To attest a US document for the UAE, you first get it authenticated by the state that issued it (usually the Secretary of State), then by the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications, and then by the UAE Embassy in Washington, whose attestation desk has been run by VFS Global since 21 August 2025. Federal documents skip the state step.
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Send a photo on WhatsAppSay you studied in Texas, you’ve just accepted a job in Dubai, and HR wants your degree “attested” before your visa can move. Or you married in New York and now need the certificate for a family visa. The order of steps is the same idea in both cases, but the details trip people up, mostly because the first two steps happen in the US while you’re already here. Once the paper lands in the UAE, our certificate attestation service in Dubai picks up the rest.
Below is the route in plain order, what each office actually checks, and the mistakes that cost people weeks. Fees and processing times change, so we point you to the official pages instead of quoting numbers.
Is your document a state document or a federal one?
This is the first question, and it decides where you start. The US Department of State splits documents into two groups.
State documents are issued or notarized within a single state. Its list includes birth, marriage and death certificates, divorce decrees, diplomas and transcripts, powers of attorney, single status certificates, affidavits, police records and articles of incorporation. These go to the state’s authenticating office first.
Federal documents are signed by a federal official. The examples it gives include FBI background checks, certificates of naturalization, federal court documents and IRS certificates of US tax residency. These go straight to the Department of State, with no state step.
One warning from the State Department’s own page is worth repeating: do not notarize an original federal document. Once a notary stamps it, the document is no longer valid for authentication, and you’ll have to order a new one.
The attestation route, step by step
Here is the full chain for a typical state document, such as a birth certificate or a degree.
- Get an original or certified copy. Order a certified copy of a birth or marriage certificate from the vital records office. For a degree, many people start with a copy certified by a notary in the state where the school is. Ask the state authenticating office what it accepts before you send anything.
- State authentication. The office that issued the document can tell you who authenticates it in that state. It’s often the Secretary of State, but it can be a lieutenant governor or another office.
- US Department of State authentication. Send the state-authenticated document to the Office of Authentications with Form DS-4194 and the fee. Federal documents start here.
- UAE Embassy attestation through VFS Global. The embassy’s page says personal and educational documents must be attested by the State Department’s Authentication Office before you send them to VFS. VFS has handled this since 21 August 2025.
- Arabic legal translation in the UAE, if the office that receives the document asks for Arabic, which most government offices and courts do.
MOFA’s attestation page says applications through UAE missions abroad are available at selected missions. Look at what you receive back from the embassy. If it carries a MOFA reference number, you can check it on the MOFA verification portal. If it doesn’t, send us a photo before you submit it anywhere in the UAE and we’ll tell you what the receiving office still expects.
Why an apostille alone isn’t the answer
Most people in the US know the word “apostille”, and a lot of them order one by mistake. The State Department issues an apostille for countries in the 1961 Hague Convention, and an authentication certificate for countries that aren’t. The UAE Embassy’s instructions ask for the Department of State authentication followed by the embassy’s own attestation, so plan for that route from the start.
If you already have a state apostille on your document, don’t throw it away, but don’t assume it finishes the job either. Ask the state office whether it can issue the certificate needed for the federal step instead, and tell them the document is for the UAE.
Degrees and transcripts: the accreditation rule
This one catches people out. The UAE Embassy’s page says the educational institution must be located in the US and regionally accredited by one of the bodies it lists (such as MSA, NCA, NEASC, NWCCU, SACS or WASC). As proof, it asks you to print your institution’s accreditation information from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website, chea.org.
So before you pay any fee, check your school on that site and print the page. If your college isn’t regionally accredited, sort that out first, because it’s the kind of problem no amount of stamps will fix later.
The State Department also reminds people that an authentication certificate doesn’t prove someone finished a course. It only confirms the official’s seal and signature. That’s why, for many jobs, the UAE side adds its own checks. If you plan to use the degree for a work visa or a professional licence, read our page on the equivalency certificate (now officially called University Certificates Recognition), which is a separate step from attestation.
Birth, marriage and police records
| Document | Type | Where the chain starts |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | State | Certified copy from vital records, then the state authenticating office |
| Marriage certificate | State | Certified copy from the county or state, then the state authenticating office |
| Divorce decree | State | Certified copy from the court, then the state authenticating office |
| FBI background check | Federal | US Department of State directly (do not notarize it) |
| State or local police record | State | The state authenticating office |
| Diploma or transcript | State | Ask the state office what form of copy it accepts |
For family visas, the birth and marriage certificates are the usual pair. Our pages on birth certificate attestation and marriage certificate attestation cover what the UAE side asks for once the US steps are done.
Doing it from the UAE without flying back
You don’t have to be in the US for any of this, but somebody has to post papers between three offices. People usually handle it one of three ways: a relative in the US runs the US steps and couriers the result, you mail the documents yourself and use prepaid return envelopes, or you hand the US part to an agent there and the UAE part to an agent here.
Whichever way you choose, keep scans of every page at every stage, including the backs of certificates where stamps often go. If something goes missing in the post, those scans are what you’ll need to restart.
Mistakes that send documents back
- Sending a photocopy or a plain printout where the office needs a certified copy.
- Notarizing an original federal document such as an FBI check, which voids it.
- Going straight to the Department of State with a state document that hasn’t been through its own state office first.
- Ordering only an apostille and assuming the UAE will take it.
- Attesting a degree from a school that isn’t regionally accredited, or without the CHEA printout.
- Names that don’t match: a maiden name on the degree and a married name on the passport. Keep the marriage certificate ready to explain the link.
- Translating the document before the attestation is complete. In the UAE the translation is done on the final, fully attested document, so the stamps get translated too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be in the US to attest my documents?
No. The steps run by post or courier, so a relative or an agent in the US can handle the state and federal parts while you stay in the UAE. You’ll need to arrange certified copies, the DS-4194 form for the Department of State and a return address for each stage. Keep scans of everything you send.
Who handles UAE Embassy attestation in Washington now?
The UAE Embassy’s website says document attestation has been handled by VFS Global since 21 August 2025, and it lists a VFS phone number and address in Washington, DC for questions. Personal and educational documents must already carry the US Department of State authentication before you send them to VFS.
Is an FBI background check attested the same way as a birth certificate?
Not quite. An FBI background check is a federal document, so it goes directly to the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications, with no state step. The State Department also warns that notarizing an original federal document makes it invalid for authentication, so send it as issued.
Does my US degree also need an equivalency certificate?
It depends on why you need it. Attestation confirms the seals and signatures on the degree. Equivalency, now called University Certificates Recognition, is a separate decision about the qualification itself, and some employers and licensing bodies ask for it. Check with your employer or the licensing authority before you start.
Do I need an Arabic translation after attestation?
Usually yes, when the document goes to a UAE government office, court or notary. The translation should be done after all the attestation stamps are on the document, so that the stamps are translated too. Some private employers accept English, so ask the receiving office first. See our legal translation in Dubai page.
Do I need to be in the US to attest my documents?
No. The steps run by post or courier, so a relative or an agent in the US can handle the state and federal parts while you stay in the UAE. You’ll need to arrange certified copies, the DS-4194 form for the Department of State and a return address for each stage. Keep scans of everything you send.
Who handles UAE Embassy attestation in Washington now?
The UAE Embassy’s website says document attestation has been handled by VFS Global since 21 August 2025, and it lists a VFS phone number and address in Washington, DC for questions. Personal and educational documents must already carry the US Department of State authentication before you send them to VFS.
Is an FBI background check attested the same way as a birth certificate?
Not quite. An FBI background check is a federal document, so it goes directly to the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications, with no state step. The State Department also warns that notarizing an original federal document makes it invalid for authentication, so send it as issued.
Does my US degree also need an equivalency certificate?
It depends on why you need it. Attestation confirms the seals and signatures on the degree. Equivalency, now called University Certificates Recognition, is a separate decision about the qualification itself, and some employers and licensing bodies ask for it. Check with your employer or the licensing authority before you start.
Do I need an Arabic translation after attestation?
Usually yes, when the document goes to a UAE government office, court or notary. The translation should be done after all the attestation stamps are on the document, so that the stamps are translated too. Some private employers accept English, so ask the receiving office first. See our legal translation in Dubai page.
Where Wordcraft Comes In
We handle the UAE end of a US document: we check what the receiving office will ask for, tell you which US steps are still missing before you post anything, look over the papers when they come back, and prepare the Arabic legal translation once the attestation is complete. Free pickup and delivery of your documents in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi and RAK. Tell us your deadline and we confirm what is possible before we start, and we confirm the government fees and our service charge in writing before any work begins.
WhatsApp +971 56 681 3996 or call toll-free 800 9673. Our Dubai office is next to Al Twar Centre, and we also have offices in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. For the US-specific details, see our USA certificate attestation page. Official sources: UAE Embassy in Washington, personal and educational documents; US Department of State, authentication certificate; UAE MOFA attestation service.