Some foreign entities require the attestation of documents by a certified attorney in the country from which certain documents or certificates are issued. In some countries, the document may be attested by an accredited auditor or banks for the purpose of increasing confidence, especially in customary documents. 

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This need may arise  when you wish to emigrate to a foreign country, to open a bank account outside the UAE or establish a company abroad. These certificates are required in the following forms:

A- Attestation by a Lawyer of a Document or a True Copy Thereof

Certain entities require attestation by a licensed lawyer In the UAE on customary documents used for proof, such as attestation of a photocopy of the original passport, attestation of proof of residence address by utility bill for house or property or address mentioned in a bank statement (mobile phone bills are not valid).

Attestation is done by the lawyer of the authenticity of the document or a copy of the original.

Upon the lawyer\’s attestation of the documents, the following shall be taken into consideration to guarantee that the document will be not rejected or that the entity will not require the re-attestation of the document:

1- The attestation language shall be in English language in a clear font, and it is preferable to obtain an attestation stamp.
2- The copy of the document should be clear in case of issuing a true copy.
3- The clarity of the lawyer and the office\’s seal, noting that the seal should include sufficient data to identify the issuer of the authorization.
4- The text of attestation shall be written as to state that the lawyer has reviewed the said document and confirmed its validity.
5- The name of the lawyer issuing the attestation shall be clearly written.
6- The attesting lawyer has to be working for an employer (such as law firm, company or an entity regulated by law), as it is preferable that the said employer should have a website for the purpose confirming the validity of the entity.
7- You have to get the phone number of the lawyer or an employee within the office (who speaks English at least) to ensure that the said document is properly attested, and preferably, the employee phone number should be identical to that available on the law firm\’s website.

B- Issuing a Certificate by a
Lawyer

Certain entities may require the issuance of a certificate from a law firm for the same purpose of certifying copies of their documents or their assets in order to obtain greater power for the document. This may be required depending on the nature of the procedure to be carried out abroad and the entity which requires the certification. The following points should be taken into consideration when issuing the certificate:

1- The certificate should be in English language and in a clear font.
2- The certificate shall be printed on the official papers of the law firm including the firm stamp and the name of the lawyer who is attesting the certificate.
3- Certificated shall be issued to include what has been required to be issued, and the lawyer shall clarify that he has verified information included therein, as it may be required to include the procedures taken in in order verify the validity of what he attests.
4- The attesting lawyer has to be working for an employer (such as law firm, company or an entity regulated by law), as it is preferable that the said employer should have a website for the purpose confirming the validity of the entity.
7- You have to get the phone number of the lawyer or an employee within the office (who speaks English at least) to ensure that the said document is properly attested, and preferably, the employee phone number should be identical to that available on the law firm\’s website.

The above article was written based on the different professional customs and the
requirements of the different entities that have been dealt with, as well as the experience gained
by our firm in attesting foreign certificates.
It should be noted that what is required  may vary
to be more or less depending on each case. If you wish to attest or certify any foreign documents or certificates, you can always contact our
firm to inquire about the services we provide in this field.

Contact us for Legal services in Dubai. In case if you have any suggestion to improve the article content or if you would like to contact us for additional information, you can contact the article writer via our e-mail.

Nour
Attorneys & Legal Consultants

Lawyer & Legal
Consultants

Mohamed
Noureldin

For any legal services or inquiry reach us on: info@nourattorneys.com