Self Certified True Copy: When It Is and Is Not Accepted

What a Self Certified True Copy Means

A self certified true copy means you write “true copy of the original” on a photocopy, then sign and date it. Nobody else has checked the copy against the original. The only proof is your own word.

That is the catch. A receiving office wants a person who is not the document holder to look at the original and confirm the copy matches. Your own signature does not give it that.

Why Most Offices Want an Independent Certifier

A certified copy has value because someone other than the holder checked it. If you certify your own passport copy, you are vouching for yourself. A bank, a ministry or a foreign embassy cannot treat that as a check.

Some bodies do accept a signed copy from the holder for low risk purposes. Each body sets its own rule, and the rule is often not published. Ask the receiving office in writing what it accepts before you submit anything.

Is a Self Certified True Copy Accepted?

You can sign your own copy, but acceptance is decided by the office that receives it. Treat a self certified true copy as a risk, not a shortcut.

Situation	Is a self certified copy likely to work?
Internal use with a person you know	Sometimes, if they agree
Bank account opening	Check the bank first; many ask for an independent certifier
Visa or immigration file	Check the authority first
University or professional body	Check the admissions or licensing rules first
Use abroad	Rarely; the foreign body usually names who may certify

When Your Employer or Company Can Certify

Some organizations accept a copy signed by an employer or company officer, but only when the receiving body says so. Your employer is not automatically an accepted certifier.

Ask the receiving office these questions:

1. Who may certify the copy?
2. Does the certifier need to add a stamp, a title or a date?
3. Do you need the original shown to the certifier in person?

If the answer is “a lawyer”, our lawyers and legal consultants can do that. If the answer is “a notary public”, that is a separate step. Check exactly what the body asks for.

Risks of Certifying Your Own Documents

• The copy is rejected and you lose time on a resubmission.
• A deadline for a visa, bank or application passes while you wait.
• The receiving office asks for a stamp from an independent person anyway.
• Your signature on a copy of a document you hold may raise questions you could avoid.

Some documents have their own route. A true copy of a commercial license or certificate of incorporation can be attested by the Dubai Development Authority for documents it issued itself. The fee is AED 100 per document, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham per transaction, which is AED 120 for one document in one transaction. That figure does not apply to a passport, an Emirates ID or any other document DDA did not issue.

What Is Safer Than Self Certifying

The safer route is a certified true copy from an independent legal professional who has checked your original. Our own lawyers and legal consultants do this in house. We check your original, we certify the copy and we book your appointment.

1. Message us the document name and where it will be used.
2. Bring the original and your ID.
3. We check the original against the copy and certify it.

Our fee depends on the document and the number of copies and is confirmed when you book. For an urgent request, call or WhatsApp and see our urgent certification options.

Certified True Copy, Notarization and Attestation Compared

These are three different steps. A certified true copy confirms that a copy matches the original. Notarization is a notary public’s act. Attestation by MOFAIC is a separate government step; its fees are AED 150 for personal documents and AED 2,000 for commercial documents. Read our comparison of certified true copy, notarization and attestation to see which one you need.