Birth certificate translation in Dubai is a legal translation that turns a foreign birth certificate into Arabic, or a UAE Arabic certificate into English, in a form ICP, GDRFA, schools and courts accept. Parents usually need it for a child's residence visa, a school place or a passport. Wordcraft's MOJ-licensed legal translators stamp and sign each page, with names matched to the family's passports.
We handle birth certificates from 150+ languages, including long-form certificates and multi-page civil registry extracts that list both parents, the place of birth and later annotations.
Who Asks for a Translated Birth Certificate in the UAE
| Situation | Usually submitted to | When a translation is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Child's residence visa under a parent's sponsorship | ICP or GDRFA | The certificate is in a language other than Arabic or English |
| School admission | The school or the emirate's education authority | The school cannot read the certificate or asks for Arabic |
| Guardianship, custody or inheritance | The personal status court | Almost always, since onshore courts work in Arabic |
| A passport for a child born in the UAE | The family's embassy or consulate in the UAE | The UAE certificate is in Arabic only |
| Emigrating or registering the birth abroad | The destination's immigration office or civil registry | The destination requires its own language |
Sponsoring a newborn? Our newborn baby visa page covers the residence side, and the family visa page explains sponsorship for older children.
Certificates Issued Abroad: Attestation Comes Before Translation
A certificate from outside the UAE passes two stages before we translate it. First comes the issuing country's own chain; for an Indian certificate that is the state Home Department or SDM, then the MEA. Second, the UAE embassy or consulate in that country adds the UAE MOFA attestation digitally. Translating after both stages means the Arabic text also carries the attestation wording, so the officer sees one consistent file. An apostille from the issuing country does not replace the UAE embassy stage.
Our birth certificate attestation team can run that chain for you, and the birth certificate attestation guide sets out the steps country by country.
Arabic Birth Certificates From UAE Hospitals, Going Abroad
Babies born in the UAE receive a certificate from the UAE health authorities, printed in Arabic or in Arabic and English. When the family registers the birth at home, applies for citizenship or relocates, the usual order is MOFA attestation in the UAE (digital, with online verification), then the destination embassy, then the translation. We carry over the certificate number, the hospital, the parents' nationalities and every stamp. A few countries insist on their own sworn translators, so tell us the destination and we will say what we know before you order.
Names on the Certificate Versus the Passport
Spelling causes more rejected birth certificate files than anything else. A father written "Mohammed" on the certificate, "Muhammad" in the passport and a third way in the visa record can stop an application. We read the child's and both parents' passports first and use those spellings throughout. For Arabic output we follow the Arabic spelling already on the family's Emirates ID or residence records when you share them. If the certificate itself contains a mistake, we translate it as it stands and point it out, because a translator cannot amend a civil record.
Ordering a Birth Certificate Translation
- Photograph both sides of the certificate, plus any attestation pages stapled to it, and add passport copies for the child and both parents.
- Say who will receive it (ICP, a school, a court or an embassy). That decides Arabic or English and the name format, and your quote follows within 10–30 minutes.
- We align the names, then translate. A second linguist compares every date, number and seal with the original before a legal translator licensed by the MOJ stamps it.
- Keep the PDF for online visa portals and collect the stamped paper copy, or ask for delivery. Same-day completion is often possible for a single-page certificate.
Parents who also need their own records done can see marriage certificate translation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an English birth certificate need translating for a UAE residence visa?
Usually not, because ICP and GDRFA read English. It still has to be attested if it was issued abroad. Arabic becomes necessary when a court or another authority asks for it.
Should the birth certificate be attested before it is translated?
Yes. Finish the home-country steps and the UAE embassy stage first. The translation then covers the attestation certificate as well as the birth record.
Our child was born in Dubai. Can you translate the Arabic certificate into English for our embassy?
Yes. We translate UAE-issued certificates into English or the language your embassy, passport office or civil registry uses.
The father's name is spelled differently on the certificate and in his passport. What happens?
We translate the name exactly as the certificate shows it and flag the mismatch, so you can decide whether the issuing office should correct the record.
Can a birth certificate translation be finished the same day?
Often, for a one-page certificate sent early in the day. Your quote confirms the delivery time before you pay.
Last updated: September 2026
