Legal Translation Services in Dubai: Certified Arabic Translation
The UAE legal system operates in Arabic. Contracts, court submissions, government applications, and official documents must be in Arabic to be legally valid. Legal translation provides certified, court-admissible Arabic translations of your documents.
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What Is Legal Translation?
Standard translation (by any bilingual person) is not accepted for legal, government, or court purposes in the UAE. Only translations by MOJ-approved legal translators carry the certification required for official use. The translator’s stamp, signature, and MOJ registration number must appear on the translated document.
Is legal translation the same as sworn translation?
In the UAE context, “legal translation” and “sworn translation” refer to the same thing: a certified translation by an MOJ-approved translator. The terms are used interchangeably. The key distinction is between certified (legal/sworn) translation and standard (uncertified) translation.
When Do You Need Legal Translation?
| Document type | When translation is needed |
|---|---|
| Trade licence amendments | Activity changes, name changes submitted to DED or free zone |
| Court documents | All submissions to UAE courts must be in Arabic |
| Contracts and agreements | When used as evidence or submitted to government |
| Personal certificates | Marriage, birth, death certificates for family visa or attestation |
| Powers of attorney | Must be in Arabic to be valid in UAE |
| Financial documents | Bank statements, audit reports for government submissions |
How Much Does Legal Translation Cost?
| Document type | Indicative cost per page | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Standard documents (certificates, IDs) | AED 100 – AED 150 | 1 – 2 business days |
| Legal contracts and agreements | AED 150 – AED 250 | 2 – 3 business days |
| Technical and financial documents | AED 200 – AED 300 | 2 – 5 business days |
| Urgent / same-day | 50% – 100% premium | Same day |
A “page” is typically defined as 250 words for pricing purposes. Documents with tables, charts, or complex formatting may be priced differently. Bizstart provides a fixed quote before starting work so there are no surprises.
How Legal Translation Works
- Submit the document. Provide the original or a high-quality scan. Specify the purpose (court, government, visa) so the translator uses the correct terminology.
- Translation. An MOJ-approved translator translates the document into Arabic, preserving the structure and meaning.
- Certification. The translator stamps the translation with their MOJ certification, signs it, and includes their registration number.
- Quality review. A second translator or reviewer checks the translation for accuracy and completeness.
- Delivery. The certified translation is delivered alongside the original document. Both documents should be kept together for submission.
Certified vs Standard Translation
For business operations, you need certified translation for anything submitted to government, courts, or regulatory bodies. For internal communications, website content, and marketing materials, standard translation is sufficient and more cost-effective.
Can I use an online translation service?
Online translation tools (Google Translate, DeepL) are not accepted for official purposes in the UAE. Machine translation lacks the certification, legal terminology accuracy, and MOJ stamp required for official documents. For internal understanding or draft purposes, machine translation is useful, but the final official version must be produced by an MOJ-approved translator.
Translation: Frequently Asked Questions
Which languages can be translated?
MOJ-approved legal translators in Dubai cover all major languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, and many others. Arabic-to-English translation is equally available. For less common languages, the translator network may need additional time to assign a qualified translator.
Bizstart's translation network covers 30+ languages. If your language is not commonly requested, we confirm availability and turnaround before accepting the assignment.
Do I need to translate my entire contract?
If the contract is being submitted to a court or government authority, the entire document must be translated. Partial translations are not accepted for official purposes. For internal reference, you can translate specific sections (key clauses, financial terms) to reduce cost.
For long contracts (50+ pages), the cost can be significant. Bizstart provides volume discounts for large translation projects and can prioritise critical sections for faster delivery while completing the remainder on a standard timeline.
How do I verify that a translation is certified?
A properly certified legal translation carries: the translator's MOJ registration number (printed on the certification stamp), the translator's signature, the date of translation, and a statement certifying the translation is accurate and complete. The MOJ stamp is typically a red or blue ink stamp with the translator's details.
If you have doubts about a translation's certification, you can verify the translator's MOJ registration through the Ministry of Justice website or by contacting the MOJ directly. Using a reputable translation service eliminates this concern.
Can the same translator handle attestation and translation?
Attestation and translation are separate services performed by different parties. The translator certifies the translation; the attestation authorities verify the original document. However, many service providers (including Bizstart) offer both services as a bundled package, which simplifies the process and reduces total cost.
The typical workflow is: attest the original document first, then translate the attested document. The translation then references the attested original, which strengthens its legal standing.
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