Agency Agreement Attestation for UAE
Agency agreement attestation for UAE commercial agency registration. When an Indian principal signs an agency agreement in India, the UAE wants it certified in India, legalised by the UAE Embassy and then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We handle the notary, Chamber of Commerce, MEA, embassy and the online MOFA step from Delhi.
Agency agreement attestation for UAE: quick answer
Agency agreement attestation for UAE is the chain of stamps that lets an agency or distribution agreement signed in India be registered in the UAE commercial agencies register. The UAE Ministry of Economy says that a contract signed outside the UAE must be certified by the authorities of that country, by the UAE embassy and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that a foreign-language contract needs a legal Arabic translation. The UAE is not an apostille country.
In practice that means notary, Chamber of Commerce, MEA attestation, UAE Embassy New Delhi and UAE MOFA online. INFINITYGRO handles all five, including the MOFA step. The UAE Embassy and UAE MOFA each charge AED 2,000 per commercial document; the chamber fee and our service are quoted in writing after we see the agreement.
What the UAE Ministry of Economy asks for
An agency agreement only becomes a registered commercial agency in the UAE once the Ministry of Economy enters it in its register. The Ministry’s service page for registering a commercial agency sets out who can be the agent and how the contract must be certified.
| Who can be the agent | A UAE national, a company wholly owned by UAE nationals, or a public shareholding company in which UAE nationals hold at least 51% |
|---|---|
| Contract signed in the UAE | Signatures certified in the presence of the parties before a notary in the UAE |
| Contract signed outside the UAE | Certified by the authorities of the country of signature, the UAE embassy there, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Language | A legal Arabic translation if the contract is in a foreign language |
| From the agent | Trade licence, signature approval of the authorised owner, and the memorandum of association on first registration |
Signed in India or signed in the UAE?
Where the signatures go on decides how much attestation you need, so think about it before the signing day.
Signed in India
The usual case for an Indian principal. The full Indian chain applies: notary, Chamber of Commerce, MEA, UAE Embassy New Delhi and UAE MOFA. The agent can sign in the UAE before or after.
Signed in the UAE
If your director signs before a notary in the UAE, the agreement itself does not need Indian attestation. Your board resolution or power of attorney from India will still need the attestation route.
Many Indian companies sign in India because the director cannot travel. Whichever you choose, keep the signatory’s name and title identical across the agreement, the resolution and the passport copy.
Agency agreement attestation for UAE, step by step
- 1WhatsApp the agreementSend photos of every page. We check signatures, stamps and names, and quote the Indian stages in writing.
- 2NotaryA Delhi notary attests the signature of your authorised signatory.
- 3Chamber of CommerceA recognised chamber attests the agreement as a commercial document.
- 4MEA attestationSubmitted through the MEA’s outsourced collection centre in Delhi.
- 5UAE Embassy, New DelhiThe embassy legalises the MEA stamp.
- 6UAE MOFA onlineWe complete the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation online, then return the agreement by Blue Dart.
Because the MOFA step is online, the agreement does not need to travel to the UAE before it is complete. Your agent receives a fully attested agreement ready for the Ministry of Economy.
Why UAE agency files come back
- The agent’s name in the agreement does not match its UAE trade licence
- The agreement was attested only up to the UAE Embassy and the MOFA step was skipped
- No Arabic translation, or one the Ministry does not treat as a legal translation
- An e-signed or scanned agreement was printed and sent for attestation
- Pages were added or changed after the notary stage
INFINITYGRO prepares Arabic translations, but the Ministry asks for a legal translation. Ask your agent whether it must come from a UAE-licensed legal translator; if so, the attested English agreement is translated in the UAE.
Company papers often attested with it
If the agent or a UAE authority asks for proof that your signatory is authorised, send the board resolution or power of attorney in the same courier. They follow the same route and are completed together.
Agency agreement attestation for UAE: fees and time
| UAE Embassy legalisation, New Delhi | AED 2,000 per commercial document |
|---|---|
| UAE MOFA attestation (online) | AED 2,000 per commercial document |
| Notary, Chamber of Commerce, MEA and our service | Quoted in writing after we see the agreement |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
The UAE fees apply to each commercial document, so a board resolution or power of attorney sent with the agreement is charged separately. Time depends on the chamber, the MEA centre and the embassy, and is stated in the quote.
All charges for this country, including any embassy fee, are on its own fee page.
UAE embassy attestation feesFAQs: Agency Agreement Attestation for UAE
Is UAE MOFA attestation really needed if the UAE Embassy has stamped it?
Yes. The Ministry of Economy’s page lists the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the UAE embassy for contracts signed outside the UAE. The MOFA step is done online, and INFINITYGRO completes it before returning the agreement, so your agent does not need to arrange it.
Can an Indian company be its own agent in the UAE?
Not as a registered commercial agent. The Ministry of Economy says the agent must be a UAE national, a company wholly owned by UAE nationals, or a public shareholding company at least 51% owned by UAE nationals. Your own UAE subsidiary may not qualify; ask a UAE lawyer before drafting.
Does the agreement need to be in Arabic?
A foreign-language contract must be accompanied by a legal Arabic translation for registration. You can sign a bilingual English and Arabic agreement in India, or attest the English version and have the agent arrange a legal translation in the UAE.
Will Dubai or Abu Dhabi offices accept an apostille instead?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille from the MEA is not accepted anywhere in the UAE; the agreement needs MEA attestation, UAE Embassy legalisation in New Delhi and UAE MOFA attestation.
Our director will be in Dubai next month. Should he sign there?
That is an option. If signatures are certified before a notary in the UAE, the agreement does not need the Indian chain. You may still need an attested board resolution from India showing he can sign. Compare both routes with your agent before booking the notary.
Can you attest a distribution agreement as well as an agency agreement?
Yes. We attest the document as presented; the route is the same whether it is titled agency, distribution or sole agency. Whether the Ministry of Economy will register it as a commercial agency depends on its terms, which your UAE agent or lawyer should check.
Do I need to visit Delhi?
No. Courier the signed original to our New Ashok Nagar office with the company papers we list in the quote. Delhi clients can drop it off in person. The attested agreement goes back by Blue Dart or another secure courier.
How is the fee worked out?
The UAE Embassy charges AED 2,000 and UAE MOFA charges AED 2,000 for each commercial document. The notary, Chamber of Commerce, MEA and our service are quoted in writing after we see the agreement, because chamber charges vary. Courier and translation are listed separately.
Official sources
Get your UAE agency agreement attested
WhatsApp a photo of your document and the country it is for. We confirm the route, time and total in writing before you send anything.
Office: C – 5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096 · Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM · office drop-off or courier, no home pickup
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Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government office or embassy. Apostilles and attestations are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned; we do not issue, correct or verify certificates. Rules and fees can change, so check the requirements of the authority that will receive your document.
Last reviewed: October 2026