Moving from the UK has one clear advantage: almost everything you own on paper is in English, and English is widely accepted by UAE authorities. That means fewer translations than someone arriving from France or Germany would need. It does not mean none. A handful of personal certificates are regularly asked for in Arabic, and they are the ones families tend to discover late.

Which certificates to expect المستندات

• Marriage certificate (عقد الزواج). Needed to sponsor your spouse's residence visa. This is the document most often requested with a legal Arabic translation.
• Children's birth certificates (شهادة الميلاد). Needed to sponsor each child, and often again for school registration. Use the full certificate that names both parents, not the short version.
• Degree certificate (الشهادة الجامعية). Needed for many professional roles. An attested English degree is usually accepted as it is, though some employers and regulators ask for Arabic as well.
• Other papers. Divorce decrees, custody orders, change of name deeds and powers of attorney are less common, but when they are needed they almost always need translating, because they have legal effect.

Your passport and UK driving licence are not translated.

Attestation comes first التصديق أولاً

Before a UK certificate can be used in Dubai it has to be attested (تصديق), which proves it is real. For UK documents the usual route is legalisation by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, then the UAE Embassy in London, and finally the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs once you arrive. Some documents, degrees in particular, need a solicitor or notary to certify them before the first step.

This is the slow part, and it is far easier to do while you are still in the UK. Start it as soon as the move is confirmed.

Then the translation ثم الترجمة

Translate after attestation, not before, so the stamps collected along the way appear in the Arabic version. Have it done in the UAE by a legal translator the authorities recognise. A certified translation produced in the UK, however good, is not automatically accepted here.

One detail matters more than people expect: names. English names can be written in Arabic in more than one way, and your visa file, Emirates ID and translated certificates all need to match. Give your translator a copy of your passport, and of your visa or Emirates ID if you already have one.

This article is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Attestation and translation requirements can change and vary by purpose. Confirm the current requirements with the relevant UAE authority, your employer or your relocation adviser.