Last updated: 8 November 2026
MOFA attestation in Saudi Arabia (the ministry calls it “ratification”) costs SAR 30 per document. You apply on ratification.mofa.gov.sa, book an appointment, pay through SADAD within 3 hours, then take the original to a MOFA branch or send it through Saudi Post. Home-country documents follow a different route.
The steps and screenshots below are from our own request on 8 November 2026, for our son’s Saudi birth certificate in Riyadh.
Quick answer: MOFA attestation at a glance
| Official portal | ratification.mofa.gov.sa (Ratification > New Ratification Request) |
| Fee | SAR 30 per document. Saudis are exempt only for birth, education and death certificates |
| Payment | SADAD, within 3 hours of booking the appointment, or the appointment is cancelled |
| Appointment window | Up to 14 days from the date you create the request |
| Branch slots | 1-hour slots from 07:30 to 13:30, no appointments on Friday or Saturday |
| Paid documents per request | One |
| Service time (MOFA’s own standard) | One business day, unless extra checks are needed |
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Which route do you need?
Many expats in Saudi Arabia mix up three different things:
- A document issued in Saudi Arabia: use the MOFA ratification e-service. This is the main part of this guide.
- A document from your home country: attest or apostille it at home first. MOFA in Riyadh does not replace that step.
- A Saudi document you will use in another country: if that country is in the Apostille Convention, MOFA issues the apostille from the same portal.
The “attestation” in the family visit visa process is different again: your employer attests the visa request through its chamber of commerce.
Before you apply: get the issuing authority’s stamp first
MOFA adds the last stamp in a chain. Its rules say the issuing body must first authenticate its own document, signed and sealed by an accredited official.
- Birth certificate issued in KSA: authenticated by Civil Affairs. A hospital birth notification is not accepted. Our newborn baby guide for Saudi Arabia covers getting the certificate.
- Marriage contract issued in KSA: authenticated by the Ministry of Justice first.
- Saudi school or university certificates: all levels, including the academic record. Copies need a “certified true copy” stamp.
- Experience letters and company documents: the issuing body or the chamber of commerce first.
How to apply for MOFA attestation online: step by step
Step 1: Open the new ratification request
On ratification.mofa.gov.sa, switch to English and open Ratification > New Ratification Request. When we did this, we signed in with Nafath, so keep the Nafath app ready on your phone.
Fill in:
- Ratification Place: “Ministry Of Foreign Affairs or its branches” inside the Kingdom (“Saudi missions overseas” is for embassies abroad).
- Current place: the branch you will visit, for example Riyadh.
- Ratification mechanism: “By going to branch” or “By Saudi Post”.
- Nationality, your name in four parts and your ID, Residence permit or Passport number.
- Mobile number starting 00966, and your email.
Step 2: Add the document
Click Add new document, choose the Type of the document Category and Type of the document, and enter the Documents number. For our son we chose “Civil identity document” and “Birth Certificate”. Only one paid document is allowed per request, so a birth certificate and a marriage contract need two requests.
Step 3: Submit and note the request and invoice numbers
Type the captcha, tick “Verify that you have entered the correct data” and press Submit. The invoice page shows a request number and an invoice number and tells you to book an appointment, then pay the ratification fees (30 SAR) through SADAD within three hours, or the appointment is cancelled. It also has a “How to use Sadad payment” guide and buttons for New Appointment and Print request.
Step 4: Book the appointment
Click New Appointment. Create Appointment shows a weekly grid for your branch with 1-hour slots from 07:30 to 13:30, and no appointments on Friday or Saturday. You can book within 14 days of creating the request.
Step 5: Pay SAR 30 through SADAD
Pay at once through SADAD in your bank app, using the invoice details. MOFA collects the fee electronically, not in cash.
Step 6: Print the request and visit the branch
Use Print request (the printout is in Arabic and shows the payment status) and take it with the original document at your booked time. The person concerned must attend, or someone with their power of attorney or authorisation.
If you closed the page: find your request again
Open Book new appointment or Ratification > Request Inquiry. Enter your ID or iqama number and request number, then the activation code the portal asks for, and book from there.
The Saudi Post option
With “By Saudi Post”, SPL says you pay the MOFA fee online, print the request, take the documents to an SPL branch and pay SPL’s own service fee. SPL delivers them to MOFA, and you collect them from the SPL branch once ratified. Ask the branch for its current fee.
MOFA branches and offices you can choose
The “Current place” list on the form includes Riyadh, Jeddah, the Dammam branch, the Madinah branch, the Makkah branch and Tabuk, plus ratification offices at the chambers of commerce in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Abha, Qassim, Al Jouf, Hail, Hafr Al Batin, Najran and Jazan.
Documents and MOFA attestation fee
| Document | Must be done first | MOFA fee (expats) |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate issued in KSA | Civil Affairs authentication | SAR 30 |
| Marriage contract issued in KSA | Ministry of Justice | SAR 30 |
| Saudi school or university certificate, academic record | Certified true copy stamp on copies | SAR 30 |
| Police (criminal record) certificate from Criminal Evidence | Issued and stamped by the department | SAR 30 |
| Foreign degree | Saudi Cultural Mission and Saudi embassy in the issuing country | SAR 30 |
| Foreign marriage contract | Saudi embassy in that country, or your country’s embassy in KSA | SAR 30 |
| Iqama or passport copy | Not ratified without a live authentication from the issuer | Not accepted as a plain copy |
Saudis do not pay for birth, education or death certificates. Laminated documents are not ratified.
Documents from your home country: attest or apostille at home
Degrees, marriage and birth certificates from home are prepared before they reach Saudi Arabia. The permanent family visa and most work visas depend on this.
- If your country is in the Apostille Convention (India since 2005, the Philippines since May 2019, Pakistan since March 2023, Bangladesh since March 2025, the UK and many others), an apostille from your own authority replaces Saudi embassy legalisation. The convention has applied to Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022, and the Saudi Central Bank told banks in October 2023 that apostilled documents need no extra MOFA or embassy stamp.
- If it is not (Egypt, for example), the chain is the issuing authority, your foreign ministry, then the Saudi embassy or consulate in that country.
- Degrees are a special case. MOFA’s rules list the Saudi Cultural Mission for foreign degrees, and many jobs also need Mosadaqa verification. Ask your employer what it wants before paying an agent.
Visa centres sometimes still ask for the older embassy route. Our Saudi work visa from Pakistan guide covers the Pakistani side. Inside the Kingdom, a Saudi office may ask for MOFA ratification on top, which MOFA gives only once the full chain is in place.
Apostille for Saudi documents you will use abroad
The portal’s Apostille menu has Create Apostille Request, Check Certificate Validate and Refund Certificate Apostille. The request asks for the issuing government body, page count, destination country, purpose and all attachments as one PDF. The Hague Conference lists MOFA as the apostille authority, fee 30 Saudi riyals.
Some countries still use the old legalisation route, as our Schengen visa guide shows. For your own mission, such as the Pakistan Consulate Jeddah, ask whether it wants MOFA ratification or an apostille.
Common problems and fixes
- Appointment cancelled: payment came more than 3 hours after booking. Book again within the 14 days and pay at once.
- “Can’t add more than one not free document”: create a separate request for each paid document.
- Mobile number rejected: start with 00966, as the form’s example shows.
- No free slots: Friday and Saturday are closed. Try another weekday within your 14 days.
- Refused at the counter: a missing first stamp, a laminated paper, scratched or added text, or a birth notification instead of a certificate.
Tips from our own ratification
Based on real expat experience in KSA:
- Book the slot first and pay the SAR 30 in the same sitting.
- Take a screenshot of the invoice page. You need the request number to find it again.
- Moving soon? Put attestation on your moving to Saudi Arabia checklist, and have degrees ready before you start finding a job in Saudi Arabia.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the MOFA attestation fee in Saudi Arabia?
SAR 30 per document through SADAD. Saudis are exempt for birth, education and death certificates. Saudi Post adds its own fee if you use it.
Can I get MOFA attestation fully online?
Partly. The request, appointment and payment are online. The original still goes to a branch or through Saudi Post.
How long does MOFA ratification take?
MOFA’s service level agreement gives one business day, except requests needing extra security checks.
Does Saudi Arabia accept apostilled documents?
Yes, since 7 December 2022, for documents from member countries. Some offices still ask for extra steps, so confirm first.
Do I need to ratify my baby’s Saudi birth certificate?
Yes, when your embassy asks for it, for example for the child’s passport or national registration. Get Civil Affairs authentication first, then apply under Civil identity document > Birth Certificate.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs ratification portal (ratification.mofa.gov.sa: New Ratification Request, ratification terms and fees, Apostille Request, Request Inquiry, Service Level Agreement); MOFA e-services page “Ratification services on documents” (mofa.gov.sa); Saudi Post SPL “Ministry of Foreign Affairs Service” (splonline.com.sa); HCCH Apostille Convention status table, Saudi Arabia entry into force notice and competent authority page (hcch.net); Saudi Central Bank rulebook circular 2310250731 of 24 October 2023 (rulebook.sama.gov.sa).