Plain explainers
Notary for foreign documents in Dubai: your consulate or a UAE notary
If you are looking for an Indian notary in Dubai, or any notary for foreign documents, the first question is where the document will be used. A document for use in India, the Philippines or the UK is often signed at that country's consulate here. A document for use in the UAE is signed before a UAE notary. And a document that has already been notarised abroad needs attestation, not a second notary, before a UAE authority will take it.
This page walks through the three situations, starting with the two nationalities that ask us most often: Indian and Filipino residents. Every consulate detail links to, or asks you to check, that mission's own website, because consular services and fees change without notice.
We are Notary Services in Dubai, with an in-house notary public at our office in Business Bay. We draft documents for consulates, notarise the ones a UAE notary can take, and take care of the attestation that follows.
- Three kinds of people may do notarial work under UAE federal law: public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls.
- Foreign consulates in the UAE serve their own nationals under their own country's rules. What each one offers is set by that country.
- A foreign document for use in the UAE is attested in its home country, then by the UAE embassy there, then by MOFAIC in the UAE.
- The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone does not make a foreign document usable here.
- MOFAIC charges AED 150 to attest a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial document.
Side by side
Three situations, three different offices
| Your situation | Where it is usually signed | What comes next |
|---|---|---|
| A document for use in your home country (for example a power of attorney for a flat in India) | Your country's consulate or embassy in the UAE, or a UAE notary if your home country accepts it | Your home country's own rules; sometimes MOFAIC attestation if signed before a UAE notary |
| A document for use in the UAE (for example an affidavit for a Dubai authority) | A UAE notary: Dubai Courts, a private notary office, or the notary in your emirate | Usually nothing more, unless the receiving office asks |
| A document already notarised abroad, for use in the UAE | Not signed again | Attestation chain: home country foreign ministry, UAE embassy there, then MOFAIC |
Most wasted trips come from mixing up the first and the third row. A UAE notary will not re-notarise a document notarised in another country; it needs the attestation chain instead. Our page on the difference between notary and attestation explains why.
Indian notary in Dubai: what Indian residents usually need
Indian residents in the UAE usually need documents for use in India: a power of attorney for property or a bank account, an affidavit for a passport matter, or a declaration for a court or a university. There are two routes.
01
Route 1: the Indian mission
The Consulate General of India in Dubai and the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi provide consular services to Indian nationals, including attestation of documents for use in India. Check the current service list, fees and booking method on the mission's own website before you go.
02
Route 2: a UAE notary, then attestation
Some Indian authorities accept a document signed before a UAE notary and then attested by MOFAIC. Whether yours does depends on the authority in India that will receive it, so ask them first.
People also ask about a notary public for Indian documents that were issued in India, such as a degree or a birth certificate. Those are not notarised again here. They follow the attestation chain in India and then MOFAIC in the UAE. For the full India attestation chain, step by step, see the India guide on dubainotaryservices.com.
Filipino residents: the Philippine Consulate General and Embassy
For Filipino residents, the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi are where many personal documents are signed. Documents for use in the Philippines, and the affidavit of support that many sponsors need, are often done at one of these two missions. Check which mission serves your emirate, and its current appointment system, on the mission's own website.
Our page on the affidavit of support goes through the Philippine mission route in detail, and explains when a UAE notary is the right office instead.
Step by step
British and other nationalities
What about a British notary public in Dubai? Consular notarial services vary a great deal by country, and some countries offer few or none from their missions in the UAE. If your mission does not offer what you need, the usual alternative is a UAE notary followed by MOFAIC attestation, and then whatever your home country requires on arrival.
The same logic works for every nationality:
1
Ask the authority that will receive the document what it accepts.
2
Check your mission's website for the notarial services it offers.
3
If the mission cannot help, use a UAE notary and plan for attestation.
A document notarised abroad, for use here
If you already hold a document notarised in your home country, do not take it to a Dubai notary. The UAE recognises it through legalisation. MOFAIC's own guidance is that the original must first be attested by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then by the UAE embassy or consulate there, and then by MOFAIC in the UAE. Dubai Courts applies the same chain to powers of attorney issued outside the UAE.
MOFAIC also asks for the original in Arabic or English, or with a legally certified translation, and will not attest a laminated document. The MOFAIC fee is AED 150 for a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one, such as a commercial power of attorney.
An apostille from a Hague Convention country does not replace this chain in the UAE. If your document shows a US-style notary block with "my commission expires", our page on what "my commission expires" means explains what that line does and does not mean here.
A UAE document for use abroad
The reverse trip starts with a UAE notary. After the notary, MOFAIC attests the seal, and many destination countries then want their own embassy in the UAE to legalise it. The notary offices across the UAE page explains which office to start at, and the Dubai Courts points are on Dubai Courts notary public locations.
How we help with foreign documents
- We find out what the receiving authority accepts before anything is signed, so you do not sign at the wrong office.
- We draft the power of attorney, affidavit or declaration in the form your consulate or the UAE notary expects.
- We coordinate the legal translation into Arabic, or into English for a document going abroad.
- We book your appointment with our in-house notary public, or prepare your checklist for a consulate visit.
- We take care of attestation after notarisation: MOFAIC from AED 150 for a personal document, plus the MOFAIC fee at cost.
Popular starting prices: affidavit from AED 600, power of attorney from AED 1,500, Indian certificate attestation (full chain) from AED 250. 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.
See our services for everything we prepare.
Is there an Indian notary in Dubai?
Indian residents can use the Indian mission's consular services for documents meant for India, or a UAE notary if the Indian authority accepts it. A notary licensed in India does not practise as a notary in the UAE. Check the mission's website for its current services.
Can a UAE notary notarise a foreign document?
A UAE notary can witness your signature on a new document, whatever country it is for. A document that was already notarised abroad is not notarised again here; it goes through the attestation chain ending with MOFAIC.
Does my home country's apostille work in the UAE?
No. The UAE has never joined the Hague Apostille Convention, so it is not a party to it. Your document needs attestation by your country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there and MOFAIC.
Which is cheaper, the consulate or a UAE notary?
It depends on the country and the document. Consulate fees are set by each country and change; UAE notary fees follow the official schedule. We compare both routes for your document before you choose.
Can I get a document for India signed at home?
Some consular and notary services include visits and some do not. Ask your mission first. A Dubai private notary can act outside the office for a government fee of AED 1,000 per trip under the Dubai Courts fee decision, if a UAE notary is acceptable for your document.
Guides
More guides
Explainer
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
Contact
Talk to us
Tell us your nationality, the document and the country it is going to. We will tell you which office signs it and what happens after.
Phone and WhatsApp
Office
707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)
Notary offices
More in this section
Hub
Where the Dubai Courts notary public service points are, how to check their timings, what to bring, and the private and remote options if you cannot go.
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- MOFAIC attestation service and FAQ: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation and https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Dubai Courts, power of attorney service page, archived 16 March 2023: https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055912/https://www.dc.gov.ae/PublicServices/GessServiceDetails.aspx?lang=en&ServiceCode=G4
- Dubai Courts private notary fee decision, Dubai Media Office: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41