--- title: "Foreign Translation Rejected UAE — Why and What to Do" description: "Your translated marriage certificate from back home got rejected in the UAE. Why foreign translations are not accepted and what you need instead." url: "https://onlinetranslation.ae/blog/foreign-translation-rejected-uae/" lang: "en-AE" --- [](/blog)Back to Blog *Daily Blog* # You Brought Your Marriage Certificate Translated from Back Home. It Got Rejected. 4 min read You did the responsible thing. Before moving to the UAE, you got your marriage certificate translated in your home country. A professional translator did it. It was notarized. Maybe even stamped by a government authority. You brought it to Dubai, confident you were prepared. Then a government office looked at it and said: "We don't accept this." ## Why your home-country translation doesn't count UAE government entities only accept translations done by translators licensed by the [](/resources/moj-vs-certified)UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ). License number, stamp, signature — all from a translator registered in the UAE system. Your translation from Germany, India, the UK, or anywhere else doesn't carry those credentials. It doesn't matter how qualified the translator was. It doesn't matter if it was sworn, certified, or notarized in your home country. UAE offices have no way to verify a foreign translator's credentials, so they don't try. This applies to every document type. Not just marriage certificates. Birth certificates, [](/personal/academic/degree)degrees, divorce decrees, police clearance certificates — if it was translated outside the UAE, it won't be accepted for government use inside the UAE. ## What about notarized and sworn translations? "Sworn translator" is a designation that exists in many European countries. Germany, France, the Netherlands, and others maintain official lists of authorized translators. Their translations are legally valid — in those countries. The UAE has its own system. MOJ License holders are the only translators whose work is accepted by UAE courts, GDRFA, MOHRE, and other government entities. The two systems don't recognize each other. So a sworn translation from Germany and a freelance translation from India are treated exactly the same way in Dubai: not accepted. ## Attestation is separate from translation Some people confuse attestation with translation. They're different. [](/services/attestation)Attestation proves your original document is genuine. Translation converts it into Arabic. You need both for most government submissions. And the order matters: [](/blog/degree-attested-translated-what-does-that-mean)attestation comes first, then translation. If your marriage certificate has an apostille (for Hague Convention countries like India, UK, US, Canada, Philippines), that covers attestation. But you still need a UAE-based MOJ translation on top of it. ## What you actually need to do Keep your original document. The UAE translator works from the original, not from a previous translation. Make sure it has all attestation stamps intact. Get a new translation in the UAE. An MOJ-licensed translator will translate the document into Arabic, stamp it with their license number (#701), and sign it. This is the version UAE government offices accept. Don't throw away the foreign translation. It's not useless. It can help the translator understand the original if it's in a less common language. It's also valid for non-government use — banks, private companies, and HR departments sometimes accept it. ## How long does this take? A standard [](/personal/vital-records/marriage)marriage certificate translation takes one business day. If you already have the attestation done, you're looking at 24 hours or less for the Arabic translation. No need to visit an office — send it via WhatsApp and receive the certified translation digitally. If your foreign translation was rejected and you need a UAE-accepted version, send the original on WhatsApp — [+971 50 862 0217](https://wa.me/971508620217). We'll confirm what you need before you pay anything. ## Common questions ### Why doesn't the UAE accept translations done in other countries? UAE government entities verify translations using the MOJ license number and stamp. Foreign translators, even sworn or certified ones, are not registered in the UAE system. Without MOJ credentials, there's no way for UAE offices to verify the translation's authority. ### Do I need the original document or can I use my existing translation? You need the original document. The MOJ-licensed translator works from your original certificate, not from a previous translation. If your original is in a less common language, the foreign translation can serve as a helpful reference for the translator. ### What about apostilled documents — do they still need UAE translation? Yes. An apostille verifies the document is genuine. It does not replace translation. An apostilled certificate from India, the UK, or the US still needs [](/resources/moj-vs-certified)MOJ-certified Arabic translation for UAE government use. Attestation and translation are separate requirements. ### Foreign translation rejected? Send your original document via WhatsApp. We'll provide a UAE-accepted MOJ-certified translation, usually within 24 hours. [WhatsApp Your Document](https://wa.me/971508620217) +971 50 862 0217 [Your document concierge](/about/#concierge-model) — we review before you pay. ## Related [](/personal/vital-records/marriage) ### Marriage Certificate Translation MOJ-certified marriage certificate translation for GDRFA and courts [](/services/attestation) ### Document Attestation MOFA attestation and apostille for UAE government submission [](/resources/moj-vs-certified) ### MOJ vs Certified Translation Which type of translation you actually need for your document