# Marriage Cert - Attested



## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi All

My wife & I will be relocating to Dubai Mid September. She has a job, but im still hunting so she will be sponsoring me. 

Does the marriage cert need attesting, or is this not needed.

We got married in the UK (If that makes any difference)

Thanks

Craig


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## Expat61 (Jul 4, 2010)

Dozza said:


> Hi All
> 
> My wife & I will be relocating to Dubai Mid September. She has a job, but im still hunting so she will be sponsoring me.
> 
> ...


Hi We are relocating in August & we have been told that we must have our marriage certificate attested. We are from the UK but got married in NZ so we have had to send ours there and then it has to be approved by the UAE embassy.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Yes, Yes and once again Yes !!!! Do it before you come. It does not need to notorised but does need to be attested.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

From the UK it needs to be done at the FCO and then also at the UAE Embassy in the UK before you come.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

wandabug said:


> Yes, Yes and once again Yes !!!! Do it before you come. It does not need to notorised but does need to be attested.


I'll amend that - Your local Notary can assist you - it needs to go to The Foreign Office and then the UAE Embassy. I went to London myself and did it all in a day or your Notary will take care of everything. I would advise also getting an educational certificate attested at the same time as you may need it when you get a job here.


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

Felixtoo2 said:


> From the UK it needs to be done at the FCO and then also at the UAE Embassy in the UK before you come.


Cool, anyone know if you can just turn up and wait for the process to be completed?

Or is it a send away & wait for it to be returned?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

You can just turn up but you need to get to the FCO first thing, they will stamp it while you wait, however the UAE Embassy will not accept it after 1pm.You can then go back after 3pm to collect it.
Ramadan starts about 11th August so double check the Embassy opening hours, if they are closing early you may have to go back to them the next day.


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

wandabug said:


> You can just turn up but you need to get to the FCO first thing, they will stamp it while you wait, however the UAE Embassy will not accept it after 1pm.You can then go back after 3pm to collect it.
> Ramadan starts about 11th August so double check the Embassy opening hours, if they are closing early you may have to go back to them the next day.


Thanks for your help....What an absoloute Ball Ache


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

O this is nothing - it gets worse when you get here !!


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

wandabug said:


> I'll amend that - Your local Notary can assist you - it needs to go to The Foreign Office and then the UAE Embassy. I went to London myself and did it all in a day or your Notary will take care of everything. I would advise also getting an educational certificate attested at the same time as you may need it when you get a job here.


Local Notary?


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## nat_c (Mar 7, 2010)

It depends how short you are on time, I did all of mine by post and it took about 2 weeks in total all told. I got it signed by a local solicitor then sent it recorded delivery to the Foreign Office, got it back then sent it to the Embassy. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time spent waiting around to get things done here, if you can avoid it in the UK I would! 

I almost fell into the trap of paying around £200 for some agent to do it for me but it was easy peasy doing it yourself! I just made sure I sent it recorded delivery and took a photocopy every time I got it back.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Dozza said:


> Local Notary?


 A Notary Public in your local area - look in yellow pages under Notaries or Solicitors.
lane:


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

nat_c said:


> It depends how short you are on time, I did all of mine by post and it took about 2 weeks in total all told. I got it signed by a local solicitor then sent it recorded delivery to the Foreign Office, got it back then sent it to the Embassy. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time spent waiting around to get things done here, if you can avoid it in the UK I would!
> 
> I almost fell into the trap of paying around £200 for some agent to do it for me but it was easy peasy doing it yourself! I just made sure I sent it recorded delivery and took a photocopy every time I got it back.


Does it have to be signed by a local solicitor, or can it just be sent to the FCO then the Embassy?


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## nat_c (Mar 7, 2010)

Dozza said:


> Does it have to be signed by a local solicitor, or can it just be sent to the FCO then the Embassy?


UAE Embassy London

It tells you all you need here.

Mine was a degree certificate so it has to be signed by a solicitor before sending to the FCO but doesn't look like a marriage certificate needs to be but I'm not sure as I never did that, call them up if you are unsure


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

A marriage certificate is recognised by the FCO so can go straight to them.

Anything that is not a legal document, like Educational Certificates, need to be notorised by a Notary Public first.


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## Huzzah Barking-Hatstand (Jul 16, 2010)

Went through the process myself 3-4 weeks or so back. If you don't trust the post you need a couple of days out.

I didn't have marriage cert. signed by notary as the FCO will accept is as is. If you don't want your original marriage cert. slathered in bumps, dents, and UAE postage stamps you can order an official copy on-line in the UK, this is acceptable.

1. Trip to Milton Keynes Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Get there early, you can't drop off it and collect later, took me a wait of about 1.5 hrs. Good news is once you get to the window they will do all the "apostille" stuff while you wait. Cost about £28 I think (check FCO website)

2. Trip to West London and the UAE Embassy, nearest tube is South Kensington. DON'T GO to 48 Princes Gate the main Embassy, you need to go to the Legalisation Department around the back you can find it @ Princes Gardens (right on the corner of Prince's Gdns and Exhibition Road). Be there early they won't accept any docs after 12:00, you can collect from after 14:00. Cost £30 CASH

3. Once your wife gets to Dubai, if you're doing it yourself, a short trip to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs @ Khalid bin Al Waleed Street, Umm Hurair First. (Same street as the Indian, Omani and several other Embassies.) Short wait, that maybe shorter if there is a ladies queue, took me about 20 mins and another 150 Dirhams.

Once all that's done it's time to start the really taxing business of getting an entry visa. Enjoy!

Good Luck
H-B-H


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

Huzzah Barking-Hatstand said:


> Went through the process myself 3-4 weeks or so back. If you don't trust the post you need a couple of days out.
> 
> I didn't have marriage cert. signed by notary as the FCO will accept is as is. If you don't want your original marriage cert. slathered in bumps, dents, and UAE postage stamps you can order an official copy on-line in the UK, this is acceptable.
> 
> ...


Brilliant many thanks....Didnt realise these was an FCO in Milton Keynes, i live near Birmingham & was going to go to the one in Central London


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## tribalmatt (May 28, 2010)

One more thing you should check, if you haven't already - make sure that your wife is in a profession that allows her to sponsor her husband. Unlike a husband sponsoring his wife, not all job types allow this the other way round (yes, I know).


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

tribalmatt said:


> One more thing you should check, if you haven't already - make sure that your wife is in a profession that allows her to sponsor her husband. Unlike a husband sponsoring his wife, not all job types allow this the other way round (yes, I know).



The rules have been relaxed on this, as long as your wife earns a decent wage ( i think 25k+ a month) you are OK.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Dozza said:


> Brilliant many thanks....Didnt realise these was an FCO in Milton Keynes, i live near Birmingham & was going to go to the one in Central London


You might as well go to the FCO in london as it is only 15 mins taxi from the UAE Embassy.


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## Huzzah Barking-Hatstand (Jul 16, 2010)

wandabug said:


> You might as well go to the FCO in london as it is only 15 mins taxi from the UAE Embassy.


If you're not a "business" customer the only place you can get it done is in Milton Keynes, FCO stopped "public" customers in the London Office a little while back.

Here's the handy link that tells you all you need to know.

Frequently asked questions

It's pretty difficult (not impossible but certainly you will need a following wind) to get it all done in a single day, if you arrive at FCO MK very early before the office opens, to get to the head of the queue you might manage to leap on a train and make it to London. Even then the FCO MK to UAE Embassy is at least a couple of hours on the fast train and a trouble free trip on the Tube. You don't stand a snowballs chance trying to drive due to M1 roadworks J13-J10, almost 20 miles, and another 5 or 6 miles of works anti-clockwise on the M25.

Oh one, other thing the UAE embassy doesn't do legalisations on the first working day of a new month, I know one or 2 that have been caught that way too. I don't think Ramadan will change things at the Embassy but that is probably worth checking too.

Cheers
H-B-H


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

Thanks to all for the info.....Life is never simple is it.....Especially when your relocating to the Middle East....


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## Huzzah Barking-Hatstand (Jul 16, 2010)

It's good practise for once you get here. 

Glad to help.
cheers
H-B-H


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## darlingbuds (May 27, 2010)

nat_c said:


> UAE Embassy London
> 
> It tells you all you need here.
> 
> Mine was a degree certificate so it has to be signed by a solicitor before sending to the FCO but doesn't look like a marriage certificate needs to be but I'm not sure as I never did that, call them up if you are unsure


Hi Nat

Does the solicitor just sign a copy of the document? I am about to go through this process for both my degree and marriage certificate. Also, am I right that it is £20 per document?
Thanks


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

Process for the Marriage Cert is very simple, was only in the FCO in Milton Keynes for 30 mins, so nice & quick....Then you just have to get the final bit done @ the UAE embassy

Not sure on the degree process




darlingbuds said:


> Hi Nat
> 
> Does the solicitor just sign a copy of the document? I am about to go through this process for both my degree and marriage certificate. Also, am I right that it is £20 per document?
> Thanks


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Copy of Degree needs to be notarized by a notary public (solicitor) before it goes to FCO.

Legal documents such as a marriage cert can go straight to FCO.


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## Alessandra de Saint (Jul 17, 2010)

hi
i've already asked elsewhere but nobody seemed to get back to me. 
We currently live in Oman so went through very similiar process here, had the marriage certificate (US one) stamped at american embassy in Oman and some local authority too. we also have an apostille from usa.
do you think we will still need to do more to have the marriage certificate "attested"??? 
also seen somewhere else we need out birth certificates attested??? my husband even doesnt have one  
and another off topic question - does everyone need to go trough medical or is it just the one who is going to be working in Dubai? i can't stand the idea of my 2yr old being "tested"...


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Children do not take the medical.


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## mitchell0417 (Oct 11, 2010)

Ok just to add to the confusion here. I have an Australian marriage certificate from NSW which DFAT have now authenticated but I am unable to get a response from the UAE Consule in Canberra (email not responded to and phone simply rings out). I have manage to work out that I have to send to the consulate and include a stamped self addressed envelop for return and a Money order for $60. What I can't work out is if there is a form I need to send to get this all done or not. Anyone know if there is one or do I simply include a letter asking for the Consule to please "Legalise" the enclosed Marriage certificate?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

mitchell0417 said:


> Ok just to add to the confusion here. I have an Australian marriage certificate from NSW which DFAT have now authenticated but I am unable to get a response from the UAE Consule in Canberra (email not responded to and phone simply rings out). I have manage to work out that I have to send to the consulate and include a stamped self addressed envelop for return and a Money order for $60. What I can't work out is if there is a form I need to send to get this all done or not. Anyone know if there is one or do I simply include a letter asking for the Consule to please "Legalise" the enclosed Marriage certificate?


Their website has all the details. If there is no form to download then just put a note in. As you are sending the Marriage Cert to the Legalisation Dept. they will know what it is for though.


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