Apostille San Francisco
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Document legalization for the UAE · from California documents
UAE.
UAE.
Not a Hague country.
Legalization, not apostille.
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so a California apostille is not the finishing step. A personal or educational document is authenticated by the California Secretary of State, then by the U.S. Department of State, then attested for the UAE Embassy through its VFS Global centre in Washington, then by MOFAIC in the UAE. We run the U.S. chain and check the document before the fee.
At a glance
RouteConsular legalization · CA Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State → UAE Embassy (VFS Global, Washington) → MOFAIC in the UAE
ConsulateEmbassy attestation required; handled through VFS Global since 21 August 2025
DocumentsBirth, marriage certificates · degrees and transcripts (regionally accredited U.S. institutions only) · powers of attorney · no-objection and single-status affidavits · corporate documents
TranslationMOFAIC accepts the original in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legally certified translation. The embassy publishes no translation rule. We confirm with the receiving office before anything is translated.
Pricefrom $600 state + federal + embassy · authority fees confirmed before we start
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for the UAE.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Degrees must come from a regionally accredited U.S. school. The UAE Embassy states that educational documents must be attested by the U.S. Department of State first, that the institution must be located in the U.S. and regionally accredited (NEASC, MSA, NCA/HLC, SACS, NWCCU or WASC), and that proof of accreditation is printed from the CHEA website. MOFAIC adds that the document must not be laminated. We check all three before the first fee is paid.
$600from · state + federal + embassy · one file
Employment and family sets
Degrees, birth and marriage certificates for UAE visas and sponsorship, run through every U.S. step in one file.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to the UAE or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every the UAE call.
01Does the UAE accept a California apostille?
No. The United Arab Emirates does not appear among the contracting parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the apostille is not the finishing step. The U.S. Department of State issues an authentication certificate, rather than an apostille, for documents going to countries outside the Convention, and the UAE Embassy then attests the document before MOFAIC attests it inside the UAE.
02What are the exact steps for a California document?
State first: the Department of State requires a state-issued document to be authenticated by the state that issued it, so the California Secretary of State goes first. Federal second: the UAE Embassy states that all personal and educational documents must be attested by the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office before they are sent to VFS. Embassy third: since 21 August 2025 the embassy’s attestation is handled by VFS Global in Washington. Then MOFAIC in the UAE. For corporate documents the embassy names the Secretary of State step before VFS; we confirm whether the Department of State step is also wanted before filing.
03Do I need an Arabic translation?
MOFAIC’s attestation requirements ask for the original document in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legally certified translation, so an English-language California document meets the language rule as issued. The embassy publishes no translation rule of its own. If the ministry, employer or court receiving your document wants Arabic, we confirm its standard before anything is translated. Translation is Quoted per document by page and language before anything starts; delivered certified with a signed certificate of authenticity.
04I am already in the UAE. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes, for the U.S. chain. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, run the Secretary of State, Department of State and VFS Global steps, and ship the attested document tracked to you, unlaminated, ready for MOFAIC. International delivery and each authority’s fee are confirmed before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp if you prefer.