Dubai Courts Returned the File. The Translation Was Certified. It Was Not MOJ.

A client walked into Dubai Courts to file a case. The documents were translated. The translations carried a stamp. The clerk looked at the stamp, checked the system, and returned the file. The translation was certified by a translation company. It was not MOJ-certified. Dubai Courts does not accept the difference.

What happened

The client had used a translation agency that marketed itself as providing “certified translations.” The agency produced translations with a company stamp and a declaration of accuracy. For many purposes outside the UAE — university applications abroad, immigration to other countries — this type of certification is standard and accepted.

Dubai Courts operates under UAE federal law. The only translations accepted are those bearing the personal stamp of a translator individually licensed by the Ministry of Justice. The agency stamp, regardless of how professional it looks, does not carry an MOJ license number. The court system cannot verify it. The filing was returned.

The difference that matters

The confusion is understandable. Both are called “certified.” Both come with stamps. But at the counter, only one passes. For a detailed comparison, see our MOJ vs certified translation guide.

Why this keeps happening

Three situations create this problem repeatedly:

1. Translations done abroad. Clients who move to the UAE often bring translated documents from their home country. A sworn translation from Germany, a notarised translation from the UK, or a certified translation from India — none of these carry an MOJ stamp. They need to be retranslated by an MOJ-licensed translator in the UAE.

2. Online translation agencies. Several online platforms offer “certified translation for UAE” without being MOJ-licensed. The client receives a document that looks official but does not carry the stamp UAE authorities check for.

3. Confusing marketing language. Some UAE-based agencies use “certified,” “legal,” or “official” in their marketing without specifying whether their translators hold individual MOJ licenses. The client assumes “certified” means “accepted by courts.” It does not, unless it is specifically MOJ-certified.

How to check before you submit

Before filing any translated document with Dubai Courts or any UAE authority:

1. Look for the translator’s personal stamp — not a company logo. The stamp should show a full name and an MOJ license number.
2. Check that the license number is real. You can verify through the Ministry of Justice.
3. Ask the translator directly: “Are you individually licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice?” If the answer involves a company certification instead of a personal MOJ license, the translation will not be accepted by courts.

What to do if your translation was rejected

If Dubai Courts has already returned your file:

1. Do not resubmit the same translation. It will be rejected again.
2. Get an MOJ-certified translation of the same document. The original foreign-language document does not need any changes — only the translation needs to be redone by an MOJ-licensed translator.
3. Check the rest of your filing. If one document was translated by a non-MOJ source, others in the same filing may have the same problem. Fix all of them before resubmitting.
4. Confirm the attestation chain is complete. Sometimes the rejection is compounded — the court flags the translation, but the attestation is also incomplete. Verify both.

The retranslation itself is fast — most court documents are completed within 24 hours. The delay is the round trip: getting the file back from court, ordering the correct translation, and resubmitting. That delay is avoidable if the translation is done correctly the first time.

Dubai Courts rejected your translation? Send the rejected document on WhatsApp — we will check whether the issue is the MOJ stamp, the attestation, or something else, and tell you what needs to happen before you refile.