If you wish to migrate or obtain a work permit in the UAE, there are many processes and documentation procedures required to be fulfilled. In this process, you are bound to come across the terms notarization and attestation multiple times. Therefore, it becomes imperative that you fully grasp what both the concepts mean.
The important thing to note is that even though notarization and attestation are often used interchangeably, they are different terms altogether. In this article, we aim to shed some light on what both those terms mean and how different they are from one another.
What is Notarization?
In the UAE, when two parties enter into a contract with each other, notarization is done in the presence of a third party,
A notary is someone who has no connection whatsoever in the transaction, i.e., a public notary authenticates a document verifying the accuracy of the document. Notarization is done in the presence of a notary to ensure 2 things. They are as follows:
- The signing is done on free will of the parties
- The authenticity of signatures are verified
Notarization goes a long way in preventing fraud of any kind. In the UAE it is mandatory that a document has to be notarized in the presence of a public notary who has authority for it to be valid and standing.
What is Attestation?
Attestation is the process whereby a document such as personal certificates, educational certificates or commercial documents are processed and verified by the concerned government authorities to ensure its genuineness. Attestation is an important yet long process which is mandatory for anyone who plans to settle or work in the UAE. The process of getting attestation is elaborate and involves five steps. They are as follows:
- Notary attestation – get your documents first attested by a duly authorized notary
- After the documents are attested by a notary, get them attested by the Home department at the State level or the Ministry of Human Resources
- Ministry of External Affairs stamps your documents
- Once MEA has stamped your documents, they will be processed by the respective Embassy for their attestation.
- The final step in the process of attestation in the UAE is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Attestation.
The Difference between Notarization and Attestation in the UAE
From the above paragraphs, it is clear that notarization is just one step in the whole process of attestation. The most important distinction between the two is that while attestation goes through several government departments to verify the authenticity of the document, notarization only goes to a notary to verify the authenticity of the parties’ signatures and not of the document per se.
Another major difference is that while notarization can also be effected online, the same is not the case with attestation. The latter is a highly complicated and drawn out process with the involvement of various departments of government; the physical presence of the party is made statutory at different levels.
You can opt for any agencies offering these services. There are many attestation service providers in UAE that offer notarization and attestation services at competitive rates providing a wide range of services encompassing document attestation, personal and commercial documentation, visa processing and typing and Arabic translation
Hope you got a clear understanding on the differences between notarization and attestation in UAE. If you have any further doubts, feel free to comment down in the comments section. Do share this article with your friends and family if you find this article helpful.
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