Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

I apologize in advance if this has already been addressed, but I did perform several searches and am now more confused than ever!

I am moving from Toronto to Dubai at the end of this month (IA). I have accepted a job, and my visa is in process. However, I am married and my wife will be accompanying me. I understand from the HR contact at my new employer that she will initially enter on a visit visa, and then I can sponsor her once we are in Dubai.

For the sponsoring process, I understand that our marriage certificate must be authenticated. We were married in Pakistan, and as such, I'm not sure whether DFAIT in Canada still authenticates the documents, or whether I can send them directly to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa, or whether I will have to initially get them verified by the Pakistani Embassy. Finally, does the original document have to be notarized, or just a copy? Which one is sent to all of the embassies for authentication?

I tried asking the HR Manager these questions, and he wasn't any help at all. So, I thought I'd turn to the real experts!

i can see why he didn't want to answer this question.... complicated

certificates normally have to be attested in the country where they were issued. you may have been married in pakistan, but which residency do you hold? are you both candian citizens?

dbxsoul,

Thanks for your reply! It is indeed complicated! My wife is a Pakistani citizen, while I am Canadian.

I managed to get through to the Pakistani Counselate here, and it looks like they can attest the document (which helps since the whole thing is in Urdu anyway!). I'm going to have them do this, and then send it off to the UAE embassy in Ottawa.

The UAE Embassy offers an expedited service for an additional $75 I think. Does anyone know how long it usually takes, and whether the expedited service is worth it?

Thanks again!

personally, i'd pay the extra 75 bucks. try and get as much of your paperwork sorted before you come out here.

i'd also suggest that you give some family member in canada power of attorney to act on financial and legal matters in your absence - obviously someone trustworthy - not kidding as it can be expensive to courier documents backwards and forwards if you forget something. make sure your will/ testiment etc is in order, close any bank accounts thay are not nessecery (to avoid charges etc)....

make sure you return your library books

I'm going through a similar process. I'm British and was based in HK, but married in USA. So had to send original cert to Florida (for County attestation), then to Washington (national). It's finally on it's way back to me now, but i may have to take it to the US embassy in UAE as well... not sure about that yet. The whole process is taking time (6 weeks so far).

Some guide book I read suggested using a company to do it for you, and there's an ad in the Gulf News for a company called Index who deal with attestation for "India / UK / USA / Pak / Nepal" Website is www.indexdubai.com (Unfortunatley I only saw this after I had sent mine off).

I don't know anyone who has used such a company, how much they charge or how efficient they are. Maybe someone else on here has had some experience. If you have to send the cert to Pakistan, then it's probably a good idea to use an agent, but if they do it at the local embassy, then you should be able to do it yourself.

The US embassy here does not do attestation (neither in HK), only after it's been done at the point of origin, then at national level as described above, but hopefully the Pakistan embassy is different.

Anyway, good luck in hacking through the red tape.

Sorry to butt in but wouldnt be just easier to get married again in the UAE ?

Ok I am confused now, I just called the UAE Embassy in the U.S. and they told me that I have to attest my Diploma and my kid’s school transfer or what ever along with their Birth Certificates.

They said that they never heard of Empost and that I should get everything attested before I leave the country.
I checked the Empost site and clicked on the Degree Verification link and was transferred to another site Integrascreen and I found some useful information in the FAQ link.

But who should I believe the UAE Embassy or the link?

http://www.integrascreen.com/DVP/FAQ.aspx#1

msshadid wrote:Ok I am confused now, I just called the UAE Embassy in the U.S. and they told me that I have to attest my Diploma and my kid’s school transfer or what ever along with their Birth Certificates.

They said that they never heard of Empost and that I should get everything attested before I leave the country.
I checked the Empost site and clicked on the Degree Verification link and was transferred to another site Integrascreen and I found some useful information in the FAQ link.

But who should I believe the UAE Embassy or the link?

http://www.integrascreen.com/DVP/FAQ.aspx#1

I dunno about the birth certificates but for degree certificates one has to get them attested through empost . people who got their certificates attested before sept 2005 are exempted from it. but again if u were employed by someone in dubai before this job u have to go through the verification process. I am not sure about the diplomas but one of my office colleaues had to send hers for verification in order to get her visa processed. I hope i have put things down correctly . if i am wrong anyone is free to correct me. but thats the information i have.

cheers,

jerry

msshadid wrote:Ok I am confused now, I just called the UAE Embassy in the U.S. and they told me that I have to attest my Diploma and my kid’s school transfer or what ever along with their Birth Certificates.

They said that they never heard of Empost and that I should get everything attested before I leave the country.
I checked the Empost site and clicked on the Degree Verification link and was transferred to another site Integrascreen and I found some useful information in the FAQ link.

But who should I believe the UAE Embassy or the link?

http://www.integrascreen.com/DVP/FAQ.aspx#1

the embassy would say that for two reasons, most government departments here are the last to hear that a law has been changed - even when it affects them directly. secondly it gives the embassy staff purpose in life and a source of income (their little revenue stamps)! empost is the only legally accepted attestation.

it will only cost you more money to have both done

Folks,
Whilst I've been waiting in the long /messy queues here at the Dept of naturalization / Residency , I noticed that people are asked to certify there marriage certs here at the foreign affairs dept (sorry not sure what the correct name for it is) . I think you're overcomplicating the process , I would check with them maybe before getting into complex stuff abroad. In this case it was an egyptian national.
Guess what though as a British national with an original marriage cert made in Britain It wasn't a pb !! didn't need to certify anything . Don't ask me why , I certainly didn't ask why Don't tell anybody though....
Seriously I think things tend to be much easier than what you're told sometimes. Having said that I wouldn't take risks though I might have been lucky , WHO KNOWS!!