Plain explainers # How does notarization work in the UAE? A notary visit, step by step How does notarization work? You bring a prepared document to a notary, the notary checks who you are and that you understand and agree, reads the content out, watches you sign, and records the act with an endorsement and seal. In the UAE the whole process sits on two laws: Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 for the federal system, and Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 for Dubai, where notaries sit under Dubai Courts. ![Hourglass on a table](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/notary-public-office-in-dubai-inline1.webp) In this guide * The visit, in seven steps * Questions before the visit: how to get notarized * At the notary * After the notary * Cost * Special cases * How we help * Talk to us This page walks through a notary visit in order, from the day before to the day after, and then answers the questions we hear most. Each answer is short, and each legal point names its source. Step by step ## The visit, in seven steps 1. **Know what act you need** A power of attorney, an affidavit, a signature authentication, or an instrument with a value. Each is a separate item in the fee schedule. 2. **Prepare the text in Arabic** The notary's instrument is in Arabic. In Dubai, a document in another language needs a certified Arabic translation, signed with the original. 3. **Choose the office** In Dubai, a Dubai Courts service centre or a private notary office. Elsewhere, the notary office of that emirate. Abroad, a local notary or a UAE mission. 4. **Arrive with every signer and their original ID** Each person concerned must be present before the notary, physically or by an approved remote link. 5. **The notary checks and reads** Identity, capacity and consent are verified, and the content is read out with its effects explained. 6. **You sign, and the notary records the act** The endorsement and seal are applied and the fee is paid. 7. **Use the document, or send it for attestation** For use abroad, MOFAIC attestation and the destination embassy usually follow. Questions ## Questions before the visit: how to get notarized ### Do I need an appointment? It depends on the office. Some counters take walk-ins, some require a booking, and private notaries work mostly by appointment. Check the office's page on the official site. ### Can I write the document myself? Yes. The notary records your signing; the words are yours. Ask the office that will receive the document for its wording first, and make sure the Arabic and English versions match. ### Does the document have to be in Arabic? The notary's instrument is in Arabic, with other languages allowed only under conditions set by the Minister of Justice (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 5). Dubai adds its own rule: Article 27 of Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 requires a certified Arabic translation alongside any foreign-language paper. Most documents are prepared side by side in Arabic and English. ### What ID do I need? Your original Emirates ID if you are a resident, or your passport if you are visiting. Copies are not enough. ### What if my document came from abroad? A UAE notary will rely on it only after three stamps: the issuing country's own attestation, the UAE mission in that country, and finally MOFAIC here. An apostille alone will not work here: the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. Questions ## At the notary ### What does the notary check? Article 7 of Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 lists the checks: the parties' identity, their legal capacity, their consent, and a reading of the text with its consequences explained. In simple terms: are you who you say you are, are you able to sign, and do you really agree? ### Do I sign in front of the notary? Yes. Sign only at the counter, or on the approved remote channel, not beforehand. A document signed at home and brought in already signed may have to be signed again. ### Do all parties have to come together? Every person concerned must appear before the notary (Article 17). Whether they may come at different times depends on the office and the document, and remote attendance may be allowed for some acts. Ask the office before you plan the day. ### Can I attend by video? Federal law allows a notary to use IT tools so that people do not have to appear in person (Article 18), and an electronically notarised document has the same evidentiary value (Article 23). Dubai Courts has also offered virtual attendance for attesting signatures on powers of attorney. Which channel is available for your document is set by the office. ### How long does the visit take? It depends on the queue, the document and whether everything is ready. We do not quote a time because it varies too much. ### Can I get a same-day urgent notary in Dubai? It depends on the notary's diary and on your document being ready, so we do not promise a time. If your document is urgent, send it to us today and we tell you the earliest appointment available. The quickest way to fast-track document notarization is to arrive with the Arabic text approved, every signer's original ID and any supporting papers. Urgent handling is an add-on from AED 250. Questions ## After the notary ### What do I get? The notarised document with the notary's endorsement and seal. Our page on [what a notarized letter is](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarized-letter/) shows the parts of a finished document. ### Is the document ready to use abroad? Often not yet. Most countries want MOFAIC attestation and their own embassy's stamp after a UAE notarisation. See [the difference between notary and attestation](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-and-attestation-difference/). ### Does a notarised document expire? UAE notary law does not give notarised documents a general expiry date. A power of attorney lasts for the term it states; there is no general statutory validity period. The receiving office may still ask for a recent document. ### Can I cancel a notarised power of attorney? Yes, a principal can revoke an agency (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Article 898). Where the POA concerns Dubai property, the cancellation is done through a Dubai Land Department service. Questions ## Cost ### How much does notarisation cost? On the federal schedule (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024): a power of attorney is AED 100 per party, signature authentication on an instrument of unspecified value AED 200 per party, an affidavit AED 300, and a notarised translation page AED 50. A private notary on the federal schedule adds up to 30 percent. A Dubai private notary charges under a Dubai Courts decision: AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature. Full detail is on [notary public charges](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/how-much-is-notary-cost/). ### Is the notary fee the same as a service provider's price? No. The notary fee is a government fee. A service provider's price, such as ours, is for drafting, translation, booking and courier, and is paid on top. Questions ## Special cases ### I cannot leave home. What are my options? A Dubai private notary can come to you, for a Dubai Courts fee of AED 1,000 per trip. Remote attendance may also be possible for some documents. See [a notary on call in Dubai](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-on-call/). ### I am abroad. How do I notarise a UAE document? Sign before a notary where you are and have it attested for the UAE, or ask whether the UAE embassy or consulate there offers notarial services. ### My document is for a DIFC matter. Use the DIFC Courts notary service, which handles oaths, affidavits, declarations and certified copies for DIFC matters. ## How we help We prepare the document in Arabic and English, coordinate legal translation, book the office that takes your act, and courier papers. A power of attorney starts from AED 1,500, an affidavit from AED 600 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. ## Talk to us * Phone and WhatsApp: +971 50 264 8766 * Email: help@notaryservicesindubai.com * Office: 707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE For the meaning behind all of this, see [what notarized means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/). To find an office, see [Dubai Courts notary locations](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-office-in-dubai/). 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/) * [Notary certification](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/) * [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/) * [Notary penalties](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/uae-private-notary-fine-what-you-need-to-know-in-simple-terms/) 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/) * Explainer [Notary public certification in Dubai: signatures, copies and the notary's own status](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/) Notary public certification explained: a certified signature, a certified copy, and how to check that a notary in Dubai is registered. [Read more](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/) * 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/) Talk to us ## Leave it with us before the counter Send us a photo of the request you received, or tell us what the document is for. We will name the right notary office and give you a starting price. 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 [Open in Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ur65htMZCYgADduj9) 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/) * [Notary certification](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/) * [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/) * [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 3, 5, 7, 17, 18 and 23: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563](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](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4%29%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html) * Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, items 8, 9, 11 and 12, and Article 2: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491) * Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 (Civil Transactions Law), Article 898: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011) * Dubai Land Department, revocation of power of attorney: [https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-revocation-of-power-of-attorney/](https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-revocation-of-power-of-attorney/) * 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](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) * DIFC Courts notary service: [https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service](https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service) * 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) --- Source: https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-services-faq-in-dubai-uae/