Plain explainers
What documents are notarized in the UAE, and where the others go
What documents are notarized in the UAE? Mainly five kinds: powers of attorney, affidavits and sworn declarations, signatures on letters and agreements, contracts and company instruments with a stated value, and translations attached to those instruments. The official fee schedule for notaries, Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, is organised around exactly these acts, which makes it a useful map.
Just as useful is the other list: documents that look as if they need a notary but actually go to a different office, such as MOFAIC for certificate attestation, a court for personal status matters, or your own consulate. This page covers both, so you book the right office the first time.
- A notarised document is one signed or executed before a notary, who checks identity, capacity and consent and records the act.
- In Dubai, notaries work under a local law, Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013. Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 covers the rest of the State, except where another local judicial authority has its own legislation.
- The federal fee schedule lists the main notarial acts: instruments by value, signature authentication, powers of attorney, translations and affidavits.
- Certificates such as degrees and birth certificates are usually attested, not notarised.
- A notary will not notarise a document if identity, capacity or consent cannot be confirmed.
What is considered a notarized document?
A document counts as notarised when a notary has carried out a notarial act on it and recorded that act with their endorsement and seal. Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 requires the notary first to verify the identity, capacity and consent of the parties, and to read out the content and explain its effect. Under Article 23, a signature or document notarised electronically carries the evidential weight of an official instrument, so remote notarisation on an approved channel still produces a notarised document.
A document you signed on your own, even on stamped paper or company letterhead, is not notarised. Nor is a photocopy stamped by a typing centre. Our page on what notarized means explains the idea from the start.
Prices
The documents a UAE notary handles
The federal schedule groups the work like this. The fees shown are the federal figures; Dubai private notaries charge under their own Dubai Courts decision.
| Kind of document | Examples | Federal fee (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Power of attorney | General, special, property, vehicle, company, court case | AED 100 per party (item 9) |
| Signature authentication, unspecified value | Consent letters, NOCs, declarations signed as letters, agreements with no stated value | AED 200 per party (item 8) |
| Affidavit | Sworn statement of facts, such as residence, single status or support | AED 300 (item 12) |
| Instrument with a stated value | Sale agreements, partnership deeds, MOA and share documents | By value; above AED 100,000 it is 0.5 percent, capped at AED 30,000 for notarisation (items 1 to 7) |
| Translation within the instrument | The Arabic translation notarised with the document | AED 50 per page (item 11) |
| Acts outside the notary's office | Visits away from the office, allowed only in narrow cases | Items 16 and 17 |
A private notary on the federal system may add up to 30 percent of the fee as professional fees (Article 2). Full details are on notary public charges.
Personal documents that are usually notarised
- A power of attorney for a relative to manage property, a car or a bank matter.
- A child travel consent letter or a parent's NOC.
- An affidavit of residence, name, or single status.
- An affidavit of support for a visitor.
Business documents that are usually notarised
- A company power of attorney for a manager or PRO.
- Board and partners' resolutions.
- Memoranda of association and their amendments, where the licensing authority requires it.
- Signature authentication on contracts.
Can you get any document notarized?
No. A notary is not a rubber stamp. The notary can decline, or cannot proceed, when:
- Identity cannot be confirmed, for example with an expired or missing ID.
- Capacity or consent is in doubt. The notary must be satisfied the person understands and agrees.
- The language rule is not met. Instruments are in Arabic; a foreign-language document needs a certified Arabic translation, which in Dubai is signed with the original.
- A required party is missing. Every signer must appear, in person or through an approved remote channel.
- The document belongs to another authority, as in the next section.
In Dubai, Article 24 of Law No. 4 of 2013 says the notary must decline an application if a party lacks eligibility, if a party's identity or capacity cannot be verified, if a party does not know or does not agree to the content, or if the application conflicts with public order or the law or aims to deceive or defraud. Article 21 also bars every notary from some instruments, such as those on the family affairs of Muslims or endowments, and those creating or transferring rights in real property.
Side by side
Documents that go somewhere else
| Document | Usually handled by | Reason it goes there |
|---|---|---|
| Degree, birth or marriage certificate for use in another country, or from another country | MOFAIC attestation, after attestation in the issuing country | The certificate already comes from an authority; it needs its seal confirmed, not a new signature |
| Marriage contract, divorce, custody | The personal status courts | These are court procedures, not notarial acts |
| Registration of a property sale or transfer in Dubai | Dubai Land Department | A notarised POA can let someone act, but the transfer itself is registered at DLD |
| Cancelling a power of attorney used for Dubai property | Dubai Land Department publishes a revocation service | The DLD service is where that cancellation is recorded |
| Documents for use only in your home country | Often your own consulate in the UAE | Consuls notarise for their own nationals under their own law |
| DIFC matters | DIFC Courts notary service | DIFC has its own courts and notary |
| Certified true copies of certificates | Depends on who is asking; see notary public certification | Some authorities accept a notary, others name a different certifier |
For the dividing line between a notary's work and attestation, see the difference between notary and attestation.
Watch for
What makes a notary reject a document on the day
Most refusals are not about the law. They are about preparation:
- The Arabic and English versions say different things.
- The name on the document does not match the passport.
- The supporting paper is missing: no title deed for a property POA, no trade licence for a company resolution.
- A document from abroad has no MOFAIC stamp.
- The signer brought a copy of their ID, not the original.
How we help
We look at your document and tell you whether it is a notarial act at all, and if so which one. If it belongs to another office, we tell you which. For notarial acts, we draft in Arabic and English, handle the translation, and you sign before our in-house notary public.
An affidavit or declaration prepared by us starts from AED 600, witnessing of signature from AED 900, and a power of attorney from AED 1,500. All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
What documents are notarized most often in Dubai?
Powers of attorney, affidavits and declarations, consent letters and NOCs, and company resolutions. These make up most notary visits.
Can a notary notarise a copy of my passport?
A certified copy is a different request from notarising a signature. Whether a notary will certify it depends on the office and on who will receive it; see our page on notary certification.
Can I notarise a document written only in English?
It needs a certified Arabic translation, signed with it in Dubai. In practice most documents are prepared in Arabic and English side by side.
Is a document stamped by a typing centre notarised?
No. Only a notary's act makes a document notarised.
Do I need a notary for a university certificate?
Usually not. Certificates are attested through MOFAIC and the relevant embassy, not notarised.
Guides
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What is a notarized letter? UAE meaning and examples
A letter signed before a notary who checks your ID and adds an official endorsement. What it looks like and when you need one.
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Explainer
Notary public certification in Dubai: signatures, copies and the notary's own status
Notary public certification explained: a certified signature, a certified copy, and how to check that a notary in Dubai is registered.
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Foreign documents
"My commission expires" on a notarised document
What the phrase means on a foreign notarised document, whether it still works after that date, and what the UAE needs from it.
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Contact
Talk to us
Send us a photo of the document and tell us who will receive it. We will tell you whether it needs a notary and which one.
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Hours
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How notarisation works
More in this section
Hub
Notarized means signed before a notary who checked your identity and sealed the document. What that proves, what it does not, and how it works in the UAE.
Sources for this page
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, items 1 to 17 and Article 2: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Articles 3, 5, 7, 17, 18 and 23: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Dubai Land Department, revocation of power of attorney: https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-revocation-of-power-of-attorney/
- DIFC Courts notary service: https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service
- MOFAIC attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation