Marriage Certificate Translation UAE | India, UK, US

You got married in Mumbai. Your spouse got their certificate from the General Register Office in the UK. You’re both in Dubai now, applying for a family visa. GDRFA wants both marriage certificates in Arabic. But the path from “original document” to “Arabic translation accepted by GDRFA” is completely different depending on where the certificate was issued.

Why the country of issuance matters

The UAE requires foreign documents to be authenticated before translation. The UAE is not a Hague member, so every foreign certificate needs UAE Embassy attestation in the issuing country and UAE MOFA attestation in the UAE — only the home-country authentication step differs. For Hague Apostille Convention members, that step is an apostille; non-members use the longer local embassy/foreign-ministry chain. Apostille alone is never sufficient for UAE use.

The translation step is the same for all countries. MOJ-certified Arabic translation in the UAE. But what happens before translation is where things diverge.

India (Hague member since 2005)

Indian marriage certificates go through a multi-step process:

• Notarization. An Indian notary public verifies the document.
• State authentication. The relevant state government department (Home Department or GAD) authenticates the notarization.
• MEA apostille. The Ministry of External Affairs issues the apostille sticker.

After the MEA apostille, the document still needs UAE Embassy attestation in India and MOFA UAE attestation before it comes to the UAE for MOJ-certified Arabic translation. The Indian chain is the longest among Hague members because of the state-level step on the Indian side, plus the UAE Embassy and MOFA UAE steps that apply to every foreign document.

UK (Hague member since 1965)

UK marriage certificates have a simpler path:

• FCDO apostille. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issues the apostille directly. No intermediate steps.

The FCDO apostille can be done by post or through a legalisation office. If you are unsure whether a British Council-related step counts, read our guide on whether MOFA accepts British Council attestation for UK degrees. After the FCDO apostille, the document still needs UAE Embassy attestation in London and MOFA UAE attestation, then MOJ translation in the UAE.

US (Hague member since 1981)

US marriage certificates vary by state, which complicates things:

• County or state apostille. The Secretary of State in the state where the marriage was registered issues the apostille. Not the federal government. The state government.

If you were married in New York, the New York Secretary of State issues the apostille. If you were married in California, it’s the California Secretary of State. Each state has different processing times. After the state apostille, the document still needs UAE Embassy attestation in the USA and MOFA UAE attestation, then MOJ translation in the UAE.

Pakistan (not a Hague member)

Pakistan is not a Hague Convention member. Pakistani marriage certificates follow the longer chain:

• Notarization in Pakistan.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan).
• UAE Embassy in Pakistan. Or, if you’re already in the UAE, the Pakistan Embassy in the UAE can assist.
• MOFA attestation in the UAE.

After the full attestation chain, MOJ-certified Arabic translation. The Pakistan chain takes the longest, often 3-6 weeks.

After attestation: the translation

Regardless of country, the final step is the same. An MOJ-licensed translator in the UAE translates the marriage certificate into Arabic. The translation includes all attestation stamps and apostille references. Standard marriage certificates take one business day to translate.

If you have marriage certificates from different countries that need processing, send them on WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217. We’ll tell you exactly which attestation steps are still needed and handle the MOJ translation once they’re ready.