Attestation is the process of getting your South African documents officially verified for use in the UAE. It is unavoidable for most visas, work permits and professional licences. Here is the full process, step by step.
Why attestation is needed
UAE government bodies and employers only accept documents that have been verified through an official chain of authentication. Your SA degree means nothing to them without the relevant stamps.
The attestation chain for educational qualifications
- SAQA verification — Apply at saqa.org.za. Get your qualification verified and NQF level confirmed. Cost: R200-R400. Timeline: 3-5 working days.
- Notarisation (if required) — Some documents need notarising by a SA notary public before DIRCO will accept them.
- DIRCO authentication — Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria. They attach a Certificate of Authentication with a green ribbon. Timeline: 5-10 working days standard, 2-3 working days expedited.
- UAE Embassy attestation (Pretoria) — The UAE Embassy adds an official government sticker and seal. Address: 980 Park Street, Arcadia. Timeline: 2-5 working days. From 2026, this is the final step for most documents.
- UAE MOFA (if still required) — For some document types, a final Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp in the UAE may still be needed. Confirm with your employer before assuming this step is not needed.
Personal documents
- Marriage certificate — Same attestation chain as degrees, but uses the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) instead of SAQA as the starting point.
- Birth certificate — DHA, then DIRCO, then UAE Embassy.
- Police clearance — Obtained from SAPS, then DIRCO, then UAE Embassy.
Timeline and costs
- SAQA verification — 3-5 working days, R200-R400
- DIRCO authentication (standard) — 5-10 working days, R200-R500 per document
- DIRCO authentication (expedited) — 2-3 working days, R500-R900 per document
- UAE Embassy Pretoria — 2-5 working days, varies by document type
- Total (standard service) — 4-8 weeks, R1,500-R3,000+ per document
Things saffas wish they knew
- Do not laminate any documents before attestation. Laminated documents are rejected.
- Afrikaans-only documents need a certified English translation before submission.
- Use an attestation service if you are already in the UAE and cannot do it in person. Companies like AttestExpress and Vital Certificates handle the SA side remotely.
- Always work with originals, not certified copies, for the attestation chain.
Information correct as of June 2026. Always confirm the latest process with the UAE Embassy before submitting.