Colombian documents — a university degree for a Dubai job, a birth certificate for a child’s visa, a marriage certificate for family sponsorship — are not accepted in the UAE until they have been legalised. The good news is that Colombia has one of the simplest systems in the world for this: its apostille is issued online by the foreign ministry. The UAE still adds its own steps at the end, so this guide walks through the complete chain, in order, and explains where each stamp comes from.
Why legalisation is required
UAE government departments, employers and schools cannot verify a Colombian document on their own, so they rely on a chain of official confirmation. The apostille is Colombia’s part of that chain: a standard certificate, recognised under the Hague Convention, that confirms the signature and seal on your document are genuine. The UAE is also a Hague Convention member, which is why an apostille — rather than the older embassy-stamp chain used by non-member countries — is the correct starting point for Colombian papers. After the apostille, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) adds its attestation once the document reaches the Emirates, and Arabic translation may be needed depending on who receives it.
Which documents Colombians commonly attest
- University degrees and study certificates, for employment visas and professional licensing
- Birth certificates, for children’s residence visas and school enrolment
- Marriage certificates, for sponsoring a spouse
- Single-status certificates, for marrying in the UAE or proving eligibility
- Police clearance certificates (certificado de antecedentes), when an employer or authority requests one
- Commercial documents and powers of attorney
Before you start, ask the receiving side — your employer’s HR, the school, the typing centre handling your visa — exactly which documents they need and whether they want the MOFA stamp and translation done. Attesting extra documents “just in case” wastes fees.
The process, step by step
- Get a clean, recent copy of the document. Civil documents such as birth and marriage certificates should be fresh copies from the Registraduría or the notary where the record is held; faded or damaged originals can be rejected later in the chain.
- Apply for the apostille online. Colombia’s Cancillería runs the apostille and legalisation service through its website: you upload the document, pay the fee online and receive the apostille electronically. The underlying signature on your document must be registered in the system — if it is not, the issuing notary or authority may need to register it first, which the Cancillería site explains.
- Check the apostille. Each Colombian apostille carries a verification code that anyone can check online. Confirm yours validates before you travel or pay for translation.
- MOFA attestation in the UAE. Once in the Emirates, submit the apostilled document to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its website or app; attestation is completed at a service centre or via courier. As a guide, the MOFA fee is typically around AED 150 per personal document, with commercial papers costing more.
- Sworn translation if required. Courts and some departments require the document in Arabic, translated by a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translator. Translate after attestation so the translator handles the complete, stamped document.
Costs, timing and pitfalls
The Colombian apostille itself is one of the cheaper steps in any attestation chain — the fee is set in Colombian pesos and paid online, typically the equivalent of well under AED 100 per document as a guide. The bigger costs sit at the UAE end: MOFA fees, legal translation (commonly around AED 150–300 per page as an estimate) and any agent charges. Timing is friendly too: an online apostille is often issued within a few working days when the signature is already registered, while obtaining a fresh civil certificate or registering a signature can add a week or more. The classic pitfalls are names that differ between passport and certificate, apostilling a photocopy instead of the proper original or certified copy, and assuming the apostille alone finishes the job — in the UAE, the MOFA stamp is what most counters actually look for.
FAQ
Do I still need the UAE embassy stamp in Bogotá?
For most personal documents, no — because both countries are Hague Convention members, the apostille replaces embassy legalisation. Confirm with the receiving UAE authority for unusual document types, and check MOFA’s current guidance.
Can I do the apostille after I have moved to Dubai?
Yes. Colombia’s apostille is requested and delivered online, so you can complete it from the UAE. You will still need the proper original or certified copy of the document to start from, which family in Colombia can often obtain for you.
Does my degree need anything before the apostille?
Colombian degrees are generally apostilled directly through the Cancillería system, provided the issuing institution’s signature is registered. If the online system rejects your document, follow its instructions for registering the signature first.
For more document and visa how-tos for life in the Emirates, browse DXB Talk and the How-To archive.
