Master prompt
UAE Ministry of Justice legal translator requirements (Arabic <-> source language)
UAE requires translation by MoJ-licensed legal translators only. Covers translator selection, stamp + signature + licence-number requirements, per-emirate price ranges, and rejection patterns for non-compliant translations.
UAEDocument checklistLegal translationMoJArabicMinistry of Justice
Advise [CLIENT_NAME] on the UAE Ministry of Justice (MoJ) legal translator requirements for [DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE] being submitted in [EMIRATE_OF_SUBMISSION]. Federal Law No. 9 of 1981 (the Legal Translation Profession Law) governs sworn translation in UAE.
CRITICAL FRAMING — STATE UP FRONT
UAE government authorities (GDRFA, ICP, MoFAIC, MoHRE, courts) accept ONLY translations performed by translators licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. The translator's stamp, signature, and MoJ licence number must appear on EVERY page of the translation. Foreign-sworn translations (Indian notary, UK certified, US sworn) are NOT accepted — even if independently apostilled. The MoJ-licensed translator must re-translate (or at minimum restamp and re-certify the foreign translation) from scratch.
This is the single most common cause of file rejection at GDRFA / ICP submission counters.
§1 — DOCUMENTS REQUIRING TRANSLATION
For each document in [DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE]:
• Source language: [SOURCE_LANGUAGE]
• Target language: Arabic (mandatory) + sometimes English (for clarity, optional)
• Translation produced from the ATTESTED ORIGINAL — not from a copy and not before attestation is complete (see §6 below for ordering)
Special case — already-English documents from common-law countries:
• Many Indian documents are already in English (marriage certificates, degrees, birth certificates from urban states)
• UAE government still requires Arabic translation by MoJ-licensed translator
• English-only acceptance is RARE (some MoFAIC counters, some free-zone administrative steps) — never assume; always translate to Arabic by default
§2 — TRANSLATOR SELECTION + LICENSING
The MoJ maintains a public register of licensed legal translators. Verify a candidate translator by:
(a) UAE Ministry of Justice website — translator search (Arabic + English): https://moj.gov.ae
(b) Translator's MoJ licence card — physical card showing licence number, photograph, expiry date, language pairs authorised
(c) Cross-check translator's office is registered as a "Legal Translation Office" — typically a standalone licensed entity, not a generic translation service
Common rookie mistake: hiring a "translation centre" that subcontracts to non-MoJ-licensed translators. The stamp on the final document MUST be the licensed translator's personal stamp.
§3 — TRANSLATION QUALITY + FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
Every translated page must contain:
• Header: "Legal Translation" / "ترجمة قانونية" with translator's name + MoJ licence number
• Footer / margin: translator's stamp (round red ink stamp, Arabic + English, showing MoJ number) + handwritten signature
• Final page: translator's certification statement: "I, [translator name], MoJ Legal Translator licence number [XXXX], certify that the above translation from [SOURCE_LANGUAGE] to Arabic is a true and accurate translation of the original document submitted to me on [DATE]."
• Date of translation
• Translator's office address + contact
For multi-page source documents:
• Each translated page must be stamped separately
• Page numbering must match source ("Page X of Y")
• Tables / signatures / official seals in source must be preserved with bracketed notations (e.g., "[OFFICIAL SEAL OF THE REGISTRAR OF MARRIAGES, MUMBAI]")
§4 — PER-EMIRATE PRICE RANGES (2026-05 — verify current rates)
[EMIRATE_OF_SUBMISSION] price-per-page guidance:
Dubai: AED 80-200 per A4 page (standard); AED 250-400 (express 48h); AED 500+ (VIP same-day)
Abu Dhabi: AED 60-150 per page (standard); AED 200-350 (express)
Sharjah: AED 50-120 per page
Ajman / RAK / UAQ / Fujairah: AED 40-100 per page (smaller market, fewer translators)
Minimum charge per document: typically AED 100-150 regardless of length (covers translator's stamping + admin).
For Standard = "Standard": adjust pricing accordingly; confirm turnaround in writing before commissioning.
§5 — DOCUMENTS BY DIFFICULTY (translation cost factor)
LOW (template-based):
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Standard educational degree certificate
• Police clearance certificate
Typically 1-3 pages; AED 100-300 total per document.
MEDIUM:
• Academic transcripts (multiple pages, technical terms)
• Employment contracts (legal clauses)
• Court orders / judgements (legal terminology)
• Medical reports
Typically 3-10 pages; AED 300-1,500 total per document.
HIGH (specialist):
• Patent specifications
• Corporate articles of association
• Multi-volume court files
• Tax / accounting reports
Typically 10+ pages; AED 1,500+ total; may require subject-specialist translator.
For [DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE]: estimate by category, then sum.
§6 — ORDERING: ATTEST FIRST, THEN TRANSLATE
The correct sequence is:
Step 1: Document attested in country of issue (e.g., Indian MEA apostille for post-Hague documents OR full chain ending at UAE Embassy in country of issue for pre-Hague chain — see ae-docs-apostille-legalisation-chain)
Step 2: Document attested at MoFAIC in UAE (only required for pre-Hague chain; not needed if apostille accepted)
Step 3: MoJ-licensed legal translator translates the ATTESTED ORIGINAL (with all attestation stamps visible in translation)
Step 4: Translated document submitted alongside attested original to GDRFA / ICP / relevant authority
Common mistake: translating BEFORE attestation. This forces re-translation later (because the attestation stamps need to be visible in the translation). Cost doubles.
§7 — PRIOR FOREIGN-SWORN TRANSLATIONS (No)
If No indicates a foreign translation exists:
• DO NOT submit the foreign translation as-is
• Two options:
(a) DISCARD and commission fresh MoJ-licensed translation in UAE (preferred — clean, predictable)
(b) Bring foreign translation to UAE MoJ-licensed translator for "review and restamp" — translator reads foreign translation, corrects errors, applies own MoJ stamp + certification. Cheaper if quality is high; but if errors found, full retranslation needed
• Foreign translations independently apostilled at source — APOSTILLE DOES NOT MAKE THE TRANSLATION ACCEPTABLE; only the substantive content (original document) is apostille-accepted
§8 — REJECTION PATTERNS TO AVOID
□ Translator's stamp missing on any page → submission rejected at counter
□ Translator's MoJ licence expired at time of stamping → rejected; re-stamp required
□ Translation done from a copy (not the attested original) → rejected; re-translation
□ Source language not in translator's authorised pairs (e.g., Malayalam-Arabic when translator only licensed for English-Arabic) → rejected
□ Multiple translators' stamps on one document (split work) → rejected; needs single translator for entire document
□ Notarised by Public Notary instead of MoJ Legal Translation Office → rejected (different system)
□ Arabic translation with English brand-name spellings unconverted to Arabic (e.g., "Mumbai" should be مومباي in Arabic with first-mention English in brackets) → may be rejected by stricter counters
§9 — CONSULTANT WORKFLOW
Recommended workflow for [CLIENT_NAME]:
1. Confirm attestation status of every document in [DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE] — DO NOT translate before attestation complete
2. Identify MoJ-licensed translator office in [EMIRATE_OF_SUBMISSION] — verify licence on MoJ website
3. Confirm language-pair authorisation matches [SOURCE_LANGUAGE]
4. Request quote per document with turnaround commitment in writing
5. Submit attested originals; collect translated + stamped + certified versions
6. Spot-check each page for translator stamp + signature
7. Submit to GDRFA / ICP with attested original + Arabic translation together
§10 — INDIAN-CONTEXT SPECIFICS (Indian-issued documents)
Common Indian state-issued documents and translation notes:
• Marriage certificates (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore): typically English; needs Arabic translation
• Marriage certificates (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab rural): may be in Malayalam / Tamil / Punjabi — needs source-language-to-Arabic translation; translator must be licensed for that language pair (rarer + pricier)
• Birth certificates (rural North India): Hindi + English mixed common; full Arabic translation needed
• Degrees (CBSE / state board): English typically; needs Arabic translation
• Police clearance certificate (PCC) issued by Indian Passport Seva Kendra: English; needs Arabic translation
• Aadhaar card: typically NOT used for UAE visa (UAE accepts passport for identity); if used, Hindi + English text + biometric — full Arabic translation
For Indian state languages (Malayalam, Tamil, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada): translators licensed for these pairs are scarce in UAE. Often a two-step process: source language → English (by Indian sworn translator with MEA apostille) → English → Arabic (by UAE MoJ-licensed translator). Adds cost + time.
End with: "DRAFT — for UAE-licensed PRO (Public Relations Officer) or law firm review. Verify against current GDRFA/ICP guidance and per-emirate variations before submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt