Legal translation for Sharjah courts and offices means an Arabic translation stamped and signed by a legal translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. Before you order one, check three things: which office will receive it, whether the original has to be attested first, and that every name matches your passport. If you want it handled in Sharjah, our legal translation team in Sharjah works from Al Majaz.
Send a photo on WhatsApp and we’ll confirm the requirements and quote in writing before we start.
Send a photo on WhatsAppMost rejected translations aren’t badly translated. They’re translated at the wrong moment, from the wrong copy, or with a name spelled one way on the translation and another way on the passport. This checklist is about avoiding that second trip.
Which Sharjah offices usually ask for a legal translation?
Arabic is the working language of government in the UAE, so a document in English, Hindi, Russian or any other language normally needs an Arabic version before an official office will act on it. In Sharjah, the places that ask most often are:
- The courts. Sharjah has its own court system. In October 2024 an Emiri Decree set up the Sharjah Judicial Department to organise the work of the emirate’s courts and judicial services. Case papers, evidence, judgments from abroad and contracts in a dispute go in with an Arabic translation.
- The notary. If you’re signing a power of attorney, an affidavit or a declaration, the notary needs to understand what’s being signed. That usually means the document is drafted in Arabic or bilingually, or a translation goes with it.
- Company and licence work. Foreign shareholder documents, board resolutions and parent-company papers for a Sharjah mainland or free zone licence.
- Schools and education. Transcripts, transfer letters and report cards from abroad.
- Banks, employers and visa files. Salary certificates, marriage and birth certificates for family sponsorship, and similar personal documents.
Every office sets its own rules, and they change. If you’re not sure whether a particular office wants Arabic only or will take English, ask them before you pay for anything.
What makes a translation “legal” in the UAE?
A legal translation is done by a translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. The Ministry runs a system for licensed legal translators, and their translations carry the translator’s stamp and signature. That stamp is what a court clerk or notary looks for.
So a translation from a friend who speaks both languages, a printout from an online tool, or a translation from an uncertified agency abroad won’t normally be accepted, however accurate it is. If you’ve been handed a translation and want to check it before you submit it, we’ve written a separate guide on how to check that a legal translation is MOJ-certified.
One small thing people miss: the translation should be of the whole document. Stamps, seals, handwritten notes and the back of the page count. A translation that skips the issuing authority’s stamp can be sent back.
Attest first or translate first?
For documents issued outside the UAE, the usual order is attest first, then translate. That way the attestation details become part of what gets translated, and the receiving office sees one complete package.
Attestation and translation do different jobs. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that attestation certifies the signatures and seals on a document. It doesn’t make the document readable in Arabic. MOFA’s own attestation page also asks for the original document in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legally certified translation, and says the document must not be laminated.
For many countries, the UAE embassy now handles attestation digitally, and that one application covers MOFA too. You receive a digitally attested document with a reference number instead of a sticker. MOFA runs this through selected missions, so check your country’s mission page. If your document needs it, our MOFA attestation team can tell you which route applies.
Document-by-document: what to check before translation
| Document | Often needed for | Check before you send it |
|---|---|---|
| Birth or marriage certificate | Family visa, school, court (family matters) | Attested first if issued abroad; parents’ names match passports |
| Degree or transcript | Employment, equivalency, school | Attestation done; every page of the transcript included |
| Foreign court judgment | Enforcement or family case in Sharjah | Certified copy from the issuing court, attested; all pages and the final stamp page |
| Power of attorney from abroad | Property, company, court representation | Notarised and attested in the issuing country first |
| Company documents (MOA, resolution) | Sharjah licence or free zone filing | Latest version; signatory names exactly as in passports |
| Contract in a dispute | Court or arbitration | The signed version, not a draft; annexes included |
| Police clearance | Employment, visa | Still within the validity the receiving office accepts |
That last column is where the time goes. A translation of an unattested birth certificate may simply have to be redone once the attestation comes back with new stamps on it.
Things to check before you hand in the translation
- Names match the passport. Arabic has more than one way to spell most foreign names. Give the translator a passport copy so the spelling follows it, and use the same spelling across all your documents. Mohammed, Muhammad and Mohamed can look like three different people to a clerk.
- Every page is translated. Including the back, the stamps and any line squeezed into a margin.
- Dates and numbers are right. Check dates of birth, passport numbers, licence numbers and amounts against the original. It takes two minutes and it’s the most common slip.
- The receiving office is named. Tell the translator who will receive it. A court file and a school file aren’t formatted the same way.
- You have the original with you. Many offices want to see the original next to the translation.
- You know how many copies you need. If two offices need it, ask for two stamped copies at the start rather than coming back later.
Court cases and powers of attorney: a bit more care
Court work is where small errors cost the most. A mistranslated clause in a contract or a wrong date in a judgment can change what the court reads. For anything going into a case, give the translator the full file, not selected pages, and ask your lawyer which documents the court actually needs translated. We do court judgment translation regularly, and the full file always gives the best result.
Powers of attorney are different again. If you’re signing one in Sharjah, it’s normally prepared in Arabic or bilingually and signed in front of the notary, so the translation is part of the drafting, not an afterthought. If the POA was signed abroad, it needs notarising and attesting there before it’s translated here. Our power of attorney page explains the drafting side, and our notary public Sharjah page covers the appointment.
We’re not lawyers and we don’t give legal advice on your case. We make sure the paperwork in front of the court or notary says exactly what the original says.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who offers legal translation accepted by UAE courts?
Courts generally accept translations by legal translators registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, carrying the translator’s stamp and signature. Many translation offices employ such translators. Before you order, ask the office whether a licensed legal translator will stamp your document, and check with the court or your lawyer whether the case has any extra requirement.
Can I use a translation made in my home country in Sharjah?
Usually not as it is. Sharjah offices expect the Arabic translation from a UAE-licensed legal translator. A translation made abroad may still help if it was certified and attested along with the original, but most people find it simpler to attest the original document and have it translated in the UAE.
Is a Dubai legal translation valid in Sharjah?
The licence comes from the federal Ministry of Justice, so a legal translation stamped in Dubai is normally used across the emirates, Sharjah included. Some offices have their own preferences on format or copies, so it’s still worth asking the receiving office before you submit.
Do I need to translate documents that are already in English?
It depends on the office. Some Sharjah departments and banks accept English, while courts and the notary usually want Arabic. MOFA itself accepts documents in Arabic or English for attestation. Ask the receiving office directly, because the answer differs from one counter to the next.
How long does legal translation take in Sharjah?
It depends on the number of pages, the language pair and whether the document is handwritten or full of tables. Simple certificates are quicker than a long contract or a court file. We confirm the delivery time in the written quote before we start, so you can plan around your appointment.
Who offers legal translation accepted by UAE courts?
Courts generally accept translations by legal translators registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, carrying the translator’s stamp and signature. Many translation offices employ such translators. Before you order, ask the office whether a licensed legal translator will stamp your document, and check with the court or your lawyer whether the case has any extra requirement.
Can I use a translation made in my home country in Sharjah?
Usually not as it is. Sharjah offices expect the Arabic translation from a UAE-licensed legal translator. A translation made abroad may still help if it was certified and attested along with the original, but most people find it simpler to attest the original document and have it translated in the UAE.
Is a Dubai legal translation valid in Sharjah?
The licence comes from the federal Ministry of Justice, so a legal translation stamped in Dubai is normally used across the emirates, Sharjah included. Some offices have their own preferences on format or copies, so it’s still worth asking the receiving office before you submit.
Do I need to translate documents that are already in English?
It depends on the office. Some Sharjah departments and banks accept English, while courts and the notary usually want Arabic. MOFA itself accepts documents in Arabic or English for attestation. Ask the receiving office directly, because the answer differs from one counter to the next.
How long does legal translation take in Sharjah?
It depends on the number of pages, the language pair and whether the document is handwritten or full of tables. Simple certificates are quicker than a long contract or a court file. We confirm the delivery time in the written quote before we start, so you can plan around your appointment.
Where Wordcraft Comes In
Our Sharjah office in Al Majaz handles legal translation into and out of Arabic in 150+ languages, with the translation stamped by an MOJ-licensed legal translator and checked by a second linguist. If the original still needs attestation, or the document has to go to the notary, we can arrange that too, so you aren’t running between three offices. Find us on our Sharjah office page, or use any of our four offices in Dubai (Al Twar), Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
Send a photo of your document and tell us which office will receive it. You’ll get a written quote in 10 to 30 minutes, and we offer free pickup and delivery in Sharjah and Ajman. Government fees are payable at cost; we confirm the exact fee and our service charge in writing before any work begins. WhatsApp us on +971 56 681 3996 or call toll-free 800 9673.
Sources checked: Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sharjah Ruler issues decrees establishing Public Prosecution, Judicial Department, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, document attestation and UAE Ministry of Justice, translators system.
