Document translation in Dubai turns a foreign-language paper into Arabic or English that a UAE authority will accept, or a UAE Arabic document into the language needed abroad. Residents, families and companies need it for visas, courts, notaries, banks and schools. Wordcraft works in 150+ languages, and anything official is delivered as a legal translation stamped by an MOJ-licensed translator.
Use the table to find the guide for your document. Each guide explains which authority reads it, whether it must be attested first and what to send us.
Find Your Document: Receiving Authority and Guide
| Document | Typical receiving authority | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | ICP, GDRFA, schools, personal status courts | Birth certificate translation |
| Marriage certificate or nikah nama | ICP, GDRFA, courts, notaries | Marriage certificate translation |
| Divorce decree or certificate | Courts, ICP, embassies | Divorce certificate translation |
| Death certificate | Inheritance courts, banks, embassies | Death certificate translation |
| Degree, diploma or transcript | MOHESR, MOHRE, DHA, DOH, MOHAP | Degree certificate translation |
| Police clearance or good-conduct certificate | Employers, free zones, immigration authorities abroad | Police clearance certificate translation |
| Driving license | RTA and police licensing departments | Driving license translation |
| Judgment, pleading or evidence | Onshore courts, DIFC and ADGM Courts | Court judgment translation |
| Court and arbitration bundle | Courts and arbitral tribunals | Court and arbitration translation |
| Contract or agreement | Courts, notaries, banks, counterparties | Contract translation |
| Memorandum or articles of association | Notaries, DET, free zone registries | MOA translation |
| Bank statement | Visa files, banks, embassies | Bank statement translation |
| Medical report | Insurers, courts, health authorities, employers | Medical report translation |
| Power of attorney | Notaries, courts, banks | Power of attorney translation |
| Immigration file | Embassies and immigration authorities abroad | Immigration documents translation |
| Title deed, lease or property document | Land departments, banks, notaries | Real estate translation |
Not in the table? Passports, national ID cards, family registers, salary certificates and company letters cross our desks daily. Name the document and its recipient and we will quote for it.
Legal or Certified: Which Kind of Document Translation You Need
The receiving authority decides. Courts, notaries, ICP, GDRFA, ministries and most government departments ask for a legal translation, which carries the stamp and signature of a translator licensed by the Ministry of Justice. Private bodies, such as some employers, insurers or universities abroad, often take a certified translation on company letterhead. Reference material, a supplier's manual for instance, may need no certification at all. Once you tell us who will read the translation, the quote states which type applies. The pages on certified translation and legal translation in Dubai set out the difference.
Translate, Attest or Notarize? The Order Matters
Papers issued outside the UAE are normally authenticated at home and then by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, whose certificate now includes the UAE MOFA attestation in digital form. We translate after that, so the attestation wording appears in the Arabic text. UAE papers heading abroad take the reverse route: MOFA first, the destination embassy next, and a translation if that country asks for one. Contracts and powers of attorney signed here are translated, or drafted bilingually, before the notary appointment. Our guide Translate or attest first? covers the exceptions, and our attestation and notarization teams can run those steps in sequence.
Ordering From a Branch or From Your Phone
Most orders begin with a photo. Send every page, reverse sides included, on WhatsApp or by email and name the authority that will receive it; the written quote comes back within 10–30 minutes. If you would rather talk across a counter, walk in at any of our four branches. Finished work arrives as a PDF, with a stamped paper copy whenever the authority wants one. Remote ordering is explained on online certified translation, and tight deadlines on urgent translation in Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which documents need a legal translation rather than an ordinary one?
Anything going to a UAE court, ministry, notary, ICP, GDRFA, education authority or bank. Internal papers can be translated without certification. If in doubt, name the recipient and the quote will say which you need.
Do I have to send the original document?
No, a clear scan of every page is enough to translate from. Some authorities like to see the original beside the translation, and when attestation is also required we collect the original at no charge.
Can you translate a document that has already been attested?
Yes, and for papers issued abroad that is the expected order. The attestation certificate and stamps are translated along with the document.
Which languages can you translate?
Arabic, English and 150+ other languages. The translation languages page lists them by region.
How long does a document translation take?
That depends on length, language pair and whether attestation comes first. The delivery time is written into your quote before any work starts.
Last updated: September 2026
