Plain explainers
My commission expires meaning: what the line tells you, and what the UAE asks
My commission expires meaning, in one sentence: it is the date on which the notary's own appointment ends, not the date on which your document stops being valid.
You find the line under the notary's signature on documents notarised in the United States and some other countries, often as "My commission expires" followed by a date. People in the UAE usually meet it when a relative sends a notarised power of attorney, an affidavit or a consent letter from abroad. The worry is always the same: the date has passed, so is the document still good? This page answers that, and explains what a UAE authority actually checks.
Notary Services in Dubai, with an in-house notary public in Business Bay, helps people use foreign documents in the UAE, and we explain notary terms in plain words.
- "My commission expires" shows when the notary's commission, the official appointment to act as a notary, comes to an end.
- A document notarised while the commission was in force was validly notarised on that day. The later end of the notary's term does not cancel it.
- What the date does tell you is whether the notary was entitled to act on the day of signing. The signing date should fall before the expiry date.
- In the UAE, a foreign notarised document is accepted through attestation: its home country's foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there, then MOFAIC. An apostille does not replace this, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention.
- UAE notaries do not write this line. UAE private notaries are registered on a roster, and the federal fee schedule lists fees for registering and renewing that registration.
What a notary commission is
In countries that use the word, a commission is the official appointment that allows a person to act as a notary. It is granted for a fixed term by the authority in that country, and when the notary commission expires, the person must renew it to keep notarising. The line "my commission expires" tells anyone reading the document when that term ends.
So when people ask "what does my commission expires mean", the plain answer is: it is information about the notary, printed next to the seal. It is the same kind of detail as the notary's name or commission number. It says nothing about how long your power of attorney, affidavit or consent letter lasts.
The term, the renewal rules and the exact wording are set by the country, and in the United States by each state. We do not give those rules here, because they differ from place to place and are not UAE law.
Side by side
What does commission expires mean for your document?
Three situations cover almost every case.
| Situation | What it means |
|---|---|
| The document was signed before the commission expiry date | The notary was entitled to act that day. The notarisation is sound, even if the commission has since ended. |
| The document was signed after the commission expiry date | The notary may not have been entitled to act that day. Ask the sender to have it notarised again by a notary with a current commission. |
| The date is missing or unreadable | Some receiving offices will query it. It is easier to ask for a clean copy now than after a rejection. |
The first row is by far the most common. A consent letter notarised in 2025 by a notary whose commission ended in 2026 is not spoiled by that; what matters is the day it was signed.
Does the document itself expire?
That is a separate question, and the notary's commission does not answer it. The life of the document depends on its own wording and on the authority that receives it.
- A power of attorney lasts for the term written in it. UAE law sets no general fixed validity period for a power of attorney, but some authorities have their own acceptance rules, for example for property transactions.
- A consent letter for a child's travel usually names the trip dates, and is used for that trip.
- Many embassies and authorities only accept documents issued within a recent period. Their own checklist tells you what that period is.
If you are unsure, send us the document and the checklist from the receiving office, and we will tell you whether it is still usable.
Step by step
Using a foreign notarised document in the UAE
A notary's seal from another country is not recognised in the UAE on its own. The UAE accepts a foreign document through legalisation, which MOFAIC describes as a chain:
1
The document is attested by the foreign ministry of the country that issued it (for a US document, the authentication step in the US).
2
It is then attested by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country.
3
It is then attested by MOFAIC in the UAE.
At the first step, the authorities in the issuing country confirm the notary's seal and signature. That is where a problem with the notary's commission would be caught, not at a notary counter in Dubai. MOFAIC charges AED 150 to attest a personal document and AED 2,000 for a commercial one.
An apostille from a US state or any other Hague Convention country does not replace this chain in the UAE. If someone abroad offers you an apostille, ask them for the embassy attestation route instead.
Dubai Courts applies the same chain to powers of attorney issued outside the UAE: the foreign ministry of the country, the UAE embassy there, then MOFAIC. Our page on notary for foreign documents explains when your own consulate in the UAE is a better route.
How UAE notaries are appointed instead
UAE notaries do not print a commission expiry date. In Dubai, Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 has a Government notary public at Dubai Courts and private notaries registered on a roll kept by Dubai Courts. On the federal system, private notaries are listed in the Ministry of Justice register, and the federal fee schedule includes fees for registering on that roster and renewing the registration. A UAE notarised document shows the notary's seal, signature, date and reference number, and on the federal E-Notary System it can be checked on the Ministry of Justice verification page.
If you want the wider picture of what a notary seal proves, read what notarized means.
Watch for
Common mistakes with foreign notarised documents
- Throwing away a good document because the commission date has passed. Check the signing date first.
- Taking a foreign notarised document to a Dubai notary to have it "re-notarised". It needs attestation, not a second notary.
- Relying on an apostille for use in the UAE.
- Sending a scan MOFAIC attests originals. Ask the sender to post the original after it has been attested abroad.
- Laminating the original MOFAIC will not attest a laminated document.
How we help
We read the foreign document with you, check the dates and the attestation stamps, and tell you what is still missing. If the document cannot be used, we draft a new one for the sender to sign abroad, or prepare a UAE version to be signed here. After notarisation, we take care of MOFAIC attestation from AED 150 for a personal document, plus the MOFAIC fee at cost. 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.
For the difference between the notary's seal and the attestation stamps, see difference between notary and attestation.
What does "my commission expires" mean on a notary stamp?
It is the date the notary's own appointment ends. It is not the expiry date of your document. A document signed before that date was notarised by a notary who was entitled to act.
Is my notarised document invalid after the commission expires?
No. If it was signed while the commission was in force, the notarisation stands. Whether the document itself is still accepted depends on its wording and on the rules of the office receiving it.
What does the notary commission expiration date mean?
It lets anyone check that the notary was entitled to act on the day of signing. Compare it with the date of the notarisation.
Do UAE notary stamps show a commission expiry date?
No. UAE notaries are registered with Dubai Courts or the Ministry of Justice, and the document shows the seal, signature, date and reference number instead.
My relative abroad notarised a document for me. What now?
Ask them to have it attested in their country and by the UAE embassy there, then send you the original. MOFAIC attests it in the UAE. We can prepare a checklist for them before they start.
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Contact
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Send us a photo of the notary block and the first page. We will tell you whether the document can be used in the UAE and what it still needs.
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How notarisation works
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Hub
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.
Sources for this page
- MOFAIC FAQ on attestation of documents issued abroad: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- MOFAIC attestation service: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation
- HCCH Apostille Convention status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- 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 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
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, annexed table (roster registration and renewal fees for private notaries): https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Article 897: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011