# Using a UK degree in the United Arab Emirates

A UK degree for the Emirates needs the FCDO apostille first and UAE embassy legalization second, because the Emirates sit outside the Convention.

Updated 2026-10-07. Also on the [web page](https://apostilles.fyi/guides/uk-degree-uae).

A UK degree for the Emirates needs the FCDO apostille first and UAE embassy legalization second, because the Emirates sit outside the Convention.

The United Arab Emirates are absent from the HCCH status table, so no apostille alone unlocks a document there. The chain has three stops in a fixed order: the university, the Legalisation Office, the embassy.

Start with the university. The FCDO legalises a degree only when an official signature, stamp or seal on it matches its records. Ask the registry for a certificate or transcript issued for international use, and check the GOV.UK page for which signatories it holds. If your papers lack a recognised signature, a UK notary or solicitor certifies them first, and the FCDO then legalises the certification.

Next, send the papers to the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes. The stated paper fee is GBP 45 per apostille. Use the paper service here, not the GBP 35 e-apostille: the e-apostille is still an apostille, and the Emirates need the embassy stamp that follows only a paper certificate.

Last, take the legalised papers to the UAE embassy or consulate for its legalization stamp. Ask the mission what it wants before you visit: missions change their forms, fees and appointment rules without notice. Allow extra weeks for the whole chain, keep a full copy of everything, and never send an original you cannot replace until each office confirms what it needs.

Mind the solicitor path. Where the degree lacks a recognised signature, a UK notary or solicitor certifies it and the FCDO legalises the certification rather than the degree. That adds a step and a separate charge from the solicitor's own scale, so ask the solicitor for the full sequence in writing first. Confirm with the university registry that the FCDO holds its current signatories, because outdated signature records are a common cause of rejection.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK Get your document legalised](https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised)
- [HCCH Apostille Section status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)

## Questions

### Can I use the cheaper e-apostille for the Emirates?

No. The e-apostille is an apostille, and the Emirates do not take apostilles. Your papers need the paper apostille plus embassy legalization.

### Does the FCDO check my degree is real?

No. It checks the signature, stamp or seal against its records. The university remains responsible for the content.

> **Not legal advice.** Apostille Finder lists the government offices that issue apostilles and what their official pages state. It is not legal advice, and rules, hours and fees change. Confirm every detail on the official page linked in each listing before you send a document. The source note on each record shows when we last checked it. To report a mistake, write to hello@apostilles.fyi.