How notarisation works
Notarized meaning: what it means when a document is notarised
Notarized meaning, in one sentence: a notarised document is one that was signed, sworn or certified in front of a notary, an official who checked the signer's identity, made sure they understood and agreed, and then sealed and recorded the document.
How notarisation works
That seal is what an embassy, a bank, a court or a school abroad is looking for. It tells them that an official stood between the paper and the person, and that the signature on it really belongs to the person named. It does not, on its own, prove that everything written in the document is true.
This page explains the word the way we explain it to customers in Dubai: what the notary checks, what the finished document looks like, which similar words mean something different, and where to go in the UAE to get it done.
- To notarise is to have a notary witness a signature, take an oath, or certify a copy, and then seal it.
- In the UAE, notarial work is done by public notaries, private notaries and accredited UAE consuls, under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022. Dubai is different: its notaries work under a local law, Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013.
- Before anyone signs, the notary must verify identity from an ID card, passport or another official document, and check capacity and consent.
- Notarised instruments in the UAE are in Arabic, with a foreign language allowed only under set conditions.
- Notarised is not the same as attested. Attestation by MOFAIC or an embassy is a later step, for documents moving between countries.
The pages in this section
How notarisation works
01Explainer
Notarised letters
What is a notarized letter: one signed before a notary who checks your ID and adds an official endorsement. What it looks like and when you need one.
02Explainer
Notary certification
Notary public certification explained: a certified signature, a certified copy, and how to check that a notary in Dubai is registered.
03Explainer
Public or private notary
What is a private notary, what is the government notary at Dubai Courts, how the law defines each, where to find them, and what each one costs.
04Explainer
Notary or attestation
The difference between attestation and notarization in the UAE: who does each, in what order, what each costs, and which one your document needs.
05Explainer
What a notary can notarise
What documents are notarized in the UAE: powers of attorney, affidavits, signatures, contracts, translations, and which ones go to another office.
06Explainer
"My commission expires"
What "my commission expires" means on a foreign notarised document, whether the document still works after that date, and what the UAE needs from it.
07Explainer
How a notary visit works
How does notarization work in the UAE? What happens before, during and after a notary visit in Dubai, and answers to the questions people ask most.
08Explainer
Notary penalties
Notary penalties in the UAE, explained simply: which law sets them, who they apply to, what they mean for you as a customer, and how to check a notary.
Questions
What the notary checks before sealing
The federal notary law lists what the notary must do. In plain words:
1
Identity
The notary reviews your ID card, passport or another official document issued by the State.
2
Capacity
The notary checks that you are legally able to sign: an adult, of sound mind, and acting in the right role, for example as the owner of the property or the parent of the child.
3
Consent
The notary makes sure you sign by choice, not under pressure.
4
Understanding
The notary reads out the content of the document and explains what it will do.
5
Language
If the notary does not share your language, an interpreter from the Ministry of Justice register is used.
Only after these checks does the notary witness the signature or take the oath, then apply the seal and record the act. Every notarised document in Dubai passes through these same checks, whether it is a simple declaration or a power of attorney for a property sale.
The wording
What a notarised document looks like
A notarised document from a UAE notary usually carries:
What notarised means
- The text in Arabic, often with English beside it.
- The signatures of the parties.
- The notary's seal or stamp, signature and the date.
- A reference number under which the notary recorded the act.
On the federal system, a notarised document can be checked on the Ministry of Justice E-Notary search page. For documents from Dubai Courts, the verification route is on the Dubai Courts website. Checking the reference number is the simplest form of notary document verification, and it is worth doing before you rely on a document someone else hands you.
Side by side
Five words people mix up
| Word | What it means | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Notarised | Signed, sworn or copied before a notary and sealed | A public notary, private notary or UAE consul |
| Certified copy | A copy the notary has compared with the original and confirmed as true | A notary |
| Attested | The seal or signature on a document has been confirmed by a higher authority, so another country accepts it | MOFAIC in the UAE, embassies, foreign ministries |
| Legalised | Another word for the full attestation chain between countries | The same authorities, in sequence |
| Apostilled | A single certificate used between countries in the Hague Apostille Convention | Not available for the UAE, which is not a party to the Convention |
Two of these get their own pages. For the difference between the notary's seal and the MOFAIC stamp, see difference between notary and attestation. For certified copies, see notary public certification.
Does notarised mean true?
No, and this is the part most people miss. The notary confirms who signed and that they signed freely. The notary does not confirm that the facts in the document are correct. If you swear an affidavit that you live at an address, the notary confirms that you swore it; the statement is yours, and so is the responsibility for it.
This is why a notarised document carries weight. A person who swears a false statement before a notary cannot later say someone else signed it. The seal ties the words to a real, identified person.
The duties of a public notary in Dubai
Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 sets up two kinds of notary in the emirate. The Government notary public works within Dubai Courts. A private notary is a person registered on a roll that Dubai Courts keeps, who carries out certain functions of the Government notary. Both work under the technical supervision of the court.
Their daily duties are the ones above: verifying identity, witnessing signatures, taking oaths and declarations, certifying copies, and keeping records of what they notarised. What they do not do is draft your document, give legal advice on your deal, or send your document abroad. Those tasks belong to you, to a lawyer or to a service like ours. Our page on what a private notary is compares the public and private routes.
In other spellings and languages
You will see notarized (American spelling), notarised (British spelling) and sometimes notorised, which is a common misspelling. They all mean the same thing. The noun is notarisation or notarization.
Some people ask for a "notary republic". There is no such office: it is a mishearing of notary public, the official who seals the document.
In Arabic the notary is كاتب العدل (katib al adl), the term the federal law uses throughout. If you are looking up "notarized معنى", you want the Arabic meaning: a document signed and sealed before كاتب العدل.
Why you are being asked for a notarised document
People are usually asked for one of these:
- A notarised letter, such as a consent letter or a letter from an employer.
- A child travel consent letter, when a child travels without one or both parents.
- An NOC for a visa, from an employer or a parent.
- An affidavit of support, for a family member's visa.
- A certified copy of a passport or degree, for an application abroad.
- A power of attorney or an owner's declaration for a property in Dubai. Our page on which property documents a notary handles separates the notary's part from the Land Department's.
If you are not sure what your document needs, our page on what documents a notary can notarise goes through the common ones.
A document notarised abroad, for use in the UAE
A notary's seal from another country is not recognised in the UAE on its own. The document is first attested by the foreign ministry of the country where it was issued, then by the UAE embassy or consulate there, and then by MOFAIC in the UAE. An apostille does not replace this, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. If you hold an older foreign document with a line such as "my commission expires", our page on what "my commission expires" means explains whether it still works.
What notarised means
Step by step
How notarisation works in Dubai, in short
- Decide which office your document needs: Dubai Courts, a private notary, your consulate or the DIFC Courts.
- Prepare the document in Arabic, or Arabic and English, with any legal translation.
- Book or check the office's timings on the official site.
- Attend with your original ID and sign before the notary.
- Pay the government fee and collect the sealed document.
The longer version, with the questions people ask at each step, is in the notary visit FAQ. To find an office, start with Dubai Courts notary public locations or notary offices across the UAE. Notaries also work under rules and penalties of their own; our page on notary penalties in the UAE explains them.
02
How we help
Notary Services in Dubai prepares the document so the notary can seal it at the first visit. We draft the wording, coordinate the Arabic legal translation, book the appointment and, if the document is going abroad, take care of the attestation after it. Our starting prices are on our services, and government fees are explained on notary public charges.
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 does notarized mean in simple words?
It means a notary watched you sign, checked your ID, and sealed the document. The seal shows an official confirmed who signed it.
Is a notarised document legally binding?
A notarised document is as binding as its content makes it; the notary does not add obligations of its own. What notarisation adds is proof of who signed and when, which makes the signature very hard to deny later.
Is notarised the same as certified?
Not quite. Certified usually means a copy was checked against the original and confirmed as a true copy. Notarised is the wider word for any act a notary seals, including certified copies.
Can I notarise a passport online?
A passport copy is normally certified as a true copy by a notary who sees the original, which usually means attending in person. Some remote services exist, but check first whether the office receiving the copy accepts one. See notary public certification.
What does the notary stamp prove?
It proves the notary checked the signer's identity and witnessed the signature or oath on that date. It does not prove the statements in the document are true.
What does duly notarized mean?
It means notarised in the proper way, with every formality done. A form that asks for a "duly notarized" document wants the full notary endorsement and seal, not a plain signature or a photocopy.
Guides
Guides: how notarisation works
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
If someone has asked you for a notarised document and you are not sure what they mean, send us their message. We will explain it and prepare what you need.
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707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)
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The other parts of the site
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Articles 3, 5, 7 and 8: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- 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
- UAE Ministry of Justice E-Notary System and verification: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx
- MOFAIC FAQ on attestation: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41