Sick Leave Attestation Dubai — Medical Certificate & MOHAP Verification
What is sick leave attestation and when is it required in Dubai?
Sick leave attestation in Dubai involves verifying a medical certificate or sick leave document to confirm its authenticity. It is required by employers for extended sick leave (beyond 2 days), insurance claims, labour dispute resolution, and when sick leave documents issued abroad need to be used in the UAE. The process may involve MOHAP verification and MOFA attestation.
About Sick Leave Attestation
Sick leave attestation is the process of officially verifying medical certificates and sick leave documents for legal and employment purposes in the UAE. Under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (UAE Labour Law), employees in the private sector are entitled to 90 days of sick leave per year — 15 days at full pay, 30 days at half pay, and 45 days unpaid. However, employers have the right to request verification and attestation of medical certificates, especially for extended absences beyond 2 consecutive days.
Sick leave attestation is commonly needed when an employee takes extended sick leave, when a medical certificate was issued outside the UAE and needs to be recognized by a UAE employer, for insurance claims related to medical leave or income protection, during labour disputes where sick leave authenticity is questioned (MOHRE cases), and for government sector employment where all medical documentation must be attested. Employers can reject unattested foreign medical certificates, which may result in the absence being marked as unauthorized leave.
The attestation process depends on where the medical certificate was issued. UAE-issued certificates may need verification by DHA (Dubai Health Authority) for Dubai-licensed facilities, DOH (Department of Health) for Abu Dhabi, or MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention) for other emirates and federal facilities. Foreign-issued medical certificates require the standard attestation chain: verification by the health authority in the issuing country, embassy attestation, and MOFA attestation. AttestExpress handles the entire process — from collecting your medical certificate at your home or office to completing all verification steps and delivering the attested document back to your doorstep.
Documents Required
- Original medical certificate or sick leave document
- Doctor's prescription or hospital discharge summary (if applicable)
- Passport copy of the patient
- Emirates ID copy
- Employment contract copy (if required by employer)
- Legal translation into Arabic or English (if in another language)
How Sick Leave Attestation Works
Document Collection
AttestExpress collects your medical certificate from your home or office in Dubai.
Health Authority Verification
For UAE-issued certificates: verification through DHA, DOH, or MOHAP. For foreign certificates: home country health ministry verification.
Embassy & MOFA Attestation
Foreign medical certificates go through embassy authentication and MOFA attestation to be legally valid in the UAE.
Doorstep Delivery
Your verified and attested sick leave document is delivered back to your doorstep, ready for submission to your employer or insurer.
Processing Time
2-5 working days (UAE-issued), 7-15 working days (foreign-issued, full attestation chain)
Sick Leave Attestation — Areas We Serve in Dubai
Free doorstep document pickup and delivery for sick leave attestation across all of Dubai:
Why Choose AttestExpress for Sick Leave Attestation?
| Feature | AttestExpress | Typical Service |
|---|---|---|
| Free Doorstep Document Pickup | ||
| Free Doorstep Delivery | ||
| WhatsApp Tracking Updates | ||
| Transparent Pricing — No Hidden Fees | Often unclear | |
| All Embassies & Ministries Covered | Limited | |
| Same-Day Document Collection | Varies |
Sick Leave Attestation — Frequently Asked Questions
Sick leave attestation is not automatically mandatory for every sick day. However, under UAE Labour Law, employers can request medical certificate verification for absences of more than 2 consecutive days. For foreign-issued medical certificates, attestation is required for them to be legally recognized in the UAE. Government sector employees typically need all medical documents attested.