Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What the UAE Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. The UAE has recently changed how it attests Australian documents. Nothing on this page replaces confirming the position with the UAE authority, free zone, bank or court that will receive your document.

The UAE does not take apostilles. Australian documents need DFAT authentication and then UAE attestation. That much is widely known. Less well known are the rules the UAE Embassy in Canberra applies to business and legal documents, which are stricter than for a birth certificate, and the fact that Australians already living in the UAE have a second route.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. On the HCCH status table as we read it, the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Confirm that on the day you start. The Australian Consulate-General's own guidance for the UAE says apostilles will not be recognised there.

The chain

1. Notarise in Australia, for a private document such as a power of attorney, board resolution or declaration
2. DFAT authentication, not an apostille
3. UAE attestation, applied for through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) digital attestation service for Australian documents

The UAE Embassy states that one application through that service covers both the embassy in Canberra and MoFA, replacing the older practice of attesting at the embassy in Australia and then again inside the UAE. How the digital service works, including UAE Pass and courier collection, is set out on our page on notarising immigration documents for a UAE visa application; it applies equally here.

Registry certificates may go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.

Rules for business and legal documents

The UAE Embassy in Canberra lists conditions that matter most for commercial work:

• A power of attorney with commercial content is treated as a commercial document. A power of attorney to register a company, sign contracts or deal with a trade licence is likely to fall on the commercial side, which can affect how it is processed and charged. Ask before assuming it will be handled like a personal document.
• Memorandum and articles of association must be attested separately. Do not bind a company's constitution into one notarised bundle with other documents and expect one attestation.
• Each document needs its own certificate. The embassy says bundles are not accepted and each document must be certified individually. Ask the notary to prepare each document as a separate notarial act, so DFAT can authenticate each one.
• Commercial invoices and certificates of origin are not attested by the embassy. The embassy says these go through MoFA's eDAS 2.0 system instead.
• Laminated documents cannot be attested. Do not laminate an original you may need to send.
• Originals for civil documents. Birth, marriage and death certificates must be submitted in original form. For other documents, originals or true copies are accepted once DFAT has authenticated them.

Where a document is for a UAE company matter or a property transaction, ask the receiving party (the free zone authority, registrar, bank or developer) for its exact wording before signing. UAE bodies commonly have their own templates, and a power of attorney drafted in Australia may not match what they will register.

Already living in the UAE: the Australian mission route

The Australian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai can authenticate original Australian public documents by appointment. The embassy's page says UAE authorities may accept Australian documents authenticated there, as well as documents authenticated by DFAT in Australia and then by the UAE Embassy in Australia.

Two limits:

• "May accept" is the embassy's wording. Confirm with the UAE authority which route it wants before booking.
• The Australian mission will not notarise documents for UAE use. Its witnessing and copy certification services are for Australian documents intended for use in Australia. A power of attorney for use in the UAE is not something the Australian Embassy will witness.

Translation

MoFA's general attestation guidance asks for documents in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation. An Australian document in English may therefore be attested as it is. Using it afterwards is a separate question. UAE courts, land departments and some ministries work in Arabic and may want an Arabic translation made by a translator they recognise inside the UAE. Ask before paying for a translation in Australia.

Checking an attestation

MoFA publishes a verification service at verify.mofa.gov.ae, which takes the attestation reference number and date. If a counterparty doubts your document, point them to it.

Frequently asked questions

Can DFAT give me an apostille for the UAE? No. Ask DFAT for an authentication certificate. An apostille on a UAE-bound document is a common and avoidable mistake.

Does my power of attorney need a notary? Yes, if it is signed in Australia. The UAE Embassy says legal documents such as powers of attorney must be signed before a local notary or legal authority in Australia and then authenticated by DFAT. A Justice of the Peace cannot fill that role.

Can I use one notarised bundle for a company set-up? Not safely. The embassy says bundles are not accepted, and the memorandum and articles must be attested separately.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT, the digital attestation service and couriers. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.