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Legalisation of documents from the United Arab Emirates for use in the Netherlands

You want to use a document from the United Arab Emirates in the Netherlands. You must first have it legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch consulate-general in Dubai.

Attention: If you want to use a Dutch document in the UAE, see Legalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Documents in Arabic must be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 1 to 3.
  • Documents in English do not have to be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 2 and 3.
  • Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.

Step 1: Having your document translated

If your document is in Arabic, you must have it translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator.

  1. Have the document translated by a sworn translator.
  2. Have the original and the translation legalised.

Go to step 2.

  1. Have the original document legalised in the UAE.
  2. Have the legalised document translated by a sworn translator in the Netherlands. You do not need to have the translation legalised.
    You can find a sworn translator on the Legal Aid Council website.

Go to step 2.

Step 2: Legalisation by the authorities of the UAE

Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch consulate-general in Dubai

Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Dutch consulate-general in Dubai.

To have a document legalised you need to make an appointment online.

The overview of consular fees tells you how much you will have to pay and which payment methods are accepted.

Legalisation can take 2 to 3 days. The embassy will contact you when your document is ready.

You can collect your legalised document from the consulate general at the following days/times:

  • Monday: 08:30 - 09:00 and 15:00 - 16:00
  • Tuesday: 15:00 - 16:00
  • Wednesday: 15:00 - 16:00
  • Thursday: 08:30 - 09:00 and 15:00 - 16:00

You don't have to make an appointment but please check the days the consulate-general will be closed.

The embassy does not send documents by post.

Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.

It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.

Don’t have the document you need?

Find out below where to obtain a document that you need but do not yet have.

Attention: The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven states (emirates). The emirate of Abu Dhabi has its own administration and registers. Dubai is responsible for the administration and registers of the other six emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai register births and deaths in different ways.

Abu Dhabi

You can get an official copy of your birth certificate from the Ministry of Health of the UAE.
You will need:

  • a clear colour photocopy of your passport
  • a clear colour photocopy of your parents’ passports
  • a birth notification from the hospital

Dubai

You can get an official copy of your birth certificate from the Preventive Medicine Department of the Ministry of Health.
You will need:

  • a clear colour photocopy of your passport
  • a clear colour photocopy of your parents’ passports
  • a photocopy of your birth certificate

You do not have a photocopy of your birth certificate

You can get your birth notification from the hospital where you were born. You can use this instead of a photocopy of your birth certificate when applying for an official copy.

You can apply for a certificate of unmarried status from the Sharia Court or from a notary public. You must have 2 witnesses who can confirm that you are not married accompany you.

You can get an official copy of a marriage or divorce certificate in person from the Marriage/Divorce Archives Section at the Sharia Court.

Deaths were not registered in the United Arab Emirates before 1968. You can get a death certificate only if the death occurred in or after 1968. Ask the local authorities how you can get proof of a death that occurred before 1968.

Abu Dhabi

You can apply for an official copy of a death certificate from the Ministry of Health. You will need:

  • a photocopy of the passport and/or residence permit of the deceased person

Dubai

You can apply for an official copy of a death certificate from the Preventive Medicine Department of the Ministry of Health. You will need:

  • a photocopy of the death certificate

  • a photocopy of the (cancelled) passport of the deceased person

You do not have a photocopy of your birth certificate

You can get a death notification from the hospital where the person died or where the death was registered. You can use this instead of a photocopy of the death certificate when applying for an official copy.

If you need to obtain another type of document, find out from the local authorities where you can do that.

Help with obtaining documents and having them legalised

The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with obtaining documents and having them legalised in the United Arab Emirates.

After legalisation

Verification of your document in the Netherlands

Legalisation does not prove the authenticity of a document or the truthfulness of its content. A municipality in the Netherlands, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) or another authority may decide to verify these things. Legalisation of your document simply means that your document bears the correct signature.

How recently must your document have been issued or legalised

Organisations have different requirements for how recently your document must have been issued and legalised. For more information, contact the organisation in the Netherlands requesting the document.

Contact

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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