MMA

Guys

Ive read up until page 51 of the forum and done a search but I figure its worth posting this still to try and get a more up to date perspective.

As per my other thread, a move to AD is on the cards in a matter of weeks. I thought I was good to go regarding documentation as I already live overseas and had all my documents do their run through a notary public and the FCO in the UK. So everything is attested and apostilled.

Problem is - to work in the UAE I read somewhere I also have to have these documents attested once again in the UAE consulate in London!?

Can anyone say if this is true and if there is an alternative? I am desperately worried about the length of time my documents will take to courier to London and then back to me in time for sending on to my employer in AD.

Any responses appreciated - im erring on the worried side here! (im assuming I have to send them to london, get them back then send them on to the employer in UAE before i can enter the country and start work?)

Thanks

Bijilo123

I think you do and you should talk to your employer about it.

It all sounds meaningless but by my experience of moving to Kuwait may shed some light.

You have to have a residence permit and a work permit. They are from separate departments in the Kuwait. They both demand attested documents.

You get your work permit from the Kuwait Embassy where you live - in my case London. They had to interact with the department in Kuwait. Your work permit (or rather work visa) is in your passport and you need it in advance because you cannot change a visit visa into a work visa when you are there (and I guess that is the same if you are a foreigner in the UK).

When you get to Kuwait your employer sorts out the residency.

I'm not saying that this applies for the UAE but similar principles will.

Good luck and I think the UAE is a sht place!!

nottmbantam

The process sounds about right, sorry to say.

I have had to do the same thing for a potential job in Qatar, which as we speak seems to have fallen through sadly, but these things happen.

I had to send all my documents back ( from Saudi ) to the UK. Here they had to be signed by a notary public to be attested. THen they had to go to the FCO**. My sister lives in London, so she kindly coordinated everything for me and did some serious leg work.

After the FCO Apostille certification / legalisation process, they then had to go to the Qatari Embassy in London for their official legalisation process. Finally, they can then be presented to your potential employer in UAE for a work visa. THis is what I had to do. From shipping the bundle to the UK, it took around two weeks to get done - returned to Saudi, so not too long. In summary: 1 Attestation by Notary Public, 2 FCO Legalisation, 3 Embassy Legalisation in UK.

So, it sounds like you have already done steps 1 and 2, so just step 3 to complete, I reckon you could get that in around a week. I used UPS to ship the stuff to the UK, from Saudi - it took two days to arrive in London, and via DHL took two days to return to Saudi.

** FCO - please not that the office to do the 'general public' documents is now in Milton Keynes. They charge £28 per document and can generally do the same day if presented in person. The office in London will only do 'business' documents BUT if you register with them, they will also do 'public' documents, but the charge rises to an astonishing £71 per document.



Good luck.

MMA

Ah perfect guys thanks for the responses.

It does look like I only have one step to do on the legalisation front and thats to UPS my documents to the UAE embassy in London. I was lucky enough to have friends working in the UAE at the time I went overseas myself and they advised me to legalise as many documents as i felt relevant before leaving the UK, so i did!

Just when i thought i was getting off scott-free, I need to get it done again!! hehe. We can afford 1 or 2 weeks turnaround, thats not so bad, i told my potential employer I could be in AD in about 3/4 weeks flat so i hate to be a liar!

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the help.

nottmbantam

No problem, happy to help.

Best of luck.

vastmassive

you will also need to have the document attested in the uae in the ministry of forigen affairs to finish the process, this will take a matter of minutes

kittycat1

bit of a hijack, this thread has made me realize Ive never had my degree certificate back- who would have it my company or wherever does the visa process?

If it has been lost is it possible to get another one and does anyone had to get a new one previously- does your old uni just send you a new one (at a price Im sure)?

nottmbantam

Most Uni's should be able to provide you with a duplicate. I've just been dealing with Nottingham, they charge £32 for a duplicate and quote up to ten days for it to be issued. Their applications form requires you to have a counter signatory by a 'professionally' qualified person.

I guess most Uni's in the UK will operate in the same manner.