Notary Services # What Is a Notarial Act? Meaning and Use in the UAE November 12, 20267 minute read What is a notarial act? It is a formal step that a notary public carries out on a document or a signature, such as checking who you are, watching you sign, or authenticating the paper. Our in-house notary public at our Business Bay office performs notarial acts in person, online or on a home visit. ![Hand signing a legal document with a fountain pen, a step in a notarial act](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/what-is-a-notarial-act-signing.jpg) In this guide * What Is a Notarial Act? The Meaning in Plain Words * Examples of Notarial Acts in the UAE * What Is Not a Notarial Act * Who Can Perform a Notarial Act * What Happens During a Notarial Act * The Certificate That Records a Notarial Act * Cost of a Notarial Act Call or WhatsApp +971 50 264 8766 to ask about your document. The practical catch is that a notarial act is about the act, not the paper. The same letter can be an ordinary letter or a notarised one, depending on whether a notary has done something to it. ## What Is a Notarial Act? The Meaning in Plain Words So, what is a notarial act in practice? It is something a notary does in an official role. The notary does not decide whether your contract is a good deal. The notary confirms specific things: who signed, that you signed willingly, and what the document is. In the UAE, notarial acts are regulated by [Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563). In Dubai, notaries public are also regulated by Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013. ## Examples of Notarial Acts in the UAE When people ask what is considered a notarial act, these are the usual examples: 01 ### Authenticating a signature The notary checks your ID and watches you sign. 02 ### Notarising a power of attorney The notary records who gives the authority and who receives it. 03 ### Executing an affidavit You make a written statement and sign it in front of the notary. 04 ### Notarising a translation The notary records the translation as part of the instrument. 05 ### Drafting and notarising a notice The federal law lists notices, warnings and objections as a notary function (Article 4(7)). Each of these is a different act. Your document decides which one you need. Our page on [what documents a notary can notarise](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-documents-can-a-notary-notarize/) goes through the common ones. ## What Is Not a Notarial Act Knowing what is a notarial act also means knowing what is not. Many steps around a document sound similar but are not notarial acts. Knowing the difference saves you a wasted trip. 01 ### Typing or drafting your letter This is document preparation. It only becomes part of a notarial act when the notary then notarises it. 02 ### Translation Translation for official use is done by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice. The notary can then notarise the translation. 03 ### Attestation by MOFAIC The [Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) attests documents in a separate step, usually after the notary. Read [what attestation means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-attestation/) for the full chain. 04 ### Your own signature A signature you make alone at home is not a notarial act. The act is the notary's check and record. Ask about your document Tell us the document and how many people will sign, and we will give you the government fee and our starting price in one message. ## Who Can Perform a Notarial Act In Dubai there are two kinds of notary. The Government notary public sits with Dubai Courts. Private notaries are lawyers licensed by Dubai Courts to carry out notarial acts, and they appear on a roll kept by Dubai Courts. Other emirates follow their own system. Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain follow the federal judicial system. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah have their own judicial departments. Our guide to [who runs notary work in each emirate](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-offices-in-uae/) explains the split. An Arab notary public sits at our Business Bay office, 707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay. We draft your document, handle the legal translation, and our in-house notary public notarises it, in person at our office, online or at a home visit. For online work we use the official channels, such as the [Ministry of Justice E-Notary system](https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/esystems/e-notary.aspx). We tell you whether your document can be done that way. Step by step ## What Happens During a Notarial Act 1 You bring the original document and your ID. 2 The notary checks your ID and confirms you understand what you sign. 3 You sign in front of the notary. 4 The notary applies the seal and records the act. ![Four steps of a notarial act: bring papers, ID check, signing, seal and record](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/steps-0abc4c8c79e8.png) ## The Certificate That Records a Notarial Act Many people ask what a certificate of notarial act is. It is the wording the notary adds to your document to record what was done: the act, the date and the notary's details. It sits on the document itself or on a page attached to it. This is why a notarised document looks different from a plain copy. For the wording itself, our page on [notary public certification](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-certification/) explains what the stamp and text say. Prices ## Cost of a Notarial Act The fee depends on the act. On the federal schedule (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024), authenticating a signature is AED 200 per party, and executing and notarising an affidavit is AED 300. Our own prices for affidavits start from AED 600. 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 full list of notary fees](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/how-much-is-notary-cost/) Questions ## Frequently asked questions Not answered here? Call or WhatsApp [+971 50 264 8766](tel:+971502648766). ### What is considered a notarial act? A notarial act is any formal step a notary takes on a document or signature under the notary law. Authenticating a signature, notarising a power of attorney and executing an affidavit are the common ones. ### What is a certificate of notarial act? It is the written record the notary adds to your document. It states what the notary did, when, and who the notary is. It is part of the notarised document. ### What does a notary actually do? A notary checks your identity, confirms you sign freely, watches the signing and applies the seal. The notary does not advise you on whether the contents are wise. ### Is a notarial act the same as notarization? Mostly yes. Notarisation is the everyday word for having a notary perform a notarial act on your document. The act is the specific step, and notarisation is the result. Our page on [what notarised means](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/) covers the word itself. ### Can a notary refuse to perform a notarial act? Yes. A notary can refuse when your ID does not match, when a required field is blank, or when the document is not one the notary can notarise. Bring the original papers and every signer to avoid this. 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 ## Book Your Notarial Act Call or WhatsApp +971 50 264 8766, or email help@notaryservicesindubai.com. Tell us the document and how many people will sign, and we will give you the government fee and our starting price in one message. Our office is at 707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE. Office appointments are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time), and WhatsApp answered 24/7. [Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971502648766). Phone [+971 50 264 8766](tel:+971502648766) WhatsApp [+971 50 264 8766](https://wa.me/971502648766) Email [help@notaryservicesindubai.com](mailto:help@notaryservicesindubai.com) More ## Where to go next * [Notary services](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/our-services/) * [Legal notices](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/legal-notice-through-notary-public/) * [Notary offices](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-public-office-in-dubai/) * [Areas we serve](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/notary-office-near-me/) * [How notarisation works](https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-does-notarized-mean/) --- Source: https://notaryservicesindubai.com/what-is-a-notarial-act/