# Who Can Certify a True Copy in the UAE? - Canonical URL: https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/who-can-certify-a-true-copy-uae/ - Description: Who can certify a true copy in the UAE? See which lawyers and authorities qualify, what receiving offices check and how to confirm a certifier. - Language: en-AE - Last updated: 2026-11-02 [Home](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/) / **Who Can Certify a True Copy in the UAE?** Certified True Copy | 5 min read Who can certify a true copy in the UAE? In practice it is a licensed lawyer or legal consultant who checks the copy against your original and certifies it, or the authority that issued the document in the first place. At Certified True Copy Dubai, certification is done in house by our own licensed lawyers and legal consultants, in person at our office, online or on a home visit. [Start My Request](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/contact-us/) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971524841790) WhatsApp or call +971 52 484 1790 and tell us which document you need certified. The catch most people miss is that the certifier is not the only thing that matters. The office that receives your copy decides whether it accepts the certification. So the first step is always to ask that office what it wants. ![Lawyer who can certify a true copy reviewing and signing papers at a wooden desk](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/lawyer-who-can-certify-a-true-copy-reviewing-and-signing-papers-at-a-w-1024x684.jpg) ## Who Can Certify a True Copy in the UAE: Lawyers and Legal Consultants Certifying a true copy is a lawyer’s function. The lawyer or legal consultant looks at your original document, compares it with the copy, and states in writing that the copy is a true copy of the original. That is all the certification says. It does not say the original is genuine, and it does not approve what the document contains. This is the answer most people need when they ask who can certify a document for a bank, an employer, a university or a company registry. We check your original, we certify the copy, and we book your appointment. ### Is a notary public the same thing? No. Notarization is a notary public’s function and a different act. Notarial acts in the UAE are regulated by [Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563). If the office that receives your copy asks for a notary public, that is a separate step, and you should check what that office requires. Our page on [certified true copy vs notarization vs attestation](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/certified-true-copy-vs-notarization-vs-attestation/) sets out the three side by side. ## Government Authorities That Issue Their Own Copies Some authorities certify copies of documents they issued themselves. Two examples: - **Dubai Development Authority (DDA):** it offers true copy attestation for documents DDA itself issued, such as a commercial license or a certificate of incorporation. It does not apply to a passport or an Emirates ID. The [DDA true copy attestation service](https://dda.gov.ae/en/registration-licensing/existing-businesses/other-services/true-copy-attestation) lists AED 100 per document, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham per transaction, so AED 120 for one document in one transaction. - **DIFC Courts:** its [Notary Service](https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service) can certify and attest true copy documents for DIFC matters, and says the receiving authority decides whether to accept anything it certifies. If your document came from one of these bodies, ask it first. If it came from anywhere else, such as a passport office or a university, a lawyer’s certification is the normal route. ### Talk to us Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email info@certifiedtruecopydubai.ae. [Call us](tel:+971524841790) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971524841790) ## What a Receiving Office Usually Asks Receiving offices differ on who can certify a true copy in the UAE, so the list below is a guide, not a rule. Ask the office before you book. 1. Who may certify the copy: a lawyer, a notary public, or only the issuing authority. 2. Whether the copy must be certified against the original or against an earlier certified copy. 3. Whether the certification must carry a stamp, a signature and a date. 4. Whether a translation is needed. A translation for official use is done by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. 5. Whether the copy needs a further step after certification, such as [MOFAIC attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation). Attestation is its own step. MOFAIC needs the original in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation, and the document must not be laminated. Its fee is AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial document, separate from any certification fee. ## How to Check the Certifier A copy can be refused because the certification is incomplete, not because the document is wrong. Before you hand it in, check these points: - The certifier is a named lawyer or legal consultant, or the issuing authority. - The certificate says the copy was checked against the original. - The date, signature and stamp are there. See [what a certified true copy stamp says](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/certified-true-copy-stamp/) for what to look for. - The copy is complete, with every page and both sides where the original has text on both. - Nothing has been added or crossed out after certification. If you are unsure, ask the certifier to explain who they are and in what capacity they certify. A genuine certifier answers plainly. ## Common Mistakes to Avoid - Certifying the copy before asking the receiving office who it accepts. - Bringing a copy of a copy instead of the original. - Laminating the document before attestation. - Assuming a company stamp alone is enough. A stamp on a copy does not tell the receiving office who checked it. - Treating certification, notarization and attestation as the same step. How we help ## How We Help We issue certified true copies for personal and business documents, for clients in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Bring your original and your ID. Our own licensed lawyers and legal consultants check the original, certify the copy and give it back to you. Our fee depends on the document and the number of copies and is confirmed when you book. For a specific document, see our pages for [individuals](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/individual-document-certification-dubai/) and for [corporate and business documents](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/corporate-document-certification-dubai/). If you need it soon, call or WhatsApp us and say it is urgent. ![Checklist of five points for checking who certified a true copy](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/checklist-65871e8e4097-1024x666.png) [Call us](tel:+971524841790) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971524841790) Keep Reading ## Related Pages - [من يحق له تصديق صورة طبق الأصل في الإمارات: الجهات والشروط](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/who-can-certify-true-copy-uae-ar/) - [كيف تصدق صورة طبق الأصل في دبي خطوة بخطوة](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/how-to-certify-true-copy-dubai-ar/) - [Certified True Copy Stamp: What It Says and What to Check](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/certified-true-copy-stamp/) - [Certified True Copy vs Notarization vs Attestation](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/certified-true-copy-vs-notarization-vs-attestation/) - [Certified True Copy Attestation Services Dubai](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/certified-true-copy-attestation-dubai/) - [Certified True Copy Services Dubai for Individuals](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/individual-document-certification-dubai/) Questions ## Frequently asked questions Yes. A licensed lawyer or legal consultant can check a copy against your original and certify it. Whether the receiving office accepts it is that office’s decision, so ask it first. A company stamp alone does not tell the reader who checked the copy against the original. Many offices ask for a lawyer’s certification instead. Confirm with the office that will receive the document. Some can. DDA does this for documents it issued itself, and the DIFC Courts Notary Service can certify and attest true copy documents. For documents from other bodies, ask that body whether it offers the service. Look for a named certifier, a statement that the copy was checked against the original, and a signature, stamp and date. If you are unsure, ask the certifier who they are and in what capacity they certify. Get In Touch ## Book Your Certification WhatsApp or call +971 52 484 1790, or email info@certifiedtruecopydubai.ae. Tell us which document you need certified and where it will be used, and we will book your appointment in person at our office, online or on a home visit. Our office is on the 10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. You can also [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971524841790). ## Talk to us [+971 52 484 1790](tel:+971524841790) [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/971524841790) [info@certifiedtruecopydubai.ae](mailto:info@certifiedtruecopydubai.ae)