Dubai Courts notary public
Dubai Courts service centre guide: which centres take notary work
A Dubai Courts service centre is a counter where Dubai Courts delivers its public services away from the main court building. Some of these centres take notary work, such as the attestation of signatures on a power of attorney. Others mainly handle case filing, payments or enquiries. This page lists the centres named on the official source, explains how to see what each centre accepts, and tells you what to bring so the visit works first time.
Dubai Courts runs every centre on this page. Notary Services in Dubai has an in-house notary public at 707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay; for documents that must go to Dubai Courts, we do the drafting, the Arabic translation and the booking.
- Under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 the Government notary sits inside Dubai Courts, which is why notary work is done at court counters and not at a ministry.
- The Dubai Courts page for power of attorney attestation, archived on 16 March 2023, names five service centres: Wafi Mall, the Traffic Department in Al Barsha, Al Barsha Mall, Hatta Centre and Al Yalayis.
- The same page lists private notary offices as another channel for that service.
- A centre's name on a list does not mean it takes every service. Check the centre's own service list on dc.gov.ae.
- Hours and phone numbers are published by Dubai Courts, and they change, so check them on the day.
Service centre, court building or notary office: the three words
People mix up three places, and it costs them a trip.
- The court building is where cases are heard. Most notary customers never need to go there.
- A service centre is a customer counter run by Dubai Courts in a mall, a government building or an outlying town. It is part of Dubai Courts, and the notary acts there as the Government notary.
- A private notary office is run by a private notary registered on the roll that Dubai Courts keeps. It is a separate office, with its own appointments, working under the same Dubai law.
When someone says "the Dubai Courts notary public department", they usually mean the notary service as a whole, which is spread across the centres and channels above rather than sitting in one room.
Side by side
The centres on the official list
The table lists the centres named on the archived Dubai Courts service page. If dc.gov.ae today names a counter that is not here, follow dc.gov.ae.
| Service centre | Where it is | Notary work at this centre | What to check on dc.gov.ae |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wafi Mall | Wafi, near Oud Metha and Umm Hurair | Listed for power of attorney attestation | Services, hours, Friday hours |
| Traffic Department, Al Barsha | Inside the traffic building in Al Barsha | Listed for power of attorney attestation | Services, hours, parking |
| Al Barsha Mall | Al Barsha | Listed for power of attorney attestation | Services, hours |
| Hatta Centre | Hatta | Listed for power of attorney attestation | Services, hours |
| Al Yalayis | Al Yalayis | Listed for power of attorney attestation | Services, hours |
"Listed" means the centre appears on the Dubai Courts page for that one service. It is not proof that every other notarial act, such as an affidavit, is taken at the same counter.
Step by step
Which centres do not take notary work
Here is how to find out in two minutes whether a centre takes your document.
1
Go to dc.gov.ae and open the service you need, for example power of attorney attestation or signature authentication.
2
Read the "service channels" or "where to apply" part of that service page. It names the centres that take it.
3
If your centre is not named for that service, choose one that is, or use a private notary office.
4
Check the centre's hours for the day you plan to go.
This is the same check we run before any document goes to a Dubai Courts counter. It takes less time than a wasted drive to Hatta.
Dubai Courts service centre at Wafi Mall
The Wafi Mall counter, often called the Wafi court, is the one most people know. It is listed for power of attorney attestation on the archived page. Because it draws people from Bur Dubai, Karama, Downtown and Business Bay, it is often the busiest. Our separate Wafi Mall notary guide covers the centre in detail, including where to check its timings and contact number.
The Al Barsha centres
Two of the five listed centres are in Al Barsha: one inside the Traffic Department building and one at Al Barsha Mall. For people living in Al Barsha, Tecom, Al Sufouh, the Marina side of the city or Jumeirah Village, these are usually the closer counters. They are different sites with separate listings, so check each one's service list and hours separately. Our page on notary services near Al Barsha covers that side of Dubai.
Hatta and Al Yalayis
Hatta Centre serves people in Hatta, who would otherwise face a long drive into the city. Al Yalayis is on the southern side of Dubai. For most people in central Dubai these two are not the practical choice, but they matter for residents nearby. Check both on dc.gov.ae before relying on them.
Other ways Dubai Courts notary services are delivered
The archived page names more than the counters. For power of attorney attestation it lists private notary offices as a channel, and it says the signatures can be attested with personal or virtual attendance. So "Dubai Courts notary services" today can mean:
- a visit to one of the centres above,
- a visit to a private notary office on the Dubai Courts roll, or
- a remote session, where the service allows it.
The guide at notarypublicindubai.com explains each court procedure step by step.
Signature approval and personal matters
Two questions come up often: "signature approval" and the "personal court". Both point to the same place. Signature authentication, sometimes called signature approval, is a notarial act, so it goes to a notary: a Dubai Courts centre that takes it, or a private notary office. Personal status matters, such as marriage, divorce and custody, follow court procedures of their own, and a notary counter is not the place to start them. Check the Dubai Courts site for the right channel.
Checklist
What to bring to any centre
Before you go
- Original identity papers: the Emirates ID for residents, the passport for visitors.
- The text itself in Arabic, or with Arabic beside the other language. Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 requires a certified Arabic translation for a document in a foreign language, signed with the original.
- ID details for each person named in the paper, not only the signers.
- The paper the act rests on, for example the title deed when the subject is a flat, the car's ownership certificate when it is a vehicle, or the trade licence when a company is involved.
- Any foreign document with its full attestation, ending with MOFAIC in the UAE.
How we help before you go to a centre
- We check which centre, or which private notary office, takes your document.
- We draft the document in Arabic and English and coordinate the legal translation.
- We set your signing with our in-house notary public, or send you a checklist when your document must go to a Dubai Courts counter.
- We courier papers to and from you in Dubai, from AED 80.
A power of attorney prepared by us starts from AED 1,500, and signature witnessing from AED 900. 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. The official fees are set out on the notary public charges page.
How many centres take notary work?
The archived Dubai Courts page names five centres for power of attorney attestation: Wafi Mall, Traffic Department Al Barsha, Al Barsha Mall, Hatta Centre and Al Yalayis. The live list may differ, so check dc.gov.ae before you go.
Can I walk in without an appointment?
It depends on the centre and the service. Some counters take walk-ins and some ask for a booking. Check the service page on dc.gov.ae, or sign with our in-house notary public at our Business Bay office instead.
Is a notarisation at a mall centre as valid as one at the court?
Yes. The notary at a mall centre acts as the Government notary under the same Dubai law. The location does not change the legal effect of the act.
Where do I find the phone number of a centre?
On the Dubai Courts website, in the contact or service centres section. Use the number shown there, because old numbers stay online long after they change.
Should I use a service centre or a private notary office?
Use whichever takes your document and suits your time. We set the two side by side on what a private notary is.
Contact
Talk to us
Tell us your document and your area. We will tell you which centre takes it and prepare the papers for the counter.
For all Dubai Courts notary points, see our Dubai Courts notary public locations guide.
Phone and WhatsApp
Office
707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE (our only office)
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
- Dubai Courts, power of attorney attestation 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: https://www.dc.gov.ae
- 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
- MOFAIC attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation