anything else needs a legally certified translation first, and our legal translation team in Sharjah can prepare it. Not sure of the order? See whether to translate or attest first.
- The paper isn’t laminated. If it is, ask the issuer for a fresh original.
- One route per application. You can include up to five documents, but all of them must go through the same attestation method. A document that needs a different method goes in a separate application.
What if your document was issued abroad?
For a degree or certificate from your home country, the MOFA step usually happens before the paper reaches Sharjah. MOFA says this service runs through selected UAE missions, and it tells applicants to check the mission’s website to see whether the service is online. If it isn’t, you visit the mission in person.
Before you book a courier, read the attestation on your document. It may already include what you need. We explain the different cases in our guide to MOFA attestation options for use abroad.
Living in Ajman?
The same online process applies to Ajman residents. We don’t have an office in Ajman, so customers there are served from our Sharjah office in Al Majaz and on WhatsApp, and free pickup and delivery of documents is available in Ajman too. If the document also needs translating, see our page on legal translation for Ajman.
How do you check the attestation is genuine?
Go to MOFA Verify, choose Document Status, and enter the reference number and issue date. Do this as soon as the document comes back, before you hand it to an employer or school. Our step-by-step guide to verifying a MOFA attestation shows what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I walk into a MOFA office in Sharjah for attestation?
No. MOFA closed its Customer Happiness Centres from 18 July 2022, and attestation is requested on its website or app after signing in with UAE PASS. Paper originals move through an approved courier service provider. If you get stuck, MOFA’s support line is +971 800 44444.
Can I attest a Sharjah document for use inside the UAE?
It depends on the document and who is asking for it. MOFA describes digital attestation as a service for eligible UAE documents intended for use outside the UAE. Ask the receiving office exactly what it needs before you apply, because it may not need MOFA attestation at all.
Do I need UAE PASS to apply?
Yes. MOFA’s attestation service requires a UAE PASS login. If you’d rather not file the request yourself, an attestation office can prepare and submit it for you, and you can stay in touch on WhatsApp while the document moves through each step.
Does Dalil cover university degrees?
The May 2026 announcement describes academic certificates issued through the Sharjah Private Education Authority. It doesn’t describe university degrees, so don’t assume yours qualifies. Check what the platform offers for your certificate, or send us a photo and we’ll tell you which route applies.
How long does MOFA attestation take in Sharjah?
MOFA publishes its service times on its attestation page, and they differ by route. Those times cover the ministry’s step only, so a missing issuer step or a translation adds to the total. Tell us your deadline and we confirm what is possible before we start.
Can Wordcraft collect documents from my home in Sharjah?
Yes. Free pickup and delivery of documents is available in Sharjah and Ajman, arranged from our Al Majaz office. Send a photo first, so we can confirm the route before anything is collected.
Can I walk into a MOFA office in Sharjah for attestation?
No. MOFA closed its Customer Happiness Centres from 18 July 2022, and attestation is requested on its website or app after signing in with UAE PASS. Paper originals move through an approved courier service provider. If you get stuck, MOFA’s support line is +971 800 44444.
Can I attest a Sharjah document for use inside the UAE?
It depends on the document and who is asking for it. MOFA describes digital attestation as a service for eligible UAE documents intended for use outside the UAE. Ask the receiving office exactly what it needs before you apply, because it may not need MOFA attestation at all.
Do I need UAE PASS to apply?
Yes. MOFA’s attestation service requires a UAE PASS login. If you’d rather not file the request yourself, an attestation office can prepare and submit it for you, and you can stay in touch on WhatsApp while the document moves through each step.
Does Dalil cover university degrees?
The May 2026 announcement describes academic certificates issued through the Sharjah Private Education Authority. It doesn’t describe university degrees, so don’t assume yours qualifies. Check what the platform offers for your certificate, or send us a photo and we’ll tell you which route applies.
How long does MOFA attestation take in Sharjah?
MOFA publishes its service times on its attestation page, and they differ by route. Those times cover the ministry’s step only, so a missing issuer step or a translation adds to the total. Tell us your deadline and we confirm what is possible before we start.
Can Wordcraft collect documents from my home in Sharjah?
Yes. Free pickup and delivery of documents is available in Sharjah and Ajman, arranged from our Al Majaz office. Send a photo first, so we can confirm the route before anything is collected.
Where Wordcraft Comes In
Our Sharjah office in Al Majaz checks your document, sorts out any issuer verification or certified translation, and files the request. You’ll find the address and opening hours on our Sharjah office page, and more detail on our MOFA attestation service. Free pickup and delivery of documents is available. Send a photo of your document on WhatsApp +971 54 544 0234 or call toll-free 800 9673, and we reply with a written quote in 10 to 30 minutes. We confirm the government fees and our service charge in writing before any work begins.
