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Saudi Desk

Saudi Embassy Attestation in Dubai

Saudi legalisation is the last stamp, not the first. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to attest the document before the Saudi mission will look at it, and commercial files usually need a chamber step before that.

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Right Order MOFA before the mission
Commercial Files Chamber step handled
Deira Office Drop the originals with us

How do you legalise a document for Saudi Arabia from Dubai?

The document is attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs first, at AED 150 for a personal document or AED 2,000 for a commercial one. The Saudi mission in the UAE then legalises that stamp. Commercial documents usually need a chamber of commerce attestation before the ministry step.

Saudi Embassy Attestation in Dubai at a glance
What it is forUsing a UAE or foreign document inside Saudi Arabia
UAE ministry feeAED 150 personal; AED 2,000 commercial
OrderChamber (commercial) → UAE MOFA → Saudi mission
Typical usesEmployment, family residency, commercial registration, tenders
TranslationArabic is usually expected for the receiving authority
Consulate feeSet by the mission — confirm at the time of filing

Last updated 3 August 2026 · Reviewed by Mohammed Shareef A, Senior PRO Consultant, Dubai government liaison. Fees and timelines are set by the issuing authority and change without notice — confirm current figures before you budget.

What order do the stamps go in?

Every legalisation chain ends in the country where the document will be used, and starts where it was issued. For a UAE document heading to Saudi Arabia that means the UAE side signs off first and the Saudi mission adds the last stamp.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is explicit about its own position in the chain: a document issued inside the UAE is attested by the issuing entity, then by the ministry, then by the foreign mission. Skip a step and the file stops.

  • Issuing authority attests the document first
  • Chamber of commerce attests commercial documents before the ministry
  • UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests next
  • The Saudi mission legalises last
Commercial documents and trade licence prepared for legalisation in a Dubai office

What does the UAE side cost and how long does it take?

The ministry publishes AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Its courier service is quoted at three working days, with an express option at one working day.

The Saudi step sits outside that. The mission sets its own fee and its own pace, and neither is published in a form we would ask you to budget against — so we confirm both at the point of filing rather than printing a number that may be stale.

  • AED 150 per personal document at the UAE ministry
  • AED 2,000 per commercial document at the UAE ministry
  • Three working days by courier, or one on express
  • The Saudi mission fee is confirmed on the day, not quoted from memory
Ministry attestation stamp being applied to an official certificate

Which documents usually need this?

Employment paperwork leads: degrees, experience letters and police clearance for a Saudi work visa. Family residency files follow, with marriage and birth certificates. On the commercial side it is company documents for registration, agency agreements, board resolutions and tender paperwork.

Powers of attorney executed in the UAE for use in Saudi Arabia are common too, and they are the ones where wording matters most.

  • Degrees, experience letters and police clearance for employment
  • Marriage and birth certificates for family residency
  • Trade licence, memorandum and board resolutions for commercial registration
  • Powers of attorney and agency agreements

Does the document need translating?

Usually into Arabic, and by a translator the receiving authority will accept. A translation that is technically accurate but not from a recognised source gets rejected as readily as a missing stamp.

Sequence matters here as well. Translate too early and you translate a document that has not finished collecting stamps, so the translation no longer matches what it is attached to.

  • Arabic translation is normally expected by the receiving authority
  • Use a Ministry of Justice licensed translator so the work is accepted
  • Translate after the stamps are on, not before
  • Keep the translation physically attached to the legalised original

How we run a Saudi legalisation file

  1. We confirm the destination authorityWho in Saudi Arabia is asking for it, and for what. That determines the route and whether extra bodies are involved.
  2. Issuing authority and chamber stepCommercial documents go through the chamber of commerce before anything else moves.
  3. UAE ministry attestationFiled with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AED 150 personal or AED 2,000 commercial.
  4. Saudi mission legalisationSubmitted for the final stamp, with the fee confirmed at the counter on the day.
  5. Arabic translationArranged after the stamps are complete, through a licensed translator.
  6. ReturnOriginals back with the full chain, plus a scan for your records.

What each document type goes through

Route to Saudi legalisation, by document type
DocumentChamber stepUAE MOFA feeArabic translation
Degree certificate for employmentNoAED 150Usually
Marriage certificate for family residencyNoAED 150Usually
Trade licence for commercial registrationYesAED 2,000Usually
Board resolution or agency agreementYesAED 2,000Usually
Power of attorney executed in the UAENoAED 150Yes
The mistake we see most: Taking a document straight to the Saudi mission because that is the stamp the employer named. The mission is legalising the UAE ministry's signature, so without that signature there is nothing for it to legalise. The trip is wasted and the file is back where it started.
MSM tip: On commercial files, get the chamber of commerce step done in the same week as the ministry step. Splitting them across weeks is how a two-week job becomes a five-week one, because each counter re-queues you rather than resuming where you left off.

What documents do you need?

What we need from you

The original document, with any stamps already on it
Passport copy of the holder, or trade licence for a company document
Emirates ID where the holder is a UAE resident
The name of the Saudi authority or employer requesting it
For commercial files, the chamber of commerce membership details
Your deadline, so we can advise on express versus standard

The detail that most often causes a delay is not knowing which Saudi authority asked for the document. Educational and commercial papers are sometimes routed through an additional cultural or trade body, and that is decided by the receiving side rather than by us.

Embassy Attestation

The parent service, covering every mission in the UAE.

MOFA Attestation

The UAE ministry stamp that has to come first.

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Read next: How the UAE attestation chain works, step by step · What MOFAIC attestation actually costs and covers · GCC visas for UAE residents

Sources

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the UAE ministry stamp come before the Saudi mission?
Yes. The Saudi mission is legalising the UAE ministry's signature, so that signature has to be on the document first. This is the single most common reason a file is turned away.
What does it cost?
The UAE ministry charges AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial one. The Saudi mission sets its own fee, which we confirm at the counter rather than quoting from an old rate card.
How long does it take?
The UAE ministry quotes three working days by courier, or one on express. The Saudi step runs on the mission's own schedule, so we give you a date once the file is lodged.
Do commercial documents need a chamber attestation?
Generally yes, before the ministry step. Trade licences, board resolutions and agency agreements normally go through the chamber of commerce first.
Will the document need to be in Arabic?
Usually. Use a Ministry of Justice licensed translator, and translate after the stamps are complete so the translation matches the final document.
Can you handle documents issued outside the UAE?
Yes, but the chain starts in the issuing country: its own foreign ministry, then the UAE mission there, then UAE MOFA here. We will tell you which parts have to be done abroad before you send anything.

Document heading to Saudi Arabia?

Tell us what it is and who asked for it. We will confirm the chain and a realistic date.

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Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.

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