African languages translation in the UAE for family visas, courts, employers and schools: Amharic, Somali and Swahili documents (Tigrinya on request) translated into Arabic, and UAE documents translated back. We convert Ethiopian calendar dates, keep three-part names consistent, and tell you when a document is already in English and only needs Arabic.
Trusted Credentials
Before You Translate
The language is rarely the problem. Dates, names and the attestation route are what get files returned.
Ethiopian documents are usually dated in the Ethiopian calendar: thirteen months, twelve of 30 days and a short month, Pagume, of five or six days. The year starts on 11 September (12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year). From New Year to 31 December, add 7 years to get the Gregorian year; from 1 January until New Year, add 8. A date of 1 Meskerem 2019 is 11 September 2026. We convert every date to the Gregorian calendar and keep the original beside it, so an officer can see both.
Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali names are usually built as own name, father’s name and grandfather’s name, with no shared family surname. Passports put the father’s name in the surname field, so a wife and children often show different “surnames” from the husband. That is normal, but it confuses forms. We follow the passport spelling for every person and keep the full name chain so the family relationship stays clear.
None of these countries is listed as a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and neither is the UAE. Documents for official UAE use are therefore usually attested by the issuing country’s foreign ministry and then through the UAE mission, as the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes. Translate after attestation so the stamps are translated too. Confirm the current steps with the UAE mission and the receiving authority.
Kenyan, Ugandan and Nigerian certificates are usually issued in English, and many recent Ethiopian certificates are bilingual Amharic and English. If your document is entirely in English, it needs English to Arabic translation at AED 60 per page, not an African-language rate. Send it first and we tell you which applies.
Languages and Documents
Into Arabic for UAE authorities, and from Arabic or English into these languages for use at home. Other African languages, such as Hausa, Yoruba, Oromo or Lingala, on request.
Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, kebele (local administration) letters, court decisions, police clearance and school and university certificates. Ge’ez-script text, Ethiopian calendar dates and any Ge’ez numerals converted.
Eritrean and Tigrayan civil records, church and community certificates, and family documents. Eritrean papers may mix Tigrinya, Arabic and English, and older or church records may carry Ethiopian-calendar dates; we check each date’s calendar before converting.
Birth and marriage certificates, divorce papers, court and police documents, and school certificates in Somali (Latin script). Documents may be issued by federal or regional authorities; whether a UAE office accepts a given issuer is for that office to confirm.
Tanzanian and Kenyan documents written in Swahili, such as affidavits, local government letters, court records and employment papers. Where the certificate itself is in English, we quote it as English to Arabic.
Statements, evidence, messages and foreign judgments in these languages for UAE courts and prosecution, translated into Arabic with every stamp and handwritten note included.
Experience letters, training certificates, diplomas and transcripts for employers, licensing bodies and certificate equivalency.
UAE birth certificates, marriage contracts, judgments, salary certificates and powers of attorney translated into Amharic, Somali or Swahili, and Tigrinya on request. Ask the receiving office at home what certification it needs on the translation.
How It Works
WhatsApp clear scans of every page, front and back, and passport copies for everyone named. Tell us which authority the translation is for.
We confirm the language, whether any part is already in English, the page count and price, and flag if attestation still seems to be missing.
A legal translator works from the original, converts calendar dates with the original kept alongside, and checks every name against the passports.
You receive a signed and stamped certified translation, with Ethiopian-calendar dates shown beside their Gregorian equivalent. Same-day delivery is available for many documents.
Where It Is Used
Transparent Pricing
Excl. 5% VAT
Tigrinya and rarer languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, Oromo or Lingala are on request: we confirm availability after we see the document, at the same AED 250 per page rate. Attestation fees are paid to the issuing bodies.
FAQ
Amharic, Somali and Swahili are AED 250 per 200-word page, excluding 5% VAT, in either direction, and Tigrinya is the same rate when we can take it. If the document is entirely in English, it is English to Arabic at AED 60 per page. Send a scan on WhatsApp and we confirm the total first.
Yes. Amharic documents are translated into Arabic as certified legal translations, and we can add an English version if the authority wants both.
The Ethiopian year begins on 11 September (12 September in the year before a Gregorian leap year) and runs 7 or 8 years behind the Gregorian year depending on the month. We convert the exact day, write the Gregorian date in the translation and keep the Ethiopian date beside it.
Usually because the certificate is in the Ethiopian calendar and the passport in the Gregorian one. Once converted, the dates normally match. If they still differ, we translate the original faithfully and tell you, because a translator cannot correct the issuing authority’s record.
In Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali naming, the second name is the father’s name, not a family surname. A wife keeps her own father’s name, and children carry their father’s first name. We keep each person’s name exactly as in their passport and set out the relationships clearly in the translation.
Generally not. The UAE is not listed as a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and neither are Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania or Nigeria. UAE authorities normally expect attestation through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and the UAE mission. Check with the authority receiving your file.
Yes, we translate Somali birth and marriage certificates into Arabic. Civil registration in Somalia has gone through long disruption, and documents can come from different authorities. Ask the visa authority which documents and attestation it accepts before you translate, so you only pay once.
On request. Send the document and we confirm whether we can take it and the price before you commit. Note that most official Nigerian certificates are issued in English, so they usually need only English to Arabic translation.
Yes: birth certificates, marriage contracts, judgments, salary certificates and powers of attorney. Requirements at home differ by office, so ask the receiving office what certification it wants and we prepare the translation to suit.
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Get an instant estimate — final quote via WhatsApp
Send a scan and passport copies on WhatsApp. We confirm the language and price, convert the dates and deliver a certified Arabic translation.