Instead of printing out your Emirates ID, driving license, and other government documents, you can access and store their trusted digital copy on your laptop and mobile phone.
Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) introduced ‘UAE Verify’ in January 2022. Through UAE Verify, government and private entities can verify digital documents’ authenticity without requesting a paper copy.
How does it work and what is it? Here’s everything you need to know about UAE Verify.
What is ‘UAE Verify’?
On its official website – uaeverify.gov.ae – UAE Verify describes itself as a blockchain-based digital platform where you can verify ‘Digital Trusted Documents’ obtained from partnering government departments, such as the Ministry of Education and Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP).
By using the ‘UAE Verify’ platform, you can convert your documents into authenticated digital documents with high levels of privacy and security.
The trusted digital copies contain a unique QR code, which is scanned by the government entity to verify their authenticity.
Digital Trusted Documents: What are they?
The UAE’s Digital Trusted Document, issued by a ministry or a local government, contains data that is digested into a ‘hash’ and recorded in a blockchain system, which is then validated and verified by ‘UAE Verify’.
Each Digital Trusted Document contains a hash, a unique digital code, which verifies that its contents have not been altered.
Which government departments provide Digital Trusted Documents?
The following government departments have partnered with UAE Verify to issue Digital Trusted Documents:
- Ministry of Interior
- Ministry of Community Development
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Health and Prevention
- Ministry of Justice
- Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security
- General Civil Aviation Authority
- Dubai Land Department
What are the steps for accessing a Digital Trusted Document?
For access to Digital Trusted Documents, it is necessary to download the UAE Pass app. The UAE Pass app allows you to complete all government work through a single app. The app has access to over 5,000 government services.
After downloading the app, log into UAE Pass and select ‘Add Documents’. After that, you will be able to view the list of government departments that have partnered with UAE Verify. Then choose the document for which you require a Trusted Digital Document from the relevant department. The app will handle your request once you have submitted it. When it is completed, you will receive a notification. The process usually takes a few minutes.
On the UAE Pass app, you can access the documents via the ‘Documents’ tab.
Additionally, each document will be able to generate a QR code for verification.
Other documents may require you to contact the government department directly. To obtain a Trusted Digital Document of your marriage certificate or a Power of Attorney, contact the Ministry of Justice.
How does one verify a Digital Trusted Document?
By uploading the Digital Trusted Document, you can verify its authenticity, integrity, and validity with the official issuing authority on the UAE Verify platform.
To upload your document, visit the ‘UAE Verify’ homepage: https://uaeverify.gov.ae/ and click on the green tab labeled, ‘Upload’.
The ‘UAE Verify’ platform will verify the authenticity of the Digital Trusted Document hash uploaded through the blockchain system and verify that it comes from the official source and is not forged.
Note that your document will be invalid if it was not issued by ‘UAE Verify’ official government partners. Your Digital Trusted Document verification will be denied as well if it is found to have been tampered with.
UAE Pass is the second way to verify a Digital Trusted Document. The government entity can verify the “Digital Trusted Document” by scanning the QR code presented by the document owner.
What types of Digital Trusted Documents are available?
Here are some examples of Digital Trusted Documents that can be validated through UAE VERIFY:
- Police clearance certificate
- Vehicle license
- Driving license
- Passport
- Emirates ID Card
- Residence Visa
- Academic Qualification Attestation
- COVID-19 Vaccination Card
- Marriage Certificate
Why one should not print your Digital Trusted Document?
‘UAE Verify’ states that by “printing, it will discard all the advanced protections built to preserve the certificate in a secure format. Printed certificates cannot be verified.”