If you are moving to the UAE for work, study or family reasons, sooner or later someone will ask you for an attested Danish document — a degree certificate for your work permit, a marriage certificate for a family visa, or a birth certificate for a newborn’s paperwork. Attestation is the chain of stamps that proves a Danish document is genuine so UAE authorities will accept it. The good news is that Denmark and the UAE both work within the Hague Apostille system, which simplifies what used to be a long embassy chain. Here is how the process works and the order to do it in.
Which documents usually need attesting
- University degrees and professional certificates — for UAE work permits and professional licensing.
- Marriage certificates — for sponsoring a spouse or proving marital status.
- Birth certificates — for children’s visas, school enrolment and passports.
- Divorce or death certificates — where family status must be proven.
- Company documents — for setting up or representing a business in the UAE.
- Powers of attorney and sworn statements — signed and legalised for use in the UAE.
Before you start, confirm with the UAE side — your employer’s HR or PRO, the university, or the government service centre — exactly which documents they need and whether they want the original attested or a certified copy. Attesting the wrong version wastes weeks, and courier trips between Dubai and Denmark are slow and costly.
The apostille route, step by step
- Obtain the correct Danish document. Order an official, recent copy from the issuing authority in Denmark — many certificates can be ordered digitally through borger.dk or from the relevant registry, university or church office, depending on the document type.
- Check whether a prior certification is needed. Some Danish documents must first be certified by the issuing body or a notary before they can receive an apostille. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains the current requirements for each document type on its legalisation pages — read them before posting anything.
- Get the apostille from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry’s legalisation office issues apostilles in Denmark. Applications can generally be made in person or by post following the instructions on um.dk, and there is a fee per document — as a guide, expect a modest charge per apostille plus postage, and confirm the current amount on the official site.
- Check whether the UAE side also wants ministry attestation in the UAE. For many uses, an apostille is accepted as the final foreign step; some UAE processes additionally ask for attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) after arrival. Ask your sponsor or the receiving authority which applies to your case.
- Translate if required. Documents for UAE courts or some government departments may need a certified Arabic translation by a UAE-licensed legal translator. Danish documents issued in multilingual or English format are often accepted for employment and immigration steps, but confirm first.
- Keep copies of everything. Scan each document before and after each stamp. UAE employers and typing centres work from scans during applications, and a copy saves panic if the original is delayed in transit.
What it costs and how long it takes
Costs stack up in small pieces: the Danish document copy, the apostille fee, international courier fees, any UAE-side MOFA attestation fee, and translation if needed. As a guide, the whole chain for one personal document might typically come to around AED 300 to AED 700 equivalent once courier and local fees are counted, while commercial documents cost more. Timing depends mainly on post and appointments: allow around two to four weeks end to end if you are organising it from Dubai, and start earlier in peak hiring seasons when legalisation offices and couriers are busiest. Never book a visa appointment that depends on a document still sitting in a postal queue.
Using an attestation agency — safely
Several companies in Dubai and Denmark will run the whole chain for you, collecting documents by courier and returning them attested. For a straightforward degree-plus-marriage-certificate package, this convenience can be worth it. Vet the agency properly: check it has a real trade licence, read recent reviews, get the total price in writing itemised by step, and never hand over originals against nothing more than a phone number. Reputable firms give you a tracking reference and a receipt listing every original received. Wherever possible, send documents by tracked courier rather than ordinary post in both directions.
Common mistakes to avoid
The classic errors are attesting a photocopy where the original was required, laminating a certificate (lamination can invalidate attestation because stamps cannot be applied or verified), letting a document expire — some UAE processes want recently issued certificates, particularly for family matters — and starting the UAE visa process before the attestation chain is complete. One more: names. Your Danish documents, passport and UAE application must show your name in a consistent spelling; if transliteration or a name change creates a mismatch, raise it early, because fixing it mid-process is painful.
FAQ
Does Denmark use the apostille system for UAE documents?
Denmark issues Hague apostilles through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which simplifies legalisation for use abroad. Confirm the exact steps for your document type on um.dk and whether the UAE side also wants MOFA attestation.
Can I attest Danish documents after I arrive in Dubai?
Much of the chain must happen in Denmark, so it is far easier to complete it before you move. From Dubai, expect to use couriers or an agency, which adds time and cost.
How long does attestation usually take?
As a guide, allow around two to four weeks for the full chain including international post or courier time, and start earlier during peak periods.
Attestation is nobody’s favourite task, but done once, in the right order, it removes friction from almost every official step that follows. For more step-by-step paperwork guides, visit DXB Talk and browse the How-To category archive.
