If a UAE employer, university or government office has asked you to attest documents issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina, expect a chain of stamps rather than a single appointment. The UAE is not part of the Hague Apostille system for its own incoming paperwork in the way many European countries handle it, so Bosnian documents generally need full legalisation: certified at home, stamped by the Bosnian authorities, legalised through the UAE’s diplomatic channel, and finally attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) once you are in the Emirates. Done in the right order, it is a formality; done backwards, you will pay twice.
Which documents usually need attesting
The most common requests are university degrees and diplomas, school records, birth and marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, and company documents such as powers of attorney and commercial registrations. Your UAE employer or the authority asking for the document will normally specify exactly which papers they need and whether a certified translation into Arabic is also required. Ask them in writing before you start, because attesting the wrong version of a certificate β for example a short-form birth certificate when the long form is needed β is the most common cause of delay.
- Degrees and diplomas for employment visas and professional licensing.
- Birth and marriage certificates for family visas and dependent sponsorship.
- Police clearance certificates for certain jobs and licence applications.
- Company papers and powers of attorney for business setup.
The step-by-step process
Work through the chain in this order and do not skip a stage, because each stamp verifies the one before it:
- Get the original document, or a certified copy where originals are not released, from the issuing institution or registry in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Have the document certified by the competent Bosnian authority β typically the municipal court or relevant ministry, depending on the document type β so its signature and seal are officially confirmed.
- Have it legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which confirms the document for use abroad.
- Submit it for legalisation by the UAE embassy responsible for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because diplomatic coverage for the region may be handled from a neighbouring capital, check the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to confirm which mission currently serves Bosnia and Herzegovina, and follow that mission’s published submission process.
- After arriving in the UAE, complete the final attestation with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which can be done through its official website and app or at its customer happiness centres.
- Where Arabic translation is required, use a legal translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and translate after the main stamps are in place so nothing needs redoing.
Costs and timing, as a guide
Each stage carries its own fee, and courier charges add up if documents travel between countries. As a guide, the full chain for one personal document typically costs the equivalent of around AED 400 to AED 900 in total government and handling fees, with commercial documents costing more at the MOFA stage. Allow at least two to four weeks end to end, and longer if a document must be reissued at home first. Private attestation agencies in Dubai can manage the chain for you for a service fee; if you use one, choose a company with a verifiable UAE trade licence and a physical office, and never surrender your only original passport to anyone as part of the process.
Mistakes that cause rejections
Laminated certificates are a classic problem, because officials cannot stamp the document properly and some authorities refuse them outright. Documents with names spelled differently across your passport and certificates should be explained early β a sworn statement of the same person may be needed. Also check that every stamp is legible and that no stage was done out of sequence; MOFA in the UAE will not complete attestation on a document that lacks the prior UAE embassy legalisation. Finally, keep scanned copies of every stamped page before you hand originals to an employer.
FAQ
Can I complete the whole process from Dubai?
The final MOFA step is done in the UAE, but the earlier stages must happen in Bosnia and Herzegovina and through the responsible UAE diplomatic mission. Agencies in Dubai can coordinate the home stages by courier.
Do my documents need translating into Arabic?
Often, yes β especially certificates for government use. Use a UAE-licensed legal translator and confirm with the requesting authority whether the translation itself must also be attested.
Which UAE embassy legalises Bosnian documents?
Diplomatic coverage can change and may be handled from a neighbouring country. Check the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the mission currently accredited to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
More step-by-step paperwork guides are on the DXB Talk home page and in our How-To section, covering visas, licences and official documents in the UAE.