It comes up at almost every job move in the UAE: a new employer, a permit renewal, or a professional licensing body asks for an experience certificate - the letter from a previous employer confirming your role, dates, and that you actually worked there. Somewhere on the checklist sits a line about it being “in Arabic” or “attested and translated,” and it usually has to be sorted before the application can move forward.
This article covers the document and translation side only: when an experience certificate needs a certified translation, what gets translated, the order it goes in with attestation, and who is allowed to certify it. It is not advice on labour rules or eligibility. Whether a particular role qualifies you for a permit or a professional licence, what MOHRE or a regulator requires in your case, and how your visa or job offer is processed are decisions for those authorities and your employer. What follows is only about getting the certificate into a form the authority will accept.
The Short Answer
If your experience certificate is in any language other than Arabic, it generally needs a certified legal translation into Arabic before a UAE authority such as MOHRE, or a professional licensing body, will act on it, because those processes run in Arabic. An English certificate is often still translated into Arabic for the same reason, even though English is widely read here.
There is a second layer that catches people out: a certificate issued outside the UAE usually needs to be attested before it is translated, so the authority can trust that it is genuine. Translation and attestation are two different steps, they happen in a set order, and getting that order wrong is the most common and most expensive mistake. The rest of this guide is about telling which case you are in.
When You Actually Need a Translation
Rather than translate by reflex, match your situation to the table. If you are not sure which row you are in, a free document route check will confirm it before any work starts.
| Your Certificate | Where It Is Going | Translation Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign certificate in a non-Arabic language | MOHRE or a UAE licensing body | Yes - certified Arabic; attestation also applies |
| English certificate from abroad | MOHRE or a UAE licensing body | Usually yes for Arabic; attestation also applies |
| UAE company letter in English | A UAE authority | Often yes for Arabic - check the receiving authority |
| UAE company letter in English | An employer or authority abroad | Usually attestation, not Arabic - check that country |
Who Is Qualified to Certify It
- Arabic to English is MOJ-certified directly under License #701.
- Other major pairs are MOJ-certified through contracted licensed translators, each under their own licence.
- Rare pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under Arkan company certification.
An experience certificate is translated in full, exactly as issued. A certified translation reproduces the whole document - the employer’s name and letterhead, your job title, the dates of service, the duties listed, the issue date, and any official stamp, seal, or signature - so the Arabic version matches the original line for line. The translator does not summarise, upgrade a job title, or adjust the dates. You can verify any translator’s MOJ licence by calling the hotline at 800 333333.
Attestation Comes First for a Foreign Certificate
For a certificate issued outside the UAE, the order matters. The document normally has to be legalised in the country where it was issued - an apostille for countries in the Apostille Convention, or a full embassy chain otherwise - and then attested up to MOFA attestation in the UAE, before it is translated. The legalisation and attestation stamps go on the original, and the certified Arabic translation is produced from that attested document, so the proof of authenticity is carried into the version the authority files. Our guide on attestation versus apostille in the UAE explains which path your home country falls under.
One thing the certificate does not cover: if an interview, a labour office appointment, or a licensing hearing involves someone who does not speak Arabic or English, that calls for a live legal interpreter, which is a spoken service entirely separate from translating the document. Translating the certificate and interpreting an appointment are different jobs with different credentials, and this guide is only about the certificate.
It Often Travels With Other Documents
An experience certificate rarely moves on its own. The same application that asks for it usually asks for your degree, your employment contract, and sometimes a professional qualification, each on its own attest-then-translate path. Our guides to employment contract translation and academic transcript translation cover two of the documents that most often go alongside it. Which exact combination your file needs is a question for the authority or employer asking; this guide stays on the translation and attestation of whichever documents they request.
Timing Points to Watch
Two practical points decide how soon you should move:
- Attestation needs lead time. Legalising a foreign certificate and carrying it through to MOFA attestation can take a couple of weeks on its own, so start it early. The translation step is fast once the attested original is in hand; the attestation chain is the part that needs the runway.
- Get the wording final first. If you are still asking a former employer to reissue the letter with a corrected title or date, wait until the final version is in hand before translating. Translating a draft that then changes means paying to redo the certified copy.
Common Mistakes That Cause Delays
- Translating before attesting. A foreign certificate translated first, then attested, often has to be redone, because the attestation belongs on the original and must be captured in the Arabic translation. Confirm the order first.
- Assuming an English certificate needs nothing. Language and authenticity are separate questions, and MOHRE or a licensing body usually wants Arabic regardless. An English certificate from abroad commonly needs both an Arabic translation and attestation.
- Using a company-stamped translation where a legal one is required. When an authority asks for a certified legal translation, they look for the individual translator’s MOJ stamp, licence number, and signature, not a company stamp alone.
- Translating a draft. A certificate whose title or dates change after translation has to be redone. Finalise the wording with the issuer first.
- Leaving it to the deadline. A fixed permit or licensing date is a poor time to discover the certificate needs attestation and translation in sequence. Start with a route check.
Have a work experience certificate that needs certified translation for MOHRE, a licensing body, or a new employer? Arkan provides MOJ-certified legal translation under License #701, with a document route check included so you only pay for the steps you actually need. Send the certificate for a timeline and quote on WhatsApp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an experience certificate need to be translated for use in the UAE?
Usually, yes, if it is not already in Arabic. UAE authorities such as MOHRE, and professional licensing bodies in health and other regulated fields, operate in Arabic, so an experience certificate or service letter issued in another language generally needs a certified Arabic translation before it is accepted. Some steps work from an English version, but Arabic is the language the authority normally acts on. Requirements vary by authority and by the purpose, so confirm the current rule with the body asking for it before you start.
Who can certify an experience certificate translation in the UAE?
A translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. For Arabic to English, Arkan certifies directly under MOJ License #701. Other language pairs are handled by contracted MOJ-licensed translators, each under their own licence, and pairs with no MOJ translator in the UAE are issued under Arkan company certification. UAE authorities that ask for a legal translation look for the individual translator’s MOJ stamp, licence number, and signature, not just a company logo.
Does an experience certificate need attestation as well as translation?
Often, if it was issued abroad. A foreign experience certificate normally has to be legalised in the country of issue - an apostille for Apostille Convention countries, or a full embassy chain otherwise - and then attested up to MOFA attestation in the UAE, before it is translated. The attestation goes on the original first, then the attested document is translated so the certification is carried into the Arabic version. A document route check confirms whether attestation applies and in what order.
Do I need to translate an experience certificate that was issued in the UAE?
It depends on where it is going. A UAE company letter in English is sometimes accepted as is for a given step, but many authorities still want a certified Arabic version, and a certificate being sent abroad usually needs UAE attestation rather than translation. Because the answer changes with the receiving authority and the country, a quick route check is the safe way to find out whether you need Arabic translation, attestation, or both before paying for anything.
How long does experience certificate translation take?
The translation itself is quick. A standard one or two-page experience certificate is usually ready within about one business day once we have the final document, and rush service is available when a permit or licensing deadline is fixed. If attestation is also required, the attestation chain is the slower part and should be started early, because the translation can only be finalised once the attested original is in hand.
My experience certificate is already in English. Do I still need an Arabic translation?
Often, yes. Even when the certificate is in English, MOHRE and many licensing authorities act on an Arabic version, so a certified Arabic translation is commonly required. An English certificate from abroad may also still need attestation to prove it is genuine. Whether English alone is enough for a particular step depends on the authority handling your file, so a quick route check confirms whether you need Arabic translation, attestation, or both.
Next Steps
Before you pay to translate anything, confirm two things: whether the authority needs the certificate in Arabic, and whether a certificate from abroad needs attestation before translation. Our free document route check answers both, or you can send the certificate straight to us for a timeline and quote on WhatsApp. For the full service, see our certified legal translation page, and if you are moving jobs, our guide to employment contract translation in the UAE covers the document that often goes alongside it.