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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.

Legalise a Document for Saudi Arabia Call +971 52 933 0454

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 for	Using a UAE or foreign document inside Saudi Arabia
UAE ministry fee	AED 150 personal; AED 2,000 commercial
Order	Chamber (commercial) → UAE MOFA → Saudi mission
Typical uses	Employment, family residency, commercial registration, tenders
Translation	Arabic is usually expected for the receiving authority
Consulate fee	Set by the mission — confirm at the time of filing

Last updated 3 August 2026 · Reviewed by Fatima Rahman, Attestation & Legal Translation Lead. 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

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.
Issuing authority and chamber stepCommercial documents go through the chamber of commerce before anything else moves.
UAE ministry attestationFiled with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AED 150 personal or AED 2,000 commercial.
Saudi mission legalisationSubmitted for the final stamp, with the fee confirmed at the counter on the day.
Arabic translationArranged after the stamps are complete, through a licensed translator.
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
Document	Chamber step	UAE MOFA fee	Arabic translation
Degree certificate for employment	No	AED 150	Usually
Marriage certificate for family residency	No	AED 150	Usually
Trade licence for commercial registration	Yes	AED 2,000	Usually
Board resolution or agency agreement	Yes	AED 2,000	Usually
Power of attorney executed in the UAE	No	AED 150	Yes

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.

Certified Legal Translation

Ministry of Justice licensed translation in 75+ languages.

Sources

Attestation servicesUAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Attestation fees and requirements (FAQ)UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign AffairsKingdom of Saudi Arabia
Visa and Emirates ID servicesThe UAE Government Portal

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.

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Request Saudi Legalisation

Naming the Saudi authority that asked for the document is what lets us quote accurately first time.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.