Service hub # Legal translation services in Dubai Our legal translation services in Dubai turn contracts, court papers, wills, company documents and personal certificates into Arabic, or from Arabic into English, for use before a notary, a court or a government office. A legal translation is judged on one thing: whether the two versions have the same legal effect. We check that clause by clause before anyone signs. ![Hands turning the pages of a thick dictionary](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/legal-translation-dubai-hero.webp) Arabic is the language of notarised instruments in Dubai, so almost every document that passes through a notary needs an Arabic text at some point. The question is not only who translates it, but when, in what format, and how the translation is tied to the original. This page answers those questions for the reader who has a document in hand and a deadline. Legal translation ## Pages under legal translation Service ### [Birth certificate translation](https://notariolawyersuae.com/birth-certificate-translation-dubai/) Birth certificate translation in Dubai for visas, schools and family files: Arabic and English, every stamp included, names matched to the passport. ## At a glance Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 requires notarised instruments in Arabic, or a foreign language document with an Arabic translation by a certified translator, with both versions signed by the parties. Dubai Courts has asked for documents translated into Arabic as a legal translation approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice. The Ministry keeps a register of legal translators. Notarising a translation that is included in an instrument carries a federal fee of AED 50 per page (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 11). If the notary does not know the language of the people signing, an interpreter from the Ministry's register interprets at the signing. That is separate from translating the document. Our legal translation starts from AED 50 per page. ## What legal translation means in practice A general translator asks "what does this sentence mean?". A legal translator asks "what will this sentence do?". The difference shows up in small places. ### Names An Indian, Filipino or British name can be spelled in Arabic several ways. If your passport name is spelled one way in your tenancy contract and another way in your power of attorney, an office may treat them as two people. We fix one Arabic spelling for each name and keep it across every document you give us. ### Numbers and dates Amounts are written in figures and in words, in both languages, and must agree. Dates follow one calendar and one format throughout. ### Terms with no exact match Some common law terms, such as a trust or a joint tenancy, have no identical concept in UAE law. A good legal translation describes what the term does instead of forcing a dictionary word that means something else. ### Defined terms When a contract says "the Property" or "the Seller" with a capital letter, the Arabic must use one fixed equivalent every time. Switching between two Arabic words for the same defined term creates an argument later. ### Stamps and handwriting Seals, stamps, signatures and handwritten notes on the original are described in the translation, so the reader knows they exist. ## Documents we translate ### Contracts and agreements Sale agreements, tenancy contracts, settlement agreements, addenda and supplementary agreements. Many of these are prepared as bilingual documents from the start; see [contract drafting](https://notariolawyersuae.com/contract-drafting-dubai/). ### Company documents Memoranda of association, board resolutions, trade licences and certificates of incorporation, especially for a foreign parent company acting in the UAE. ### Court papers Judgments, claims, decisions and supporting documents for use in a UAE court or abroad. The court case itself is handled by the advocate on the file; the translation is our part. ### Wills A will prepared in English for an expat usually needs an Arabic text for registration or for later use. See our [will writing service](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-writing-services-dubai/). ### Personal certificates Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates for visas, schools and family matters. Our page on [birth certificate translation](https://notariolawyersuae.com/birth-certificate-translation-dubai/) covers the most common one. ### Affidavits, declarations and consent letters Usually prepared bilingual, so the person signing and the notary read the same text. ## Bilingual document or separate translation? There are two ways to present the Arabic. **A bilingual document** has English and Arabic side by side in two columns. This is the common format for documents we draft for a Dubai signing, such as consent letters, NOCs and powers of attorney. The person signing can check each clause in their own language against the Arabic that the notary reads out. **A separate translation** is a second document, attached to the original, that renders it into Arabic. This is the usual format for a document that already exists and cannot be rewritten, such as a foreign birth certificate or a judgment. Where the translation is notarised with the instrument, the federal schedule charges AED 50 per page for that step. The law does not say every document must be bilingual. It says Arabic, with conditions for foreign languages. Bilingual drafting is the practical way to meet that rule while keeping the text readable for the person signing. ## Foreign documents coming into the UAE A document issued abroad usually needs to be attested in the country of issue, including by the UAE embassy there, and then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) before a UAE office will accept it. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille on its own does not complete that chain. We usually recommend translating after the attestation stamps are on the document, so the translation covers the stamps too. If a translation is done first and a new stamp is added later, the translation no longer describes the whole document. ## Documents leaving the UAE When a UAE document is going abroad, such as an Arabic court judgment or a Dubai notarised power of attorney, the receiving country decides what translation it accepts. Some want a translation made in the UAE and attested with the document. Others want a translation made by a translator registered in their own country. Ask the receiving office before you pay for a translation, or tell us where it is going and we will check with you what they have asked for. ## Interpretation at the signing Translation and interpretation are different services. Translation is the written document. Interpretation is spoken, at the moment of signing. Under Article 8(3) of Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, if the notary does not know the language of the people concerned, an interpreter from the Ministry's Interpreter Register interprets what the notary needs to say in their presence. If you will sign in a language other than Arabic or English, tell us when you book, so the interpreter can be arranged in time. Watch for ## Why translations get sent back These are common reasons an office sends a translation back. 01 **Pages left out** The translator skipped the back of a certificate because it only had stamps on it. The office wanted the stamps translated too. 02 **A different name spelling** The Arabic spelling of the name does not match the one on the person's Emirates ID or on an earlier Arabic document. 03 **A translation of a copy that has since changed** The original was attested or amended after the translation was made. 04 **No link between original and translation** The translation is a loose sheet with nothing to show which original it belongs to. A proper legal translation identifies the source document and is fixed to it. 05 **Summary instead of translation** A long judgment or contract has been summarised. A receiving office wants every clause, not the gist. Each of these costs you a second translation and a second appointment, so we check for all five before a translation leaves us. Step by step ## How we work ![Translator in a headset working through a binder of documents](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/legal-translation-dubai-inline1.webp) 01 ### Send us the document A clear scan or photo of every page, including the back of any certificate with stamps on it. 02 ### Tell us where it will be used A Dubai notary, a UAE court, a free zone authority, a school, or a foreign embassy. The destination decides the format. 03 ### Quote We count the pages and give you the price before we start. 04 ### Translation and check The text is translated, then checked against the original for names, numbers, dates and defined terms. 05 ### Your review You check the names and numbers in your language. We correct anything before the final is issued. 06 ### Notarisation or delivery If the translation is to be notarised with the instrument, we book the signing. Otherwise you receive the signed and stamped translation. Prices ## Fees | Service | Our service price | | --- | --- | | Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | | Translation coordination (add-on to a document we prepare) | From AED 350 | | Drafting or typing (add-on) | From AED 200 | All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. The government fee for notarising a translation included in an instrument is AED 50 per page under Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024. More prices are on our [legal document fees](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-document-fees-dubai/) page. Questions ## Frequently asked questions If your question is not here, ask it on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it. [Ask on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971524841790) ### Who can do a legal translation for use in Dubai? For documents going to Dubai Courts, the translation into Arabic is expected to be a legal translation approved by the UAE Ministry of Justice, which keeps a register of legal translators. Other offices set their own rules, so check with the office receiving the document. ### Is a notarized translation the same as a legal translation? No. A legal translation is the translated text itself. A notarised translation is a translation that has gone through a notarial step with the instrument it belongs to. Not every legal translation needs to be notarised; it depends on who will receive it. ### Can you translate a document from Arabic into English? Yes. Arabic judgments, contracts, trade licences and certificates are often translated into English for use abroad or for a party who does not read Arabic. ### How long does a legal translation take? It depends on the number of pages and how dense the text is. A one page certificate is quicker than a fifty page contract. ### Do I need the original document? For the translation itself, a clear copy of every page is usually enough. For notarisation, the notary will want to see originals of the IDs of the people signing and may ask for the original of the document being translated. Guides ## Latest guides [View all guides](https://notariolawyersuae.com/blog/) * [How to register a will in the UAE: choosing where to register](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) How to register a will in the UAE: the questions that decide between DIFC, the Dubai Courts notary and Abu Dhabi, and how each route changes the drafting. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) * [Can a lawyer be a notary in the UAE?](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) Can a lawyer be a notary in Dubai and the UAE? Yes, once registered as a private notary. Who may notarise, how to check, and what a lawyer alone can sign. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) * [Is a lawyer a notary public? The difference between a notary and an advocate in the UAE](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) Is a lawyer a notary public in the UAE? Not automatically. The plain answer under UAE and Dubai law, and how a notary differs from an advocate. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) * [The UAE Attorney General office: what it does and how it differs by emirate](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) What the UAE Attorney General office does, how the federal prosecution differs from Dubai and Abu Dhabi prosecution, and the documents people need. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) Contact ## Get a quote for your translation Send the pages to support@notariolawyersuae.com or by WhatsApp to +971 52 484 1790, and tell us where the translation will be used. For drafting in both languages from the start, see our [document drafting and notarization](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-drafting-dubai/) service. Phone and WhatsApp [+971 52 484 1790](tel:+971524841790) Email [support@notariolawyersuae.com](mailto:support@notariolawyersuae.com) Office [10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai, UAE](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PgqFQB2HeC1TEPBQ6) [Read our reviews on Google](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PgqFQB2HeC1TEPBQ6) Our services ## Other services * [Legal drafting](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-drafting-dubai/) * [Wills](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-writing-services-dubai/) * [Family and travel documents](https://notariolawyersuae.com/child-travel-poa-consent-letter-dubai-uae/) * [Notary lawyer](https://notariolawyersuae.com/notary-lawyer-in-dubai/) ### Sources for this page * Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: [https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4%29%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html) * Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, Articles 5 and 8: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563) * Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, fee table item 11: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491/download](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491/download) * MOFAIC attestation: [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) * Hague Apostille Convention status table: [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41) --- Source: https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-translation-dubai/