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Florida documents for the UAE need authentication, not an apostille

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What we do for documents going to the United Arab Emirates

Let's be straight with you: the United Arab Emirates is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (checked against the Hague Conference status table in October 2026). A Florida apostille, from us or anyone, won't be accepted there.

What a Florida document needs instead starts with a Florida Department of State authentication certificate, the non-Hague counterpart of an apostille. That's the part we handle. We review your document, file it in person in Tallahassee, and send it back to you in 5–7 business days. The price is the same as an apostille: $220 for one document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more, with U.S. shipping included ($100 flat for international delivery).

The documents we see most for the UAE are university degrees and transcripts for employment, marriage and birth certificates for residence visas and sponsorship, powers of attorney, and corporate documents for setting up a company.

The usual Florida rules apply: original certified copies of public records, original notarizations with a complete Florida notarial certificate, and school records notarized by the school when issued. Need something notarized first? Add online notarization to your order.

What happens next: U.S. Department of State authentication and the UAE Embassy

After the Florida certificate, the UAE chain has two more U.S. steps:

  1. Authentication by the U.S. Department of State of the Florida certificate.
  2. Attestation by the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C. The embassy says attestation submissions are currently handled through an outside processing center it designates, so follow the embassy's current instructions.

For educational documents, the embassy requires that the institution be located in the U.S. and be regionally accredited. It asks applicants to print the school's accreditation record as proof.

We don't handle or arrange the U.S. Department of State authentication or the embassy legalization. Once we return your Florida-authenticated document, you continue directly with those offices.

Final attestation in the UAE, and Arabic translation

The chain doesn't end at the embassy. According to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs FAQ, documents issued abroad must be attested by the issuing country's foreign ministry, then by the UAE embassy or consulate, and then attested again in the UAE through the Ministry's official website. The Ministry provides its services electronically, through its website and smartphone app.

On language, the Ministry accepts an original document in English or Arabic, or an official translation. The authority that ultimately receives your document, such as a court, ministry, or free-zone authority, may still ask for a legal translation into Arabic. Ask them before you translate anything.

Common questions

No. The UAE isn't a party to the Apostille Convention, so it doesn't accept apostilles. Florida documents need the authentication certificate and the full legalization chain.
No. We get the Florida authentication certificate and return your document to you. The U.S. Department of State authentication, the embassy attestation, and the attestation in the UAE are steps you complete directly.
5–7 business days, because we file in person in Tallahassee. The later steps have their own timelines, so plan ahead.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepts documents in English or Arabic, or an official translation. The office that receives your document may require a legal Arabic translation, so ask them first.
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United Arab Emirates, document by document.

Birth Certificate AuthenticationParents working in the UAE attest their children's Florida birth certificates to sponsor them for residence visas and to enroll them in school, and the certificate also proves parentage for health insurance and later passport renewals in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.Vital recordMarriage Certificate AuthenticationSponsoring a spouse's UAE residence visa is the classic reason for attesting a Florida marriage certificate.Vital recordDiploma or Transcript AuthenticationDegree attestation is the UAE document we see most from Florida.EducationPower of Attorney AuthenticationPowers of attorney signed in Florida are used in the UAE to sell or buy property, manage a company, handle a rental, or represent you in court.NotarizedDeath Certificate AuthenticationA Florida death certificate is needed in the UAE when a family member who lived or held assets there dies in Florida: to close a bank account, cancel a residence visa, or open inheritance proceedings for property or an end-of-service gratuity.Vital recordFDLE Background Check AuthenticationSome UAE employers and licensing bodies, particularly in education, healthcare and childcare, ask for a police clearance from where you lived before moving.Background checkNotarized Document AuthenticationPrivate documents notarized in Florida for the UAE include no-objection letters from a spouse, declarations to a UAE bank, undertakings for a tenancy, and statements a UAE employer asks you to sign before arrival.NotarizedDivorce Decree AuthenticationA Florida divorce decree is needed in the UAE to remarry there, to show you can sponsor children alone, or in custody and maintenance matters before UAE courts.Court recordAffidavit AuthenticationAffidavits for the UAE often cover something a public record doesn't: that two names refer to the same person, that you have no other spouse, or details of a lost document.NotarizedSingle Status Affidavit AuthenticationExpats marrying in the UAE, whether at a court, a church or through a civil marriage process, may be asked to show they are free to marry.NotarizedArticles of Incorporation AuthenticationFlorida companies setting up a UAE free-zone branch or subsidiary, or registering a branch on the mainland, are asked for attested constitutional documents.BusinessCertificate of Status AuthenticationA Florida certificate of status proves the parent company is active, which UAE free-zone authorities, banks and economic departments ask for when a Florida company opens a branch or subsidiary or renews its UAE license.BusinessPassport Copy AuthenticationUAE authorities usually see your passport itself, but a certified copy is asked for when you're not there in person, for example for company formation by a Florida shareholder or a power of attorney executed from abroad.NotarizedEmployment Letter AuthenticationExperience letters from Florida employers support UAE professional licensing, where regulators ask for proof of prior work, and some visa categories.NotarizedCertified Translation AuthenticationTranslations for the UAE are mostly into Arabic.NotarizedChild Travel Consent Letter AuthenticationWhen a child travels to the UAE with one parent or a relative, airlines and immigration may ask for the other parent's consent.NotarizedCourt Records AuthenticationFlorida court records used in the UAE include custody orders when a parent relocates with a child, child-support orders, judgments needed for UAE court cases, and probate orders appointing a personal representative over assets that include a UAE bank account or property.Court recordName Change Order AuthenticationUAE residency and labor records must match your passport exactly.Court recordAdoption Documents AuthenticationAdoptive parents sponsoring a child's UAE residence may be asked for the adoption judgment, not just the amended birth certificate, to show legal parentage.Court recordProperty Deed AuthenticationA Florida deed is sometimes needed in the UAE as proof of assets, for example for some long-term residence routes based on property or investment, for a UAE bank, or in a divorce or estate before UAE courts.Court recordDriver's License Copy AuthenticationU.S.NotarizedBank Statement AuthenticationUAE authorities and banks ask for proof of funds for investor residence, for opening a corporate account, or for a sponsor showing income.NotarizedSheriff Clearance Letter AuthenticationA county sheriff's clearance letter is a narrower record than FDLE or FBI checks, and UAE employers rarely accept it as the only police clearance.Background check
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Other countries we apostille for.

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$220 per document — state fee, form, in-person filing and FedEx return shipping included. International return +$100 flat. 5–7 business days.

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