Key Summary
- Non-member countriesThe UAE is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention, so in order to submit Korean documents to the UAE, you must obtain consular authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authentication from the UAE Embassy in Korea, rather than an Apostille.
- Local MOFAEven if the procedure is completed in Korea, UAE local Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) certification is often required one more step, so managing the physical original is important.
- By documentIt is recommended to check in advance as the required materials and steps vary depending on personal/corporate documents and purpose.
There are frequently asked questions. "I'm sending documents to the UAE, but I've even received embassy authentication in Korea. Is it finished now?"
Probably not. The UAE has one more procedure than other countries. Even if you complete consular authentication and embassy authentication in Korea, you often need to obtain authentication from the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs once more upon arrival in the UAE. If you are not aware of this last step, you may end up with local paperwork issues.
In this article, we will organize the entire process of UAE embassy authentication, especially the local MOFA step, which is not found in other countries. This will be helpful if you need to send documents related to visa, employment, corporation establishment, or export to the UAE.
Why doesn’t Apostille work in UAE?
Let’s go over the basics first. The UAE is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention. So, when submitting Korean documents to the UAE, they cannot be processed with Apostille.
If a country is a member of the convention, it ends with an Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but non-signatory countries, such as the UAE, must follow the old method. You will receive consular authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and further authentication from the UAE Embassy in Korea. This is the procedure carried out in Korea. If you prepare thinking that all you need to do is get an Apostille, you will have to start all over again, so before you start, you must confirm that the UAE is not a member country.
Procedures in Korea
Documents sent to the UAE are usually processed in Korea in the following order:
First prepare the documents and translate them into English if necessary. Documents submitted to the UAE must be translated into English, and notarization is often required to ensure the accuracy of the translation. Next, if it is a private document or a translation, it will be notarized. Next, you receive consular authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally, you receive authentication from the UAE Embassy in Korea.
After these four steps, the procedure in Korea is completed. The location of each step is different, so you have to go to the notary office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the embassy in turn, and each embassy has application requirements, so if you get stuck at one step, you may have to go through it again.
A step that does not exist in other countries, local MOFA certification
This is the biggest feature of the UAE. Even if you receive both consular authentication and embassy authentication in Korea, additional authentication from the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or MOFA, is often required upon arrival in the UAE.
MOFA refers to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even if it has been authenticated by the UAE Embassy in Korea, the UAE local agency will require one more confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in order to accept the document. Since this step is carried out in the UAE, you must have a physical original certified in Korea. After receiving the documents, you must take care of the originals and bring them to the local area to proceed with this step.
In particular, family relationship documents or employment-related documents for family visas are often used as a key part of issuing local residence cards or work permits, so they can only be actually used after completing the MOFA stage. You must be careful not to neglect the original, thinking it was finished in Korea, and then have to prepare it again locally.
Required materials vary depending on the type of document
A common problem with UAE embassy authentication is that the required materials and steps are different for each type of document.
There are many personal documents such as family relationship certificate, basic certificate, and marriage relationship certificate. It is used to apply for a family visa or residence permit. Academic documents such as degree certificates and transcripts are often required for employment or degree recognition, and criminal record certificates are often required for work visas.
Corporate documents are different again. There are powers of attorney, business registration certificates, and contracts for establishing a corporation or business contract, and the notarization method and embassy requirements are different from personal documents. It is difficult to obtain legal recognition locally through simple translation, and submission is approved only after confirmation by the domestic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and certification by the UAE Embassy in Korea.
Also check translation certification
If you are submitting UAE documents translated into English, you must also obtain translation certification. When submitting a translation, authentication is often required for both the original and the notarized translation. There are cases where only the translated copy is certified and then rejected due to failure to verify the authenticity of the original locally, so it is recommended to check the submission requirements in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can’t Apostille be used in UAE?
No. Since the UAE is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention, it requires consular authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authentication from the UAE Embassy in Korea. Apostille alone is not recognized locally.
Q. Is it complete once I receive embassy authentication in Korea?
Probably not. Depending on the purpose of the document, additional authentication from the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the UAE is often required. At this time, you will need the physical original from Korea, so be sure to bring it with you.
Q. Where do I get MOFA certification?
Received from the UAE local Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is not a procedure that is carried out in Korea, but is a stage that is carried out after arriving in the country, so you must bring an original certified in Korea.
Q. What documents require UAE certification?
Family documents such as family relationship certificates, personal documents such as degrees, transcripts, and criminal record certificates, and corporate documents such as power of attorney, business registration certificates, and contracts are mainly subject to authentication. Required documents vary depending on the purpose.
Q. How long does it take?
It varies depending on the type of document and the processing status of each institution. It goes through notarization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy in order, and even the local MOFA stage, so it is safe to prepare with plenty of time.
Conclusion
Not only does Apostille not work for UAE embassy authentication, but even after completing consulate confirmation and embassy authentication in Korea, the local MOFA step may remain, making the process more complicated than in other countries. Each document requires different preparations and managing the original is important, so understanding the overall flow in advance and starting is a way to reduce trial and error.
Nanum Global handles the entire process from translation of UAE submitted documents to notarization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular authentication, and UAE Embassy authentication in Korea, and also guides the management of the original documents required for the local MOFA stage. We will explain which documents require which steps and how to certify translations. If you are worried about documents to send to UAE, please let us know the type of documents and purpose of submission. We will guide you through the procedures and preparation materials. If your company needs to handle multiple cases repeatedly, we can provide dedicated response and help you figure out how to proceed.
UAE embassy authentication and consular authentication, leave it to Nanum Global
If you let us know the type of document and the purpose of submission, we will guide you through the preparations from Korean procedures to the local MOFA stage.
