# Atesttation



## AndySueGeorgina (Jul 19, 2012)

Hi,

I have been living in Dubai now for six weeks and my wife an daughter are hoping to come out on the 29th July

We need to get our Marriage and Georginas Birth Certificate Atestted

My wife us back in the UK struggling to understand excatly what the procedure is

Can anyone please advise 

Thank You 

Andrew


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## JusAdy_Glasgow (May 13, 2012)

AndySueGeorgina said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have been living in Dubai now for six weeks and my wife an daughter are hoping to come out on the 29th July
> 
> ...


As far as I'm aware you don't need to get them attested by a notary because they are government issued in the first place. You need to send them to the office in London for them to certify that they are true documents & then the UAE embassy for them to be verified. Hope this helps


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## olsontowers (Jan 18, 2011)

We use a company called Blair Consular for all of the documents that need attesting in the UK.

Our contact is Brian Hawes and the website is:

Blair Consular Services - Specialised Consular Services to the World of Exports & Travel

Hope that helps, and good luck!!


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

olsontowers said:


> We use a company called Blair Consular for all of the documents that need attesting in the UK.
> 
> Our contact is Brian Hawes and the website is:
> 
> ...


Is it expensive because I need to organise all of this shortly :-/


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

zovi said:


> Is it expensive because I need to organise all of this shortly :-/


don't use company - do it yourself. Companies will take you to the cleaners.

I did all of this a month ago.

Firstly, you need to send your Certificates to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes. Go to the UAE Embassy in London website for all the links.

Fill in the form online. Pay by credit card (including return postage, and send to them by recorded delivery. You will get them back within there days.

THEN, you need to send them to the UAE Embassy in London. This usually takes a further three days or so. I went personally and dropped them off at 9.00am and picked up at 14.30 same day.

I think the F&C stage is about £30 a certificate, and the Embassy stage is £20 a certificate (or £30, if you want same day.

SO, including postage etc, it should cost you around £120 all in for the two certificates.I don't THINK you need to get your wife's birth certificate done too. Not sure. I did, just in case.

SOme of the companies seem to charge £400 pop or something.

If you need to get a degree attested, you will need to get a third stage done first. It will need to be notarised first. YOur Solicitor should do this for a tenner or so. (some notaries also take the p*ss - find another if they do. They are ten a penny)

hope this helps - good luck!


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> don't use company - do it yourself. Companies will take you to the cleaners.
> 
> I did all of this a month ago.
> 
> ...


I'm not even too sure what I need to get done 

Not got a degree, so I'm guessing my prof diploma?

Birth cert of son?
Wedding cert?
Do I need husbands birth cert ?

This is all so confusing 

Thanks for reply


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

zovi said:


> I'm not even too sure what I need to get done
> 
> Not got a degree, so I'm guessing my prof diploma?
> 
> ...


Generally it is the highest degree of the employee
Marriage cert
Birth certi of child
Thats it.


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

rsinner said:


> Generally it is the highest degree of the employee
> Marriage cert
> Birth certi of child
> Thats it.


Thank you for help...

We are only getting married 22 nd August as was due in April but pulled forward as leaving UK 8th Sept, how long does this process take? I'll have to be pretty quick eh... With marriage cert?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

You use your highest qualification. If you aren't sure, I suggest you ask your employer, they will guide you. I know Vantage has recommended doing it yourself but I think your time is now so limited you may want to look at getting a quotation from a service, otherwise you may find yourself doing two rounds with all this. I have also used Blair Consular Services and would recommend them. If you explain your timeline of what is happening when, they will guide you on how long everything will take, etc.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

i hadn't appreciated your marriage timescales! 
a srvice should allow you to set it up, with the final destination address being over here, so it is not crucial that it is complete the day you board the plane.

Are you all coming over together, or in two stages?


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> i hadn't appreciated your marriage timescales!
> a srvice should allow you to set it up, with the final destination address being over here, so it is not crucial that it is complete the day you board the plane.
> 
> Are you all coming over together, or in two stages?


We are all coming over together  

Maybe I shouldn't of agreed to start so soon


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

no - go for it! I jumped right in too!
If you have 6 months to do something, you always rush it at the end anyway!

There's loads to do, including things you haven;t even thought of yet, but if it is all compressed into one painful month or two, then all will soon be forgotten! (And you'll have the family with you, which I don't - yet!)


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> no - go for it! I jumped right in too!
> If you have 6 months to do something, you always rush it at the end anyway!
> 
> There's loads to do, including things you haven;t even thought of yet, but if it is all compressed into one painful month or two, then all will soon be forgotten! (And you'll have the family with you, which I don't - yet!)


Sorry to hear that 

Hope they are over soon?


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

zovi said:


> Sorry to hear that
> 
> Hope they are over soon?


3 weeks.


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## OfftoSharjah (Mar 14, 2012)

zovi said:


> Sorry to hear that
> 
> Hope they are over soon?


Exactly, secured a september 2012 job in Oct 2011 and m only just starting the whole packing thing! Always better to work under pressure to a short timeline I think!
"You'll be right!" (I'm an Aussie) and "inshallah!" (an Arab friend said I'll need to get used to this word). I think these words will be the mantra of many expats over the next couple of months.


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## OfftoSharjah (Mar 14, 2012)

Ooops... Meant to respond to vantage! Sorry!!!


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## AndySueGeorgina (Jul 19, 2012)

*Thank you*

Thank you this is the route my wife has gone down the links are not easy to follow


vantage said:


> don't use company - do it yourself. Companies will take you to the cleaners.
> 
> I did all of this a month ago.
> 
> ...


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

UAE Embassy legalisation page
Embassy of the UAE in London » Legalisation

F&C page
The Legalisation Office (FCO) - The only competent authority in the UK to issue apostilles and legalisation certificates.

F&C how to apply
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/w...ices/Legalisation/030-Links/010-How-to-apply/


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

UAE Embassy legalisation page
Embassy of the UAE in London » Legalisation

F&C page
The Legalisation Office (FCO) - The only competent authority in the UK to issue apostilles and legalisation certificates.

F&C how to apply
How to Apply


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> UAE Embassy legalisation page
> Embassy of the UAE in London » Legalisation
> 
> F&C page
> ...


Amazing!!!! You are a star!!!

So is this all I need to do send them to hear, I'll send the diploma and sons birth cert now then as soon as I'm married send that!!


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

zovi said:


> Amazing!!!! You are a star!!!
> 
> So is this all I need to do send them to hear, I'll send the diploma and sons birth cert now then as soon as I'm married send that!!




STOP!

the diploma will need to be notarised first (three steps for this one!)


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> STOP!
> 
> the diploma will need to be notarised first (three steps for this one!)


Omg  I've asked Blair for a quote for all this because I've got so much to organised lol!

Notarised I'll look that up :-s 

Thank you  thought was too easy 

Hope your apartment is nice


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

zovi said:


> Omg  I've asked Blair for a quote for all this because I've got so much to organised lol!
> 
> Notarised I'll look that up :-s
> 
> ...


'notarised' is basically a signature and stamp from a 'Notary Public' to state that it is a genuine document.
Almost all solicitors are NP's, and should offer a quick, while you wait service for a tenner.
Some will try and pretend its more important than it is, though!
I got mine done in 5 mins.

Given your situation, i think a company solution is probably the way to do, as the wedding makes everything quite tight!


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> 'notarised' is basically a signature and stamp from a 'Notary Public' to state that it is a genuine document.
> Almost all solicitors are NP's, and should offer a quick, while you wait service for a tenner.
> Some will try and pretend its more important than it is, though!
> I got mine done in 5 mins.
> ...


Thank you 

I was going to send my diploma and sons cert now get those done and then send off the wedding cert straight away...

If they post it back I could get someone to post it to me in Dubai as only need weddin cert for when we put through my 'husbands' visa application after I've got mine ....


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

zovi said:


> Thank you
> 
> I was going to send my diploma and sons cert now get those done and then send off the wedding cert straight away...
> 
> If they post it back I could get someone to post it to me in Dubai as only need weddin cert for when we put through my 'husbands' visa application after I've got mine ....


are you keeping your name?
Assume you will for the meantime, as you'll not get a new passport in time..


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

vantage said:


> are you keeping your name?
> Assume you will for the meantime, as you'll not get a new passport in time..


If we change our names do I HAVE to get a new passport?? I thought lots of people travelled on maiden named passports , if not we'll keep own names lol!


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## olsontowers (Jan 18, 2011)

zovi said:


> Is it expensive because I need to organise all of this shortly :-/


Don't know exactly, because the company covers the cost. I think the cost quoted below of £400 probably isn't far off the mark though.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Blair will do the notarization too and they will send everything to you in Dubai. I would ask them if it's best to do everything in one go.


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## Jezza (Jan 11, 2009)

You can also get birth and marriage certificates attested by the UK consulate here in dubai and then get the MOFA to attest them. This can be done all within a week.


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## AndySueGeorgina (Jul 19, 2012)

Jezza said:


> You can also get birth and marriage certificates attested by the UK consulate here in dubai and then get the MOFA to attest them. This can be done all within a week.


Thank you everyone for the much needed advice, i wish this one from Jezza would have come up first, it would have been easier i think !!!

Nearly got everything done now
Visa ( briuse on arm nearly gone from medical  )
ID card
Bank account
Appartment and tenancy agreement
Du
Cooker to work,( switch on at wall )
Attestation on way back to me now, hope its correct

Just need Drivers licence and after all this LIQUER LICENCE:clap2:

Good Forum, its not easy !!!!


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## AndySueGeorgina (Jul 19, 2012)

Almost forgot,
Good luck with the wedding Zovi


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## zovi (Jul 5, 2012)

AndySueGeorgina said:


> Almost forgot,
> Good luck with the wedding Zovi


Thank you 

I'm going to use Blair because I can't even think about it it's so hectic  I'm
Very confused  haha


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## flying_kiwi (Jul 7, 2012)

Hi all, 
Read through this but just want to check one thing. I just need to get my degree attested- do I do this with my original degree or a copy of it?
Thanks


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## suzimack (Nov 29, 2011)

flying_kiwi said:


> Hi all,
> Read through this but just want to check one thing. I just need to get my degree attested- do I do this with my original degree or a copy of it?
> Thanks


You take your original, and a copy, to a solicitor who can notarise it for you (basically confirming the copy is as per the original) Shouldnt cost much (my solicitor did it for free). You can then send the copy to the various government agencies for attestation, without risking the original.


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## toneson (Jun 15, 2012)

vantage said:


> 'notarised' is basically a signature and stamp from a 'Notary Public' to state that it is a genuine document.
> Almost all solicitors are NP's, and should offer a quick, while you wait service for a tenner.
> Some will try and pretend its more important than it is, though!
> I got mine done in 5 mins.
> ...


Hi,

FYI in England most solicitors aren't public notaries. You'll specifically need a public notary, so have a look to see who you can find locally. We only have 2 in a 15 sq mile radius.... 

Regards,


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## toneson (Jun 15, 2012)

suzimack said:


> You take your original, and a copy, to a solicitor who can notarise it for you (basically confirming the copy is as per the original) Shouldnt cost much (my solicitor did it for free). You can then send the copy to the various government agencies for attestation, without risking the original.


That isn't notarisation, thats a certified copy. You need a public notary to notarise - a solicitor can provide a certified copy. Don't confuse the two or you'll have problems.


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## suzimack (Nov 29, 2011)

toneson said:


> That isn't notarisation, thats a certified copy. You need a public notary to notarise - a solicitor can provide a certified copy. Don't confuse the two or you'll have problems.


That's why I said a solicitor who can notarise it, and certainly in Scotland just about every solicitor is also a notary. Both documents I had done were stamped by different solicitors.


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## flying_kiwi (Jul 7, 2012)

Thanks for your help guys


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