Certified True Copy of Trade License for Business Expansion Abroad
Get a certified, and where needed attested, copy of your UAE trade license for use in a foreign company registration.
A certified true copy of a trade license for use abroad is a copy examined against the original and certified as genuine by a licensed UAE legal professional, carried out in house. For use outside the UAE, this certified copy sometimes needs to go a step further and be attested, such as through UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization and the destination country’s embassy in the UAE, before the receiving foreign authority will accept it.
Whether that further attestation step is required depends entirely on the destination country and the specific foreign authority you are dealing with, so it is worth confirming their requirement before booking.
Trade License Certification for Use Outside the UAE
Expanding into a new country often means a foreign registrar or authority asks for a certified true copy of trade license for expansion abroad, and sometimes a further attested copy as well. This page covers what that typically involves.
Who Typically Needs This
Who Can Request Certification
The request is normally made by the company’s general manager or an authorized signatory named on the trade license, or by someone holding a valid power of attorney for the company, including a representative acting from outside the UAE.
How It Works
- Tell us the destination country and the receiving authority or registrar the certified copy is for.
- We confirm whether a certified true copy alone is sufficient, or whether further attestation such as UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization or embassy attestation is also needed.
- The certification, and any further attestation steps required, are completed.
- You receive the completed document set ready to submit abroad.
Mistakes to Avoid
Typical Situations
A UAE trading company opening a branch office in another country was asked by the foreign registrar for a certified and attested copy of its trade license before the branch could be registered.
A manufacturer setting up a distribution agreement abroad needed a certified trade license copy to satisfy the overseas partner’s due diligence request.
A company applying to a foreign bank for an account linked to its UAE operations needed a certified copy of its current trade license as part of the bank’s own onboarding process.
How This Differs From a Local-Use Certified Copy
A certified true copy prepared for local UAE use, such as a bank or tender submission, is often the end of the process. A copy intended for use abroad frequently needs to go further, through UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization and the destination country’s embassy, before the receiving foreign authority will accept it. Our Certified True Copy vs Notarization vs Attestation guide explains the difference between certification and attestation in more detail.
Our plain-language guide explains how these differ.
Read the comparison guideWhat to Bring
- Original valid UAE trade license
- Certificate of Incorporation and MOA
- Passport copy and Emirates ID of the authorized signatory
- Power of attorney, if a representative outside the UAE is filing on the company’s behalf
- Details of the destination country and receiving authority, so the correct attestation chain can be identified
- Any translation of the trade license the destination authority requires
Working to an Overseas Filing Deadline
Where only certification is needed and not the fuller attestation chain, same-day certification may be possible. See our Same-Day Certified True Copy Attestation page. Where embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs steps are also required, build in extra time, as those steps are not typically same-day.
Cost
What This Costs
Fees depend on whether only certification is needed or a full attestation chain for the destination country, plus any translation required. See Certified True Copy Attestation Fees and Process for how our fees and process work.
Who Carries Out the Certification
Certification is carried out by a licensed UAE legal professional carried out in house. Where further attestation is needed for use abroad, that step involves UAE government authorities and the relevant foreign embassy, carried out in house as part of the process.
Where We Cover
We issue certified true copies for companies based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah expanding abroad. See Certified True Copy Attestation in Abu Dhabi and Certified True Copy Attestation in Sharjah for details specific to those emirates.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, but often not on its own. Many foreign authorities also require further attestation, such as UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization and embassy attestation. This depends entirely on the destination country and receiving authority.
Some destination countries require a translation into their official language. Confirm this with the receiving authority, and let us know so it can be factored into the process.
This depends on the destination country and the government offices involved, and takes longer than certification alone.
In many cases yes, using a power of attorney for someone in the UAE to act on the company’s behalf. Confirm your specific situation with us.
No. Requirements differ by country and by the specific receiving authority, so always confirm directly with them rather than assuming a standard process applies.
Get Your Trade License Ready for Overseas Filing
Get certification, and further attestation if needed, for your expansion abroad.
Get In Touch
Send Us Your Details
Submit an enquiry and we will get back to you. We collect your name, phone number, document type, purpose of certification, and preferred time to proceed.