UAE Company Documents for Use Abroad: Translation Guide

Ask the foreign bank or lawyer for a written list before you order anything. Each extra document travels through the same attestation chain, and a missing resolution discovered at the embassy costs a week.

1. Obtain current, certified copies from the issuing authority (the economic department of the emirate, or the free-zone authority).
   
2. Have resolutions and powers of attorney signed before a UAE notary where the destination requires it — SWLT does not notarise; the notary does.
   
3. Some free-zone documents and some destinations need an intermediate step (the free-zone authority or a chamber of commerce) before MOFA. Ask the issuing authority and the embassy.
   
4. Attest the documents with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MOFA's published fee for commercial documents at the time of writing (November 2026) is AED 2,000 per document; confirm the current fee with MOFA.
   
5. Legalise them at the destination country's embassy or consulate in the UAE.
   
6. Translate them — in the UAE before the embassy step, or in the destination country afterwards — according to what the receiving authority accepts.
   
   Our MOFA attestation guide and embassy legalisation guide explain each stage, and apostille vs attestation explains why UAE documents cannot be apostilled.

Translation prepared in the UAE

A Ministry of Justice-licensed translator translates the Arabic MOA, licence and resolutions into English (or another language), and the translation travels with the originals through MOFA and the embassy. English-speaking banks and many Gulf, Asian and African registries accept this, and a translation attested in the country of origin is easier for them to rely on.

Translation prepared abroad

Many civil-law countries — much of continental Europe and Latin America, for example — require translations made by a translator sworn before their own courts. A UAE English translation still helps their translator and your lawyer, but it does not replace theirs.

Put one precise question to the foreign bank or lawyer: "Will you accept an English translation prepared and attested in the UAE, or must the translation be made by a translator registered in your country?" The answer sets the order of every other step.

A foreign compliance officer reads only the translation. These are the points we check on every UAE corporate file:

• Company name. The Arabic trade name and the registered English name must match the licence exactly, including "L.L.C.", "Sole Proprietorship" or "FZE" — a bank will reject a mismatch.
  
• Legal form. "شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة" is a limited liability company, not a "limited company" or "corporation"; the wrong label changes who is liable.
  
• Signatory powers. MOA clauses on who may open accounts, borrow or sign alone are what the bank actually reads; they must be translated with their limits intact.
  
• Activities. Licensed activities follow official activity descriptions; a loose rendering can make the foreign entity look unlicensed for the business it plans.
  
• Dates and numbers. Licence numbers, expiry dates, capital and share percentages are copied digit for digit and checked against the original.
  
• Consistency across the set. Licence, MOA, resolution and power of attorney must use one spelling for every name. See name spelling mismatches.

Mainland documents are often wholly or partly in Arabic and almost always need translation for use abroad. Free-zone documents are frequently issued in English, so an English-speaking destination may need only attestation, while a non-English-speaking one will still need translation into its language. Our comparison of mainland and free-zone corporate documents covers the differences, and our guide to translating board resolutions covers drafting the resolution the foreign side asks for.

No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so the licence is attested by MOFA and then legalised by the destination country's embassy in the UAE.

For an English-speaking bank, often not — attestation may be enough. For a destination that works in another language, the licence usually needs translation into that language. Ask the receiving authority.

If the destination accepts a UAE translation, yes: translate first so the translation travels with the original through MOFA and the embassy. If it requires its own sworn translator, attest the originals and translate there.

Many banks and registries want documents issued or certified recently, often within a few months. There is no single rule; ask the receiving bank or registry before you order copies.

Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Long MOAs with amendments are scheduled with you, with the licence and resolution translated first.

We translate trade licences, MOAs, articles, resolutions and powers of attorney for use abroad, keep names and legal forms consistent across the whole set, and flag missing documents before the file goes to MOFA. Service details: trade licence translation and MOA translation.

This article is general information about the translation and document side of the matter. It is not legal or medical advice. Laws, procedures and fees change; confirm current requirements with the authority, court, hospital or embassy concerned, and take professional advice on your own case.

Send us your licence, MOA and the foreign bank's list, and tell us which country the file is going to. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Send your documents on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.