Plain explainers

# Notary public certification in Dubai: signatures, copies and the notary's own status

Notary public certification means a notary's written confirmation about something they checked in person: that a person signed a document before them, or that a copy matches its original. People also use the phrase for a third thing, the notary's own status, meaning the registration that allows a person to act as a notary. This page separates the three, because each one leads to a different office and a different document.

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In this guide

* Meaning one: certifying a signature
* Meaning two: certifying a copy
* Notary public vs certified true copy
* Passport copy certification
* Meaning three: the notary's own certification
* After certification: does it need attestation?
* How we help

In Dubai, notaries act under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, as the Government notary within Dubai Courts or as private notaries on the roll that Dubai Courts keeps. From our Business Bay office, Notary Services in Dubai gets papers ready for certification and books the notary office that will accept them.

* Certifying a signature is the core notarial act: the notary checks identity, capacity and consent, then records the signing.
* Certifying a copy as a true copy of an original is a separate request. Not every office offers it for every document.
* The DIFC Courts notary service lists certifying true copies among its services, for DIFC matters.
* A notary's own authority comes from registration: on the Dubai Courts roll in Dubai, or in the register of the competent department on the federal system.
* Certification does not replace attestation. A certified paper going abroad often still needs MOFAIC and embassy stamps.

## Meaning one: certifying a signature

This is what most people need when a form says "notary certified" or "certified by a notary public". You sign in front of the notary, and the notary certifies that the signature is yours and was given freely. Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 says that before notarising, the notary must verify the identity, capacity and consent of the parties and read out the content and its effects.

The result is often called a notarized certificate, a notarised statement or simply a notarised document. The notary does not certify that the content is true. The notary certifies the signing.

Typical documents: powers of attorney, affidavits, declarations, consent letters, NOCs and company resolutions. Our page on [what a notarized letter is](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/) shows what the finished document looks like.

## Meaning two: certifying a copy

Here nobody signs anything new. You bring an original, such as a passport, a degree or a bank statement, and a copy. The certifier compares them and marks the copy as a true copy of the original. Foreign universities, banks and immigration offices ask for this often, because they will not take the original by post.

This is where people hit problems in the UAE, because the answer to "who can certify my copy?" depends on who is asking for it:

* **A foreign authority** often lists who it accepts: a notary, a lawyer, a consulate or a named professional. Read its instructions first.
* **A UAE authority** normally wants the original, or a copy certified by the office that issued it.
* **A DIFC matter** can use the DIFC Courts notary, which lists certifying true copies among its services.

Certified true copies are a specialist subject, and [certifiedtruecopydubai.ae](https://certifiedtruecopydubai.ae/) covers them document by document. This page keeps to the notary side.

Side by side

## Notary public vs certified true copy

|  | Notarised signature | Certified true copy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What is certified | That a named person signed, willingly, before the notary | That a copy matches an original the certifier saw |
| What you bring | Your ID, the document, every signer | The original and the copy |
| New signature needed | Yes | No |
| Typical use | POA, affidavit, consent, declaration | Passport, degree, bank statement, proof of address |
| Common mistake | Signing before you reach the notary | Bringing a copy of a copy |

If you are unsure which one a form wants, look at the words. "Sign in the presence of", "sworn before" or "acknowledged before" means a notarised signature. "Certify that this is a true copy of the original" means a certified copy.

## Passport copy certification

Many readers arrive here because a bank or immigration office abroad asked for a certified passport copy. The certifier compares the copy with your passport and certifies it as a true copy. Some authorities want the certifier to add their own details and the words they specify. Follow those words exactly, or the copy may be refused.

For a passport copy prepared by us, our price starts from AED 500, and a general certified true copy from AED 400. We confirm any government fee for these at booking.

## Meaning three: the notary's own certification

Sometimes "notary certification" means the notary's own status: people want to become a notary, or to check that the person in front of them is genuine.

* **In Dubai**, Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 lets a person whose name is entered on the Dubai Courts roll perform some of the Government notary's functions. That person is a private notary. Dubai Courts publishes a private notary registry.
* **On the federal system**, a private notary is a person listed in the competent department's register and authorised under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 and its Executive Regulations.
* **A document notarised on the Ministry of Justice E-Notary System** can be checked through the system's public search page.

The route and conditions for becoming a notary are set by those laws and the registering authority. We do not train or register notaries, so if that is your goal, go to Dubai Courts or the Ministry of Justice directly.

## After certification: does it need attestation?

A certification made in the UAE is enough for most UAE uses. For use abroad, the receiving country often wants a chain: the notarised or certified document, then MOFAIC, then the embassy of the destination country. Do not ask for an apostille here: the UAE is not a party to the Hague convention that created it, so its documents travel by attestation instead. Read [the difference between notary and attestation](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-and-attestation-difference/) to see which stamp comes after which.

## How we help

* We read the request you received and tell you whether it wants a signature certified or a copy certified.
* We prepare the document or the copy set in the wording the authority asks for.
* You sign before our in-house notary public in Business Bay, or at the office that takes that act, and we courier papers from AED 80.
* We tell you what attestation, if any, comes next.

Signature witnessing through us starts 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 government side of each fee is on [notary public charges](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/how-much-is-notary-cost/).

How notarisation works

## Where this page sits

Hub

### [What notarised means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/)

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.

Also under What notarised means

* [Notarised letters](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/)
* [Public or private notary](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/private-notary-services/)
* [Notary or attestation](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-and-attestation-difference/)
* [What a notary can notarise](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-documents-can-a-notary-notarize/)
* ["My commission expires"](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-happens-when-a-notary-commission-expires/)
* [How a notary visit works](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-services-faq-in-dubai-uae/)
* [Notary penalties](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/uae-private-notary-fine-what-you-need-to-know-in-simple-terms/)

Questions

## Frequently asked questions

Not answered here? Call or WhatsApp [+971 50 264 8766](tel:+971502648766).

### What is notary public certification?

It is a notary's written confirmation of something checked in person, usually that a person signed before them, sometimes that a copy matches its original. People who ask for a certified notary public in the UAE usually mean this, done by a notary on an official register. The phrase is also used for a notary's own registration.

### Is a notarised copy the same as a certified true copy?

People use the two phrases for the same request. What matters is the wording the receiving authority asks for and who it accepts as the certifier.

### Can any lawyer in Dubai certify my documents as a notary?

No. Only a person registered as a notary can carry out notarial acts. In Dubai that means the Government notary or a private notary on the Dubai Courts roll.

### How do I check that a notarised document is genuine?

Ask the office that notarised it, or use the verification route that office offers. For documents on the federal E-Notary System, the Ministry of Justice has a public search page.

### Can I get a copy certified without the original?

Normally not. The whole point of the certification is that the certifier saw the original. Bring it with you.

### What is a notarized passport?

The passport itself is never notarised, because it is already an official document. A "notarized passport" request almost always means a certified copy of the passport's photo page, made by a certifier who has seen the original. Ask the receiving office whose certification it accepts before you book.

Guides

## More guides

[View all guides](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/blog/)

* Explainer [What is a notarized letter? UAE meaning and examples](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/) 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](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/)
* Foreign documents ["My commission expires" on a notarised document](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-happens-when-a-notary-commission-expires/) 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](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-happens-when-a-notary-commission-expires/)
* Explainer [What documents are notarized in the UAE, and where the others go](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-documents-can-a-notary-notarize/) What documents are notarized in the UAE: powers of attorney, affidavits, signatures, contracts, translations, and which ones go to another office. [Read more](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-documents-can-a-notary-notarize/)

Contact

## Talk to us

Send us the form or instructions you received and we will tell you which certification it needs.

This page is part of our guide to [what notarized means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/).

Phone and WhatsApp

[+971 50 264 8766](tel:+971502648766)

Email

[help@notaryservicesindubai.com](mailto:help@notaryservicesindubai.com)

Office

707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE

Hours

Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)

How notarisation works

## More in this section

Hub

[What notarised means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/)

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.

* [Notarised letters](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/)
* [Public or private notary](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/private-notary-services/)
* [Notary or attestation](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-and-attestation-difference/)
* [What a notary can notarise](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-documents-can-a-notary-notarize/)
* ["My commission expires"](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-happens-when-a-notary-commission-expires/)
* [How a notary visit works](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-services-faq-in-dubai-uae/)
* [Notary penalties](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/uae-private-notary-fine-what-you-need-to-know-in-simple-terms/)

### Sources for this page

* Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Articles 1, 3 and 7: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563)
* Federal resolution on notary penalties, definitions article citing the Executive Regulations: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/3875](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/3875)
* Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai: [https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4%29%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html)
* DIFC Courts notary service: [https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service](https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service)
* UAE Ministry of Justice E-Notary System: [https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx](https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx)
* HCCH Apostille Convention status table: [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)

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Source: https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/