DIFC Certified True Copy: When You Need the DIFC Courts and When You Do Not

What the DIFC Courts notary service certifies

The DIFC Courts runs its own notary service for DIFC matters. That service can certify and attest true copy documents. It also says that the receiving authority decides whether to accept anything it certifies.

So a DIFC certified true copy from the DIFC Courts is one route. It is not the only route, and it is not always the required one.

DIFC matters and other uses

Some requests clearly belong to the DIFC. Others only mention the DIFC because your company or contract sits there. Check which one applies to you:

• The DIFC body or court asks in writing for a copy certified by the DIFC Courts: use the DIFC Courts route.
• The request asks for a “certified true copy” and names no certifier: a lawyer-certified copy may be enough, if the receiving body accepts it.
• The request asks for notarization by a notary public or MOFAIC attestation: that is a separate step. Tell us, and check what that body requires.

Our own lawyers certify true copies for personal and business documents. Our guide on who can certify a true copy in the UAE explains the difference between certifiers.

Who decides whether a certified copy is accepted

The receiving authority decides. Not the certifier, and not us. A bank, a court, a company registry or a foreign office each sets its own rule, and the rule can differ for the same document.

This is why a copy can be refused even when it was certified correctly. The certifier was not the one the receiving body wanted.

Certified true copy compared with notarization and attestation

These are three different acts. Do not mix them up when you read a request.

Step	What it is	Who does it
Certified true copy	A check that the copy matches the original	A lawyer, in our case our own in house lawyers
Notarization	A notarial act	A notary public
Attestation	An official stamp for use abroad or with an authority	For example MOFAIC in the UAE

Our page on certified true copy vs notarization vs attestation sets out each step. If you need the next step after certification, see our certified true copy attestation page.

Certified true copies from our lawyers

When the receiving body accepts a lawyer-certified copy, we can help. We check your original, we certify the copy, and we book your appointment.

1. Ask the receiving body who it accepts as a certifier.
2. Send us the document name and where it will be used.
3. We book your appointment: in person at our office, online or on a home visit.
4. Bring the original and your ID.
5. We check the original and certify the copy.

Our fee depends on the document and the number of copies and is confirmed when you book. Timing depends on the document and on appointment availability. For an urgent request, call or WhatsApp us.

A few files get turned away often. A laminated original cannot be attested by MOFAIC, which also needs the document in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation. See the MOFAIC attestation page for its rules.

Questions to ask the receiving body

Ask these before you book anything:

• Which certifier do you accept for this document?
• Do you need the DIFC Courts specifically, or will a lawyer-certified copy do?
• Do you also need notarization or MOFAIC attestation?
• Should the document come with a translation?

Write the answers down. They save you a second trip.