In Dubai a city that thrives on international mobility and diverse populations personal documents often cross language and legal boundaries. Among the most commonly required documents for official procedures is the birth certificate. Whether you’re applying for a residence visa, sponsoring a child, registering for school, or applying for a passport renewal, you’ll likely be asked to present a valid birth certificate and in many cases, an officially translated version.
But not just any translation will do. In the UAE, and specifically in Dubai, strict legal translation requirements apply to personal documents like birth certificates. Understanding these rules can save time, prevent delays, and ensure your documents are accepted by government authorities. This article outlines the legal translation process for birth certificates in Dubai, explains when translation is required, who can perform it, and what steps you need to follow to ensure compliance.
When Is Translation of a Birth Certificate Required in Dubai?
In Dubai, Arabic is the official language of all government departments. This means that any official document written in a foreign language including birth certificates issued in English, French, Urdu, Hindi, Russian, Tagalog, or any other language must be translated into Arabic if it is to be used for legal or governmental purposes.
Some common scenarios where Arabic translation of a birth certificate is required include:
- Applying for a family visa or dependent sponsorship
- Registering a child’s birth with Dubai authorities
- Enrolling a child in school or nursery
- Obtaining a residence visa for a child born abroad
- Submitting documentation for passport renewal or nationality cases
- Legal proceedings involving identity or family relationships
Even if a birth certificate is already in English, many Dubai government departments still require a certified Arabic translation to accompany the original. Submitting an untranslated or unofficial copy may result in the document being rejected or the process being delayed.
What is legal translation and why is it needed?
In Dubai, legal translation implies more than word-to-word translation. It entails the legal and legitimate transfer of translations of documents written in a different language into or out of Arabic (and vice versa), and this work is done by people with licenses certified by the UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The translators are legally accredited to offer translations which shall be accepted by courts, immigration offices, embassies among other public offices.
In the case of birth certificates, legal translation is extremely necessary due to the following reasons:
- The document states who we are, what nation and parentage.
- Wrong spelling, names or even dates will lead to a disastrous neglect in the email message
- Legal translation makes the document an official one on the basis of the UAE law
A formally translated birth certificate in Dubai has a stamp of an official translator, certification of proper translation signed by a translator, and occasionally a reference number or a QR code that confirms its authenticity.
It is necessary to mention that the government agencies in Dubai do not accept the work of freelance translators, or unlicensed translation agencies as well even automatic programs (such as Google Translate).
The process of Translation of a Birth Certificate in Dubai Step by Step
When the Dubai birth certificate is to be translated, there are several steps to be taken, particularly, when the certificate was issued out of the United Arab Emirates. Usually, it goes like this:
1. The Country of Origin Attestation
In the case of the birth certificate, issued abroad, the certificate must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or equivalent) in the country in which it was issued.
2. Embassy attestation of UAE
Once the document has been locally attested, it now is supposed to be taken to the UAE Embassy/Consulate in that nation, where additional attestation is supposed to be made.
3. MOFA Attestation in the UAE
After the document has reached the UK to Dubai, it will have to undergo lawful formalities called the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC).
4. Law Translation to Arabic
Once the attestation is done, the document is taken to a legal translator in Dubai who has been registered by MOJ to translate the document in Arabic. Every translated document obtained at the end of the process will have the official stamp and an official statement of accuracy.
5. Honoring of Relevant Authority
Now the respective government office, where the birth certificate needs to be submitted, may be in connection with processing the visa, or registration of schools or something or the other, as it should be legally translated and the translation attested.
This procedure makes it possible to translate the birth certificate in which the grammar is correct and linguistically sound, as well as legal as per the standards set by the UAE.
Price and Schedule of Birth certificate Legal Translation
Legal translation of a birth certificate is rather affordable in Dubai and it may differ depending on several factors mainly the pair of languages, complexity of the document and urgency.
- In the case of regular birth certificates, it commonly costs between AED 100 and AED 200 a page.
- In case the translation of the document is required urgently, it is possible to find translation offices providing the work completion within the same day or 24 hours with an extra cost.
- The price can also differ depending on whether some extra services, such as the notarization, attestation, or the courier delivery, are to be ordered.
The legal translation of a birth certificate usually needs 1 or 2 business days in most cases. But in case of attestation still pending, the process will take much time. It is also recommended that you begin the process in time, particularly when rolling dates can be strict (e.g. applying to schools, or obtaining visas).
Selection of the Best Legal Translation Company in Dubai
Translating a birth certificate (just like with any other personal legal document) is a matter of choosing the translation service provider. Not every translator is legally acknowledged in the UAE, and it is not excluded that by trying to work with an unauthorized service, your papers will be denied by the departments of government.
In order to guarantee acceptance, it is always paramount to ensure that the translator or agency:
- Is licensed by UAE Ministry of justice
- Conducts specialisation in legal documents affecting an individual (e.g. birth, marriage, and academic certificates)
- Supplies certification stamps, and formal statement of accuracy
- Has an experience with the country of origin documents
Well-known companies engaged in legal translation in Dubai are such as Alsun Legal Translation, Torjoman, Elite Legal Translation and so on. Most of these agencies even provide a convenient online submission, consultation, and delivery of their documents, which is especially efficient in the case of expats, who may work with their records abroad.
Conclusion
In Dubai, legal translation of birth certificates should not be viewed as a mere formality, but as a regulated necessity that is crucial in a multiplicity of activities, including applications of visas, school registration, as well as in court. Since many of the fundamentals of identity are determined by the lines of the birth certificate, small mistakes or an unauthorized translation may be the cause of delays and complications.
The proper sequence of the procedure (including attestation and collaboration with a MOJ-certified translator) will also help you to make sure that there will be no serious problems with the court in the country, and your birth certificate will be both legal and linguistically correct. As a parent, in the process of registering a child; an adult, in formalizing an immigration status; an employer, in processing a dependent visa, the basis of legal identification in Dubai is a professionally translated birth certificate.
