What is MOFA attestation?
Attestation is a process of legalizing the documents so that they can be approved of their genuineness. MOFA attestation comprises of obtaining a stamp from Foreign Affairs as a given proof of the credibility of the document it is provided on. It determines the value of not only the documents but also the attestation from the MOFA is carried out after the authentication of documents from the embassy and other related documents. When professional services are appointed to perform this particular procedure, there is no obligation for the candidate to be present in the country personally.What is the importance of MOFA Attestation?
The Gulf countries are growing rapidly and opening gates to several new opportunities. MOFA attestation is a significant legal procedure that is a part of availing these benefits. It plays a role in the visa issuing process for visas like employment visa, family or resident visa, and others. You need a permit or a visa for procuring admission in the school or for pursuing higher education or even for employment.MOFA verification is also done at the time of processing a labor card which is a work permit in UAE and other similar countries. It is acquired for the resident permit or for an employment visa as per the Labour Ministry. There are even hospitals that are specializing in curing diseases that are not curable by every medical department. Obtaining a visa for the same also demands authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Which countries need MOFA?
Just as there is MOFA attestation for UAE, it is also necessary for other Gulf countries as well. The list of the countries for which verification of documents from MOFA is compulsory are given below:- UAE
- Saudi
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
What are the documents required for MOFA attestation?
MOFA attestation requirements will vary depending on the country it is being acquired for. The common requirements considering all kinds of documents and the common procedure are listed as following:- Original embassy attested certificate (personal, educational, commercial)
- Attested copy of the passport
- Copy of the visa
Process for MOFA certificate attestation?
- Regional level:
It is the initial stage of the certificate verification procedure. This stage of verification can be done by the notary or the University from where the documents were issued, as per the requirement or from the Chamber of commerce in the case of commercial documents. - State Government:
The authentication of documents from the state is carried out by three variant organizations as per the need of the document type. These departments are the State Home Department (SHD), Human Resource Department (HRD), and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). SDM is independent of the state government, however, the legalization carried out by this authority is considered on the state level. - MEA Stamp:
MEA or Ministry of External Affairs is the last level of certification from the home government after which an MEA stamp is applied on the document. MEA is the central authorization that deals with the foreign matters of the country. - Embassy:
It is carried out by the personnel of the respective country the documents are being attested for. It is the last step of the certification for most nations after the Ministry of External Affairs. - Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
After the authentication from the embassy, the inbound documents are required to obtain verification from the MOFA in UAE or other gulf countries. MOFA is the final certificate attestation that is done for all kinds of documents.
