British Expats - Birth/marriage certificate attestation: Info for current/future Brits in UAE

Please see the following information which was issued today by the British Embassies.

RESIDENCY VISAS – REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFICATION OF BIRTH AND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES

Having accepted a job offer to work in the UAE, many British nationals also bring their families with them to live here. Whilst this is an exciting opportunity for you, there are certain administrative tasks that have to be completed in order to obtain residency visas for your wife/husband and any children.

In order to obtain the residency visas for your family you need to get your marriage certificate and children’s birth certificates legalised. A birth, death and marriage certificate issued in the UK is a certified copy of an entry made in an official register. The British Embassy is not authorised to legalise these types of document. We can only legalise the signature and seal of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The documents need to be legalised by following these steps:

1. By the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes

2. By the UAE Consulate General in London; or by one of the British Embassies in Abu Dhabi or Dubai

3. By the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi or Dubai

Unfortunately step 1 has to be undertaken in the UK and we therefore strongly recommend that you arrange this before you leave the UK. Because of UAE regulations you cannot obtain your family’s residence visas without first legalising these certificates. After completing step 1 you can then choose whether to get the FCO’s signature and seal attested by the UAE Embassy in London or the relevant British Embassy in the UAE.

If you have not arranged for your documents to be legalised before you arrive, you can send them back to the FCO Legalisation Office by courier.

See below for further details on process.

FURTHER DETAILS ON PROCESS

STEP 1:

Legalisation Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House
437 Silbury Boulevard Email: [email protected]
Milton Keynes Tel:01908295111 Fax01908 295122
MK9 2AH http://www.fco.gov.uk/legalisation

Please visit their website for payment and fee details. Your document(s) will normally be processed and despatched within 10 DAYS.

You should state that the documents are for presentation to the UAE authorities, printing your name and address clearly. The FCO Apostile will then be placed on the back of the certificate. This Apostile will then need to be legalised by either the UAE Consulate in London of the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, as detailed in the following paragraphs.

Further information can be obtained from the website, www.fco.gov.uk/legalisation

STEP 2:

i) British Embassy Option

If your residence permit is to be issued by the Abu Dhabi authorities the document should be taken to the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. If the permit is to be issued by the authorities of any other Emirate, including Dubai, the document should be taken to the British Embassy in Dubai.

The British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are open to the public from 8am – 11am, Sunday through to Thursday. Further information, including directions to both Embassies, the cost of this service and information on any closures for public holidays etc, can be found on our website, www.ukinuae.fco.gov.uk.

ii) UAE Consulate Option

Consulate of the UAE

48 Princes Gate
London SW7 2QA
Tel: 0207 808 8302
E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.uaeembassyuk.net/

Opening hours: Monday-Friday 09.30 to 13.00

STEP 3:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Abu Dhabi: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Complex, Airport Road behind Carrefour
Tel: 00971 2 444 4488
Fax: 00971 2 444 9200
E-mail: [email protected]
OR
Marina Mall, Lower Level 2 (Through Paris Gallery)

Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 08:00 to 13:00

Dubai: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bur Dubai in the Bastakiya area, near the Omani and Jordanian consulates.
Tel: 00971 4 404 0000
Fax: 00971 4 357 2112
E-mail: [email protected]