# Quaifications in Dubai



## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

Hi guys,

Can anyone advise what the actual (if any) qualifications are required to obtain the initial employment visa from the relevant departments in dubai.

I have my official offer in the construction industry from my employer and shall be moving to dubai in 6 to 8 weeks, I have notified my employer of my qualifications (HNC in UK)however my employer has asked to see my degree my degree certificate (which i have told them i do not have). I was wondering if this has just been misunderstood in the translation or is there a specific requirement for a degree to work in the UAE. 

I have yet to hand my notice in in the UK and am just worrying about problems with gaining a visa.

Thanks


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## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

*Qualifications in dubai*

Hi guys,

Can anyone advise what the actual (if any) qualifications are required to obtain the initial employment visa from the relevant departments in dubai.

I have my official offer in the construction industry from my employer and shall be moving to dubai in 6 to 8 weeks, I have notified my employer of my qualifications (HNC in UK)however my employer has asked to see my degree my degree certificate (which i have told them i do not have). I was wondering if this has just been misunderstood in the translation or is there a specific requirement for a degree to work in the UAE. 

I have yet to hand my notice in in the UK and am just worrying about problems with gaining a visa.

Thanks


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## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

Whatever qualification you have, get it attested in your home country. 

All I have is my School Certificate, which I had to go to the Board of Studies and get a copy of, and then get that attested!


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## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks alli, How do i go about the attestation, Will i not be able to work without this.

I presumed HR within my company would sort this


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Without attested documents your residency visa won't be issued.

There have been threads about this previously so do a search.

-


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## katiepotato (Apr 29, 2008)

Hi RPG

Do you know if your company is in a free zone? The documents needed for your visa might differ if it is (I do HR for my company, we have one LLC entity and two free zone ones, the requirements are different for each one). I would suggest contacting their HR department directly to discuss this. 

If you do need documents attested - as Elphaba says, do a search on here and that should answer any other questions you might have. 

K


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## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks KP

I am to be based in Business Bay - So out of the free zone i think


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

RPG said:


> Thanks alli, How do i go about the attestation, Will i not be able to work without this.
> 
> I presumed HR within my company would sort this


Congratulations on the job offer. I had my certificates attested last month so can guide you through the main steps.

1. You need to have your certificate notorised. It will cost you about £60+ vat per document. They will take a photocopy of the certificate and certify that it is a true copy of the original
2. You then need to take this to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at Trafalgar Square (opening hrs 09:00 to 15:30) and they will confirm that the signature of the notary is genuine. They attach an apostille to the back of the notary's letter and stamp it!!It cost £27 per document. No appointment is necessary and this process can also be done by post (see their wesite for further details)
3. Finally, take everything to the UAE embassy (48 Princes Gate) and they will legalise it for you. £20 per document (ready for collection in 3 days) or £30 per document if you want it on the same day. Be prepared for the queue!!! No appointment necessary! Please note that they only legalise documents issued in the UK!!! I believe that you can also ask them to post the documents back to you!

Be aware that you need to carry steps 1-3 for each document separately, else if you batch your docs, i.e 1 letter from notary for abour 2+ docs, the UAE embassy will refuse to legalise them and you will end up spending more money getting everything done properly. Most notaries will quite happily advise you of the required steps that you need to take for the UAE. They will also get all this done for you at a cost of about £90 - 100 + vat. Pricey but if you are pressed for time, it will save you the hassle of doing all the running around yourself!! I personally did it all by myself and had no trouble.


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

Im moving this question to Dubai board


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

And I am merging the two threads....


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## newAussie (Aug 22, 2008)

Hey RPG,

I'm in the process of going through the same issue as you, Diplomas but no degree for my position (although the employer has already accepted this for an engineerign position).

How did you go in the end? All cleared?


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## Trusty (Sep 10, 2008)

Has anyone done this whilst overseas already? I'm British living/working in New York, have a couple of offers and will need to have my degree/chartership attested shortly to kick-off the visa process. Can I get this done at the British/UAE consulates over here, will be a cheaper/nicer trip for me in Washington than flying back to rainy England?


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## Trusty (Sep 10, 2008)

Trusty said:


> Has anyone done this whilst overseas already? I'm British living/working in New York, have a couple of offers and will need to have my degree/chartership attested shortly to kick-off the visa process. Can I get this done at the British/UAE consulates over here, will be a cheaper/nicer trip for me in Washington than flying back to rainy England?


Update: nothing it seems can be done by the consulate or Embassy in the US - everything has to go back to the UK. The added inconvenience of having a solicitor to certify it before the FCO and then UAE Embassy stamp the thing is all very complicated...oh, well one month until I start so here goes, I hope it's all done in time.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Trusty said:


> Update: nothing it seems can be done by the consulate or Embassy in the US - everything has to go back to the UK. The added inconvenience of having a solicitor to certify it before the FCO and then UAE Embassy stamp the thing is all very complicated...oh, well one month until I start so here goes, I hope it's all done in time.



If you still have family/ relatives in the UK, then send all your certs to them and have them do it on your behalf! There's no need for you to present the docs in person - anyone can do it for you.


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## RPG (Jul 16, 2008)

Everything went fine , I was worried unduly, basically if you accepted for the job your in. The real fun starts when you get here regarding visa' etc but that another story


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## babylon (Oct 4, 2008)

Maz25 said:


> If you still have family/ relatives in the UK, then send all your certs to them and have them do it on your behalf! There's no need for you to present the docs in person - anyone can do it for you.


I am going through the same process, but the Notary insisted that I present myself at their offices with proof of ID and recent utility bill to prove my address. 

FYI - I Paid £80 for them to carry out steps 1 & 2 negating my journey to the FCO (which has now moved to Milton Keynes).


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

babylon said:


> I am going through the same process, but the Notary insisted that I present myself at their offices with proof of ID and recent utility bill to prove my address.
> 
> FYI - I Paid £80 for them to carry out steps 1 & 2 negating my journey to the FCO (which has now moved to Milton Keynes).


I did get asked for proof of ID and address as well. I got quoted £100 + VAT for them to do everything for me! The FCO was still in London then, so I just did everything myself! It is time consuming because of all of the waiting, especially at the UAE Embassy but at least I still had my money in my back pocket!


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## Trusty (Sep 10, 2008)

I have mailed my degree back to a family member in the UK for the following steps...

1. Original is copied and certified by UK Solicitor (free thankfully as my sis works for a solicitor)
2. Certified copy sent to FCO to be legalised (33.00)
3. FCO to forward the legalised document to UAE embassy to be attested (20.00)
4. UAE embassy returns document
5. Attested document needs to be sent to Employer for Work Visa

I will let people know how this goes, fingers crossed it all goes according to plan.


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## hotncold (Sep 24, 2008)

Ok, I'm a bit confused now!
I spoke to the FCO and was told that if my solicitor signs a photocopy of my degree, this needs to be attached/bound to the original degree cert and both sent to the FCO.
Can anyone clarify exactly what they will accept, and, more importantly, what the UAE officials want to see - ie photocopy or original (defaced) degree? I don't want to have to go to Milton Keynes twice in one year if I can help it!!!


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

hotncold said:


> Ok, I'm a bit confused now!
> I spoke to the FCO and was told that if my solicitor signs a photocopy of my degree, this needs to be attached/bound to the original degree cert and both sent to the FCO.
> Can anyone clarify exactly what they will accept, and, more importantly, what the UAE officials want to see - ie photocopy or original (defaced) degree? I don't want to have to go to Milton Keynes twice in one year if I can help it!!!


The notary process involves taking a copy of your certificate and certifying it's a true copy of a real original document.

DO NOT deface your degree (some countries won't accept it and you don't know where you may go next)

Send BOTH the copy and the original to the FCO and they will send both the original and the copy to the UAE embassy should you reqest them to.

The UAE embassy will deffo accept them in this format (well they did about a month ago when I did it!) 

HTH


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## hotncold (Sep 24, 2008)

Thanks so much for clarifying that crazymazy.


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## Gaza (Sep 22, 2008)

Interesting thread. I don't have a degree. I completed my education and then went on to work. I did an apprenticeship and went to day release for a HNC. I never completed the HNC. I've been offered a job and made it clear from the start that I did not have a degree. The HR department asked me for a copy of my degree and to have it attested so I explained my qualifications and sent then scanned copies, asking which ones they wanted. The latest response is "don't bother" they are processing the visa without them.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Gaza said:


> Interesting thread. I don't have a degree. I completed my education and then went on to work. I did an apprenticeship and went to day release for a HNC. I never completed the HNC. I've been offered a job and made it clear from the start that I did not have a degree. The HR department asked me for a copy of my degree and to have it attested so I explained my qualifications and sent then scanned copies, asking which ones they wanted. The latest response is "don't bother" they are processing the visa without them.


I don't have a degree either (A-Levels and Professional quals), they said they wanted the highest level qualification. I suppose as long as you get a copy of the visa before you go you're fine.


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

I've only got a few CSEs. They didn't want a copy of those....


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## hotncold (Sep 24, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> I've only got a few CSEs. They didn't want a copy of those....


ha ha, guess I won't bother getting my cycling proficiency attested either then!!


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

You learn new things everyday! I somehow assumed that most companies require you to have a degree!! Mind you, in my job, you actually need one, else you don't get the visa!


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## Sparkysair (Jul 16, 2008)

Hi everyone. I've read several threads on this topic and was starting to panic slighty as I don't have a degree. However, I have asked my company several times if they need any documentation or certificates from me to process my visas but they don't seem to need anything. I have had a copy of my employment visa emailed over so I can pick that up at the airport. For my residency visa they've said I just need to have the medical when I get there and then I'll get the visa a couple of days later. I am working in Abu Dhabi for a Mubadala linked company so I don't know if that makes a difference...


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Sparkysair said:


> Hi everyone. I've read several threads on this topic and was starting to panic slighty as I don't have a degree. However, I have asked my company several times if they need any documentation or certificates from me to process my visas but they don't seem to need anything. I have had a copy of my employment visa emailed over so I can pick that up at the airport. For my residency visa they've said I just need to have the medical when I get there and then I'll get the visa a couple of days later. I am working in Abu Dhabi for a Mubadala linked company so I don't know if that makes a difference...


Not all jobs will require you to have a degree. The fact that you've already been issued the employment visa means that you do not need a degree. Normally when there is a requirement to have a degree, you have to provide it before the employment visa can be issued!


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

In my old company I was initially told that if I didn't have a degree then I wouldn't be employed. What a load of old cobblers that turned out to be, no education certificates (or cycling proficiency test results) nothing. All I needed was my marriage/birth/wifes marriage/birth and kids birth certificates oh and passport copies.

I was later told by our HR manager that it's only stated that it's mandatory to stop so many people from applying for jobs that they clearly can't do.

Anyway I don't think a degree is worth much anyway yeah, yeah, before you shout I know for medical/engineering etc. it is but not for this ad for example... 



> Secretary / Document Controller, Filipina, with Electronics Degree & exp. in export documentation.
> Location: Dubai
> Industry: Secretarial & Office
> Contact: 050-XXXXXXX


What precisely is the reason for wanting an electronics graduate when all they'll be doing is some filing?


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## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> The notary process involves taking a copy of your certificate and certifying it's a true copy of a real original document.
> 
> DO NOT deface your degree (some countries won't accept it and you don't know where you may go next)
> 
> ...


Hi Crazy,
Did you have both the original & copy returned to you once the visa was processed? The company I will be working for instructed me to have the original document attested so this is the document I have sent to the UAE embassy. I did not send a copy. I hope this does not delay the process.

Cheers


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Genghis said:


> Hi Crazy,
> Did you have both the original & copy returned to you once the visa was processed? The company I will be working for instructed me to have the original document attested so this is the document I have sent to the UAE embassy. I did not send a copy. I hope this does not delay the process.
> 
> Cheers


I went and did the whole thing myself. Not a big truster of the postal service (even less so here).

Just to clarify has the document been notarised by a solicitor and attested at the FCO before you sent it to the UAE Embassy for their attestation?


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## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> I went and did the whole thing myself. Not a big truster of the postal service (even less so here).
> 
> Just to clarify has the document been notarised by a solicitor and attested at the FCO before you sent it to the UAE Embassy for their attestation?


I had the documents apostilled by dept of Foreign Affairs (Ireland's FOC). Since I was sending the original and not copies, I didn't think it needed to be notorised by a solicitor. As I am living in Dublin I sent the docs to the embassy in London by post c/w self addressed envelope for return. I am expecting this back by the end of the week although I am worried now that I should have sent a copy also. If that is the case I will have to go through the process all over.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

I can see why this process is such a nightmare for people. My company told me: 

'You need your highest education certificate attested at the UAE Embassy in your home country'

I then read it and thought

'What on earth is involved in that?' 

At no point did they:

a) Explain before it gets attested at the UAE Embassy it needs to be attested at the FCO
b) Explain before it gets attested it needs to be notarised at a Notary Public
c) Explain not all solicitors are notary publics and not all solicitors are legally able to perform this service
d) Explain it was going to cost me a packet 

I've written a couple of times about this subject and the one thing that I would stress is to make sure you search this forum and find these posts and follow the steps if you don't want any delays.

A company HR Dept is not going to be able to offer you a lot of help on this because they would have to be conversant in the legalisation process of every country from which they are likely to employ people and in Dubai that's a lot of countries. 

It might be useful to have an Attestation Sticky where different people from different countries explain how it is done as it comes up quite a lot?


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## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> I can see why this process is such a nightmare for people. My company told me:
> 
> 'You need your highest education certificate attested at the UAE Embassy in your home country'
> 
> ...


Yeah it is confusing and unfortunately when I phoned the embassy in London they wouldn't speak to me other than to refer to their website - which didn't answer my question and was the purpose of my call.
Anyway I took guidance from the dept of foreign affairs on the grounds that they deal with these things daily - maybe that was not too bright in hindsight!!

I'll just have wait and see what comes back.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Genghis said:


> I had the documents apostilled by dept of Foreign Affairs (Ireland's FOC). Since I was sending the original and not copies, I didn't think it needed to be notorised by a solicitor. As I am living in Dublin I sent the docs to the embassy in London by post c/w self addressed envelope for return. I am expecting this back by the end of the week although I am worried now that I should have sent a copy also. If that is the case I will have to go through the process all over.


To be honest the Notarisation process is more for the FCO to confirm the legitimacy of the documents (although I think it's unnecessary red tape as it doesn't prove they are any more real). If the Irish Dept of Foreign Affairs have legalised it then it 'should' be fine.

In the UK in England and Wales (not too sure about Scotland as they sometimes have funny rules) you MUST have it notarised before you take it to the FCO.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> To be honest the Notarisation process is more for the FCO to confirm the legitimacy of the documents


Actually, the FCO only confirms that the signature of the notary is genuine. They do not confirm the authenticity of any document! The same applies to the UAE Embassy.


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## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> To be honest the Notarisation process is more for the FCO to confirm the legitimacy of the documents (although I think it's unnecessary red tape as it doesn't prove they are any more real). If the Irish Dept of Foreign Affairs have legalised it then it 'should' be fine.
> 
> In the UK in England and Wales (not too sure about Scotland as they sometimes have funny rules) you MUST have it notarised before you take it to the FCO.


Well fingers crossed it works itself out. Thanks for your input lad.


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## Shinjuku (Jul 12, 2008)

Genghis said:


> I had the documents apostilled by dept of Foreign Affairs (Ireland's FOC). Since I was sending the original and not copies, I didn't think it needed to be notorised by a solicitor. As I am living in Dublin I sent the docs to the embassy in London by post c/w self addressed envelope for return. I am expecting this back by the end of the week although I am worried now that I should have sent a copy also. If that is the case I will have to go through the process all over.


It might be slighly different in Ireland, as the British FCO states that all educational degrees must be certified by a solicitor/notary, even if it is the original. But since your FOC have already legalised your certificate, there shouldn't be any problem at the embassy.

I think the process varies a lot because different free zones have different rules, on top of which different companies interpret the rules differently.

In my case, the notary only required a copy of my degree to be sent to the FCO and embassy.
Also my company told me they don't actually require a legalised certificate for my employment visa application.  Howver they still advised me to get one in case the need for it comes up in the future.


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## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

Shinjuku said:


> It might be slighly different in Ireland, as the British FCO states that all educational degrees must be certified by a solicitor/notary, even if it is the original. But since your FOC have already legalised your certificate, there shouldn't be any problem at the embassy.
> 
> I think the process varies a lot because different free zones have different rules, on top of which different companies interpret the rules differently.
> 
> ...



Yeah I'm hoping that is the case. Anyway it's out of my hands for the moment and I have enough on my plate trying to get sorted for the move over. Luckily we managed to get our house rented so thats a load off. Just gotta get the cars sold, bags packed, house emptied etc etc etc.


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## Shinjuku (Jul 12, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> To be honest the Notarisation process is more for the FCO to confirm the legitimacy of the documents (although I think it's unnecessary red tape as it doesn't prove they are any more real). If the Irish Dept of Foreign Affairs have legalised it then it 'should' be fine.
> 
> In the UK in England and Wales (not too sure about Scotland as they sometimes have funny rules) you MUST have it notarised before you take it to the FCO.


Dammit...how do you get your answers in so fast. Give the rest of us a chance will ya 

Although the FCO legalisation can be seen as additional red tape, it carries the weight of official government approval that a document is genuine, and therefore less likely that it was obtained through bribery/dishonest means.


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