Attesting Malaysian Documents for the UAE
Short answer: the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says documents issued abroad must first be attested by the issuing country's foreign ministry, then by the UAE embassy in that country "by applying through MoFA online channels", and finally by the Ministry in the UAE through its website or app. For a Malaysian document: endorsement where needed, Wisma Putra (Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, then the Ministry in the UAE, which charges AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial document.
We handle the Malaysian side: Ministry endorsements, notarisation and Wisma Putra, ready for the UAE steps. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.
Last reviewed: October 2026. The UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur's own attestation page was unavailable when we checked, so confirm its current process with the embassy. For translation rules, see Arabic legal translation for the UAE.
Step by step
Endorse it in Malaysia. Degrees go to the Ministry of Higher Education or the Ministry of Education (degree guide), certificates of origin to a chamber of commerce, and powers of attorney, contracts and company papers before a notary public.
Take it to Wisma Putra, Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Putrajaya. There is no appointment system; documents come back on the day or the next working day.
Attest it at the UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, applying through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' online channels (you need a UAE Pass account). Ask the embassy for its current fee and steps. From our experience: the embassy's attestation is digital. It issues a digitally certified copy, so the paper document carries Wisma Putra's stamps but no UAE Embassy stamp.
Attest it at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE, online through its website or app, digitally or by courier: AED 150 per personal document, AED 2,000 per commercial document. A degree certificate and its transcript count as two documents. Normal service takes 3 working days for up to 25 documents; express takes 1 working day for up to 10.
Translate it into Arabic in the UAE if the receiving authority needs Arabic. See Arabic legal translation for the UAE.
What the UAE attestation looks like
The UAE Embassy's attestation is digital. Instead of stamping the paper, it issues a certified copy under the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in English and Arabic, which "certifies that the attestation issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Malaysia has been verified" and that the signature and stamp used "are officially recognized", followed by the attestation details. A security watermark with the attestation reference runs across the page. The paper document itself carries only Wisma Putra's stamps.
What gets documents rejected
Laminated documents: "Laminated documents cannot be attested and will be rejected."
A missing attestation anywhere in the chain.
Online applications with mistakes: they are rejected automatically and cannot be edited after submission.
Application details that do not match the document.
Scans or photos submitted for digital attestation.
Degree recognition is a separate step
Recognition of a foreign degree by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education is a verification service run through VFS Global. Its FAQ says "attestation is not required for verification", and a legal translation is needed only if the documents are not in Arabic or English. Employers and labour authorities may still ask for an attested degree, so check both.
UAE documents for use in Malaysia
UAE certificates are attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and some, such as birth, marriage and educational certificates, are attested digitally only. Wisma Putra says documents from abroad need "authentication from the Foreign Missions in Malaysia" and an English translation, so confirm with the Malaysian agency whether it needs the UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur or the Malaysian Embassy in Abu Dhabi to add its stamp.
معلومات باللغة العربية
تُصدَّق المستندات الماليزية المطلوبة في دولة الإمارات أولاً من وزارة الخارجية الماليزية (Wisma Putra)، ثم من سفارة دولة الإمارات في كوالالمبور عبر القنوات الإلكترونية لوزارة الخارجية الإماراتية، ثم من وزارة الخارجية في الإمارات عبر موقعها الإلكتروني أو تطبيقها الذكي. رسوم التصديق 150 درهماً لمستندات الأفراد و2,000 درهم للمستندات التجارية.
من خبرتنا: تصديق السفارة إلكتروني، إذ تصدر نسخة مصدّقة رقمياً، لذلك يحمل المستند الورقي أختام وزارة الخارجية الماليزية فقط دون ختم السفارة.
لا تُقبل المستندات المغلّفة حرارياً، ويجب تصديق الشهادات الجامعية أولاً من وزارة التعليم العالي الماليزية. أما الترجمة القانونية إلى العربية للمحاكم والجهات الرسمية فيقوم بها مترجم قانوني مقيّد لدى وزارة العدل الإماراتية. للاستفسار: تواصلوا معنا عبر واتساب (+60 17-227 9378).
Common questions
Do I need an Arabic translation for MOFA attestation?
No. The Ministry accepts "The original document in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legally certified translation." Malay documents need a translation.
How much does UAE attestation cost?
At the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AED 150 per personal document and AED 2,000 per commercial document, plus the UAE Embassy's and Wisma Putra's own fees.
Is an apostille an alternative?
Not from Malaysia, which is outside the Apostille Convention. See apostille in Malaysia.
Related guides
Sources: