Documents, brand and office
Legal translation in the UAE by Ministry of Justice translators
Legal translation is a translation made by a translator or translation house registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice, showing the translator's name and registration number. You need it when a document in another language goes to a UAE court, a notary or a government body that works in Arabic. Caliph arranges the translation as part of your file.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Regulator
- UAE Ministry of Justice, which keeps the list of registered translators
- Law
- Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 regulating the translation profession
- Who may translate
- Translators and translation houses registered with the ministry and licensed locally
- Typically needed for
- Court files, notary transactions, ministry filings and foreign documents
- Usual direction
- Into Arabic, and from Arabic when a UAE document is going abroad
- Marks of a valid translation
- The translator's name and registration number on the translated document
Overview
Arabic is the language of the UAE's courts and of much of its official paperwork. A document written in English, Hindi, Russian or any other language may be perfectly valid, yet an authority can decline to act on it until it has an Arabic version it is allowed to rely on. A translation by a bilingual colleague does not meet that test.
The law is specific about who can produce one. Translation is a regulated profession under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022. A translator must be on the Ministry of Justice list and hold a licence from the local authority, and may translate only in the languages they are registered for. As a rule, courts and official bodies accept translated documents only from them.
With Caliph you do not have to find a translator yourself. We send your document to a registered translation house, check names, dates and figures against the passport and licence spellings already in your file, and deliver the translation with the application it belongs to. Consistent spelling of names matters more than most people expect.
What you get when Caliph arranges it
Translators who are on the ministry list
Your document goes to a translator or translation house registered with the Ministry of Justice for the language pair you need.
Names spelled the same everywhere
The Arabic spelling of a name on a translation should match the visa, the licence and the Emirates ID. We check it against your existing records before the translation is finalised.
Translation timed with attestation
Whether a document is translated before or after attestation depends on its language and on who will receive it. We plan the order so that neither step has to be repeated.
Confidentiality required by law
Registered translators are bound by the law not to disclose what they learn from a document. Your papers are shared only with the translator and the authority.
One file instead of several suppliers
The translation is ordered, checked and filed by the consultant who is already handling your licence, visa or notary appointment.
What to send us
- A clear scan of the full document, including every stamp, seal and reverse side
- The original, if the receiving authority wants the translation attached to it
- Passport copies of the people named, so that names are spelled as they appear in official records
- Your trade licence or company documents when the text refers to the company
- Any earlier Arabic translation whose spelling of names or terms should be kept
- The name of the authority that will receive the translation, and the purpose
Some authorities ask for the translation to be attached to the original or to carry further certification. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to your document.
How legal translation works
We confirm that it is needed
Not every document needs translating. MOFA, for example, accepts documents in Arabic or English for attestation. We check what the receiving authority asks for.
You send the document
A complete, legible scan is enough to start. We tell you if the original will be needed later.
A registered translator translates it
The work is done by a translator registered for that language, whose name and registration number appear on it.
We review names and figures
Your consultant compares names, dates, amounts and company details with your file and asks for corrections where needed.
The translation is delivered and filed
You receive the translation, and we submit it with the application or pass it to the notary or lawyer who needs it.
Good to know
- Translators are registered for specific languages. For less common languages the choice of translators is smaller, so tell us early.
- A translation does not replace attestation. One makes a document readable to the authority, the other shows that it is genuine.
- If a contract is written in two languages, the parties should agree which version prevails. Ask your consultant or lawyer before you sign.
Questions people ask
When is legal translation required in the UAE?
Whenever a document in another language is presented to a body that requires Arabic. Documents filed with UAE courts must be in Arabic or translated by a legal translator approved by the Ministry of Justice. Notary transactions, powers of attorney and many ministry filings follow the same approach. The receiving authority has the final say.
What makes a translation a legal translation?
It is done by a translator or translation house registered with the Ministry of Justice and licensed in the emirate, and it shows the translator's name and registration number. A translation without these, however accurate, is an ordinary translation, and official bodies can refuse it.
Do documents for visas need to be translated into Arabic?
It depends on the language of the document and on the immigration authority handling the file. An attested marriage or birth certificate in a language other than Arabic may need a legal translation. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you, so you do not pay for a translation you do not need.
Can I translate the document myself or use an online tool?
Not for official use. The law reserves the profession for translators registered with the Ministry of Justice, and courts and authorities rely on that registration. Your own translation can help you understand a text, but it will not be accepted in a court file or a notary transaction.
Can a legal translation be made from Arabic into another language?
Yes. Registered translators work in the languages they are registered for, in both directions. This is common when a UAE licence, judgment or certificate is going to be used abroad. The destination country may add its own rules, such as attestation of the translation, so check what the receiving office asks for.
- Ministry of Justice, legal translator registration
- UAE Legislation, Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022
- UAE Government portal, civil cases
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
- VisitHapag-Lloyd Building, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. P.O. Box 8070
Open in Google Maps