Detailed requirements, use cases and service notes
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About This Document
UAE birth certificates (شهادة ميلاد) are issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) or the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), depending on where the birth took place. They follow a standard bilingual format, but the stamped sections, medical signatures, and handwritten notations are in Arabic.
A certified English translation is commonly needed for GDRFA and ICP dependent visa applications, KHDA and ADEK school enrollment, embassy birth registration, and any record keeping in English-speaking jurisdictions. Parents relocating abroad also need it for child benefit claims and immigration filings.
Our translation preserves the exact layout, with the MOJ stamp and translator credentials (MOJ License #701) clearly displayed for official acceptance. Translator: Khaled Mohamed Abdeltawab Aladl.
What's Included
MOJ-Certified Translation
Translated by a Ministry of Justice licensed translator (License #701)
Arabic to English
Full translation of all fields, stamps, medical signatures, and notations
Official MOJ Stamp
Red stamp and translator signature for official acceptance
Name Match Check
Transliteration verified against parent passports before delivery
Digital Delivery
Certified PDF sent via WhatsApp and email
Hard Copy Available
Printed and stamped original for pickup or courier delivery
How It Works
Common Use Cases
•Newborn dependent visa via GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (Abu Dhabi and northern emirates)
•KHDA or ADEK school enrollment for UAE-born children
•Embassy birth registration and passport application for the newborn's home country
•Child benefit and tax filings for parents with foreign tax residency
•Health insurance dependent enrollment and claims
•Citizenship and dual-nationality documentation for a child born in the UAE to foreign parents
•Immigration and relocation paperwork when a family moves abroad
•University admissions later in life when the birth certificate must prove UAE provenance
Newborn Registration Timeline: When Translation Matters
A baby born in the UAE must be registered with MOHAP or DHA within 30 days of birth, and the parents have 120 days to apply for a dependent residency visa before the newborn is considered out of status. The translated birth certificate sits inside this timeline.
Day 0-30: Collect the original bilingual certificate from the hospital or MOHAP / DHA office. No translation needed yet if you are only registering with the UAE authority.
Day 15-45: Book the embassy registration appointment for your home country. Most embassies need the UAE birth certificate translated to English (or the embassy's official language) before the visit. This is when we typically receive the document.
Day 45-120: Apply for the UAE dependent visa through GDRFA or ICP. The visa application itself does not usually require the English translation — it is an Arabic-to-Arabic process — but KHDA / ADEK school enrollment afterwards does.
If the 120-day window is close, express same-day translation is available. For the specific emergency case of a newborn needing an urgent travel document while documentation is incomplete, see our newborn emergency travel document guide.
Getting the Translation Attested for Use Abroad
A UAE birth certificate used inside the UAE needs only the MOJ-certified translation. Used abroad, the chain lengthens: the original Arabic certificate must be MOFA-attested before translation, then the translated English copy is stamped again by MOFA for destination-country recognition.
The UAE is not a Hague Apostille Convention member, so apostille is not available. Instead the destination country's embassy in the UAE issues its own attestation on top of the MOFA chain. For Hague-member destinations, that embassy step replaces what would have been an apostille at home.
We explain the likely document order for families relocating to the UK, USA, Canada, India, Philippines, and Pakistan. Confirm the attestation route with the destination authority; our WhatsApp quote covers the certified translation.
How GDRFA, ICP, KHDA, and ADEK Accept This Translation
Dependent visa and school enrollment submissions in the UAE are split across four authorities, and their acceptance rules differ in small ways that cause avoidable rejections.
GDRFA Dubai: accepts the translation as a digital PDF attached to the ICP application portal. The MOJ stamp and translator License #701 must be legible on screen. Name transliteration must match the parent passports exactly.
ICP Abu Dhabi: often requires the MOJ-stamped hard copy in addition to the PDF for first-time dependent visa applications. Hospital signatures on the Arabic original need to be clearly translated, not glossed.
KHDA (Dubai schools): accepts the MOJ-certified PDF. For British, American, and IB curriculum schools, the certificate plus passport copy is the standard combination.
ADEK (Abu Dhabi schools): more often requests the MOJ-stamped hard copy alongside the PDF, particularly for reception and early-years admissions. See our Abu Dhabi translation notes for ADEK specifics.
For the full GDRFA submission flow, the GDRFA family visa document guide covers the complete checklist for dependent applications.
How much does UAE birth certificate translation cost?
UAE birth certificate translation costs AED 300 for MOJ-certified legal translation from Arabic to English. The price covers translation, the MOJ stamp, and digital delivery. Multi-page variations or extra endorsements may adjust the quote. Send a photo on WhatsApp for an exact figure before paying.
Do I need MOJ certification for a UAE birth certificate translation?
GDRFA, ICP, and KHDA / ADEK require MOJ-certified translation for dependent visa and school enrollment submissions. Banks and private employers often accept a company-stamped certified translation instead. We confirm the exact acceptance standard for your destination before quoting.
What is a UAE birth certificate and which authority issues it?
UAE birth certificates are issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) or the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), depending on the hospital of birth. They are written in Arabic and English in a standard bilingual format, but the stamped portion and medical signatures are Arabic. For official submission in English-speaking jurisdictions, the Arabic sections still need a certified translation.
My baby was born in the UAE — what documents do I need for a dependent visa?
For a newborn on a dependent visa, you need the UAE birth certificate translated to English (for your home-country records) and Arabic translation of the parent passports if they are not already bilingual. You must register the birth with your embassy within 30 days and apply for the dependent visa within 120 days. We handle the translation side and point you at the GDRFA document list for the rest.
Does a UAE birth certificate need attestation for use abroad?
For use outside the UAE, the original Arabic certificate may need MOFA attestation before translation, and the destination authority may require another step. We map the likely order, review document readiness, and quote the certified translation package. See our Arabic birth certificate translation with MoFA guidance page.
How long does UAE birth certificate translation take?
Standard turnaround is 1-2 business days. Express same-day service is available for urgent submissions such as school enrollment deadlines or emergency travel documents. Hard-copy courier goes the next business day. WhatsApp us with your deadline.
Will KHDA or ADEK accept this translation for school enrollment?
Yes. KHDA (Dubai) and ADEK (Abu Dhabi) accept MOJ-certified Arabic-to-English translation of UAE birth certificates for admissions. ADEK more often asks for the MOJ-stamped hard copy alongside the PDF. Names on the certificate must match the passport transliteration exactly or the admissions office flags it.
What if the names on the birth certificate do not match our passports?
Transliteration mismatches — "Mohammed" vs "Muhammad", "Fatima" vs "Fatma" — are a common cause of dependent visa rejection. We verify name transliterations against the parent passports before finalizing the translation and flag any discrepancy before delivery so you can decide whether to correct the source or submit a name-match affidavit.
Can you translate birth certificates from other countries too?
Yes. We translate birth certificates from most jurisdictions. For country-specific pages see our Algerian birth certificate page, or the hub on birth certificate translation for a broader guide. Send a photo and we quote based on the document in hand.
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