Giving Someone Authority to Act for You

You are leaving the UAE for a few months, and someone still needs to sign for you. It might be a lease renewal, a vehicle transfer, a court file or a company document. Before anyone acts in your name, two questions shape the whole task: exactly what the attorney may do, and which notary will authenticate the document.

This article looks at three notarisation channels for a power of attorney (POA) that separate official pages describe: the federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ) digital service, the Dubai Courts Smart Electronic Notary and notaries public registered in Dubai, where the notary is authorised for the document. The Dubai Courts page states: "The system includes all the services of the notary public including POAs, acknowledgments and legal warnings." The MoJ e-notary cancellation guide describes cancelling a POA by a notarial notice and names the form "Notarial Notice of Agency Cancellation".

For the wider picture of notarised and attested papers, see the UAE document attestation guide.

This article describes published requirements and is not legal advice. Questions about what the law requires for your document belong with a licensed legal adviser.

Start with scope: what the attorney may do

Of the official pages reviewed on 20 September 2026, only those of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) define a general POA. ADJD's SmartPOA terms describe "a contract whereby the principal appoints another person to act on his behalf in every permissible and known matter." The same terms add: "The principal may also authorise the signature of his/ her attorney."

ADJD's July 2023 guidance manual also lists subject-specific POA services. Its real estate service covers acting "in managing or disposing of real estates, e.g. farms, industrial, residential, or commercial lands, residential units and any other real estates."

We did not find an official definition of "special power of attorney" on the MoJ, Dubai Courts, Dubai Legislation Portal or ADJD pages reviewed on 20 September 2026. If a notary or a recipient uses the term, ask what it expects the document to contain.

ADJD's terms show how scope can carry conditions in Abu Dhabi. They state: "If the POA includes sale and assignment, the place of disposal must be specified." For marriage, "The agency must be specific and limited to marriage only." We did not find equivalent conditions on the Dubai or MoJ pages reviewed. Check with your notary before you finalise the wording.

For civil cases, the UAE Government Portal (u.ae) states: "The representative must prove his appointment through an official power of attorney attested by a notary public."

Three channels, and the published notary legislation

Federal and Dubai notary laws are published separately; the MoJ card cites only "the notary public law". Ask the notary or a licensed legal adviser which applies to your document.

Federal. The UAE Legislation portal lists "Federal Decree by Law No. (20) of 2022 Regulating the Notary Profession" as Active, effective 28 December 2022. Its Article 57 repeals the earlier federal law: "The Federal Law No. (4) of 2013 regarding the Regulation of the Notary Profession, as amended, as well as any provision that violates or conflicts with the provisions hereof, shall all be repealed."

Dubai. The Dubai Legislation Portal publishes a local law with a similar number: Law No. (4) of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai. The portal also publishes Law No. (26) of 2021 Amending Law No. (4) of 2013. Do not confuse the repealed federal law with this Dubai law.

On notarisation without attending in person, each text carries its own condition. Article 18 of the federal Decree-Law sets this condition. "The Notary may use IT tools for carrying out all the transactions that fall within the scope of their competence under the provisions of this Decree by Law, without requiring the personal appearance of the persons concerned or their representatives before the Notary when performing the transaction."

Article 35(a) of Dubai Law No. (4) of 2013, as amended by Law No. (26) of 2021, states: "The work of a Notary Public may, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Director of the Courts, be performed by means of digital processes". Ask the notary whether a remote channel is available for your document.

Before you choose a route, ask the person or body that will rely on the POA which notarisation it expects. Then confirm with that notary that the route covers your document.

The MoJ digital route

The MoJ service card "Writing and authentication of contracts and deeds", last updated 12 December 2024, lists these steps:

1. "Register with the UAE Pass"
2. "Submit the application electronically and select "Digital Power of Attorney."
3. "Payment of fees"
4. "Sign the document using UAE PASS"
5. "Receive the document electronically."

The card shows channels "MOJ App" and "Online via the webiste of MOJ", a service duration of "5 Minutes" and a service audience of "Individuals". Among required documents it lists "The identity of the parties to the editor" and, for a representative, "the power of attorney that authorizes him to represent the principal".

Two MoJ documents describe the notary's part differently. The service card states: "This service allows the amendment of contracts and legal documents without the intervention of a notary public." The MoJ E-Notary user manual (Version 1.0) states: "The signature can be made after obtaining permission to sign from the notary public." It also describes an option "to make a video call with the notary public". Ask the MoJ which steps apply to your document.

The Dubai Courts Smart Electronic Notary

The Dubai Courts page describes the steps as "verifying capacity and eligibility through the system via virtual or personal attendance, signing and receiving the certified document." It states the system is available "24 hours a day on all devices running Windows, IOS, Android, and it shall be audited during official working hours."

The page lists who can use it: "Individuals' accounts with Dubai Courts", "Private notary", "Public notary", "Authorized Employees of Government Entities", "Practitioners of the profession such as law firms" and "Government service centers".

Dubai Courts Resolution No. (137) of 2022 names two channels: "the e-Notary Public; and telecommunication." For notary services provided by telecommunication, Article 6(2)(b) provides for the notary to "contact the Concerned Party using the videoconferencing programmes approved by the Courts for this purpose" to verify "his identity and capacity".

Two Dubai Courts POA service pages did not load in a browser on 20 September 2026, so this article relies on the Dubai Courts pages that loaded and on Dubai legislation.

Private notaries in Dubai

Dubai's law defines a Private Notary Public as "A natural person registered on the Roll to exercise certain functions of the Government Notary Public assigned to him pursuant to this Law." The Dubai Courts "Private Notary of Dubai Court" page adds: "A private notary must conduct his business through an office".

Dubai Courts Resolution No. (36) of 2014, Article 3(b), states: "A person registered on the Roll must not exercise any Government Notary Public functions where he is not authorised by the Committee to exercise these functions." We did not find a list of those authorised functions on the Dubai Courts private notary page or in that resolution, reviewed on 20 September 2026. Ask the notary's office whether POA attestation is within its authorised functions.

Abu Dhabi, for comparison only

ADJD's SmartPOA terms apply in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai. They state: "The service covers all types of powers of attorney." They show "2 working days" and the channel "ADJD website".

How long a POA lasts: what the pages state

We did not find a POA validity period on the MoJ pages, the Dubai Courts Smart Electronic Notary page or the Dubai notary legislation reviewed on 20 September 2026.

Of the pages reviewed, only ADJD's state a maximum, and it applies in Abu Dhabi. Its terms state: "The maximum validity of the POA is three Gregorian years from the date of notarisation." For lawyers: "The maximum validity of a POA granted to a lawyer is five years." Do not apply these figures to a Dubai or MoJ document.

The Dubai Courts "Certificate Inquiry" page searches by "Name," "Emirates ID Number," "Company," and "License Number". Its results show a "Document Status" and a validity range starting "Valid From". The MoJ E-Notary system page links a portal "For search and verification". Whether to state a period in your own POA is a drafting question for a licensed legal adviser.

Documents from abroad, and UAE documents used abroad

Documents from outside the UAE. For documents used with its Smart Electronic Notary, the Dubai Courts page states: "All documents shall be legally translated into Arabic and attested by the Ministry of Justice in UAE". It adds that a document "issued from outside the country" is attested by "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the concerned country, UAE embassy in the concerned country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE." The page does not address a POA signed abroad as such; ask the notary and the recipient what they require.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) FAQ gives the same order: "Original documents must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country. Documents can then be attested by the UAE Embassy or Consulate in the issuing country."

Language. The official pages differ here. The Dubai Courts page states that documents shall be "legally translated into Arabic". Article 5 of the federal Decree-Law states: "The instrument drafted by the Notary shall be in Arabic, and may, however, be drafted in any foreign language, according to the circumstances and subject to conditions to be described in a resolution of the Minister." We have not resolved the difference. Ask the notary who will authenticate your document which language rule applies.

A UAE POA for use in another country. MoFA's attestation page states: "Attestation certifies the authenticity of the signatures and seals on documents issued within or outside the United Arab Emirates." Its FAQ places "power of attorney of personal nature" among individual affairs documents and "general power of attorney" among commercial documents. Ask the receiving country's authority what it requires. For the two certification systems, see apostille and attestation compared.

Revoking a POA

The MoJ guide "User Guide E-notary Cancellation of contracts and deeds" (Version 1.0) records cancellation by notarial notice. It describes a "Notice of the justice to cancel the power of attorney with a specific number". The form type is "Notarial Notice of Agency Cancellation".

We did not find a fee for this notice in the guide or on the other MoJ pages reviewed on 20 September 2026.

We did not find a Dubai Courts POA revocation service or fee on the Smart Electronic Notary page or in Executive Council Resolution No. (4) of 2014, reviewed on 20 September 2026. Ask Dubai Courts how a Dubai-notarised POA is revoked.

ADJD's manual lists two revocation services for Abu Dhabi, each with a fee of "AED 100". For revocation by the principal, it states: "The principal shall undertake to notify his attorney of his removed from the POA." For revocation by the attorney: "The attorney shall undertake to notify the principal of the POA revocation." The manual sets conditions for each service. Read them before applying.

Questions on the legal effect of a revocation belong with a licensed legal adviser. If a template or guide cites Federal Law No. (5) of 1985 (Civil Transactions Law), note that Article 2 of Federal Decree by Law No. (25) of 2025 (UAE Legislation portal), effective 1 June 2026, repeals it.

After any revocation, check the document's status on the relevant inquiry service. Then tell anyone who received a copy.

Company signatories and group authorisations

A company authorising a local signatory faces the same scope questions. ADJD's terms state that where a party "is a legal person, the application must be submitted by a person acting on their behalf legally or lawfully, with a proof evidencing so." That text applies in Abu Dhabi; ask your notary what applies in Dubai.

If a parent company signs the POA abroad, check the foreign attestation wording quoted above with your notary. If you are setting up a local presence, see branch, subsidiary and representative office options in the UAE. For accounts, see opening a UAE corporate bank account, and ask the bank directly what authority document it requires.

Keep a register of each POA the company has granted: attorney, scope, notary, document number and any end date. When a company closes, include outstanding POAs in the closure file; see company cancellation and liquidation in the UAE.

Published fee lines side by side

These are the government fee lines each page publishes, quoted as shown. They are not totals. Translation and courier are separate third-party costs, fees for attestation abroad are not listed, and any provider's service fee is separate again.

The two Dubai lines show the same amount but a different unit. The resolution counts per party; the Dubai Courts page counts per signature. Ask Dubai Courts which applies to your document before you pay.

Fees checked on 20 September 2026.

Your scope-and-authority checklist

Practical asset: the scope-and-authority checklist and channel table. Complete it before you meet the notary, and keep a copy with the signed POA. 1. Parties. Full names as on identity documents for principal and attorney. If a company grants the POA, name the signatory and the document that authorises the signatory. 2. Acts. List each act the attorney may perform (sign, receive, pay, appear, sell). Strike out anything not needed. 3. Assets. Identify each property, vehicle, licence, account or case the POA touches, by number where one exists. 4. Limits. Note any cap, condition, or act the attorney may not perform. Ask whether sub-delegation should be allowed. 5. Validity. Record any period the notarising authority states. ADJD states a maximum for Abu Dhabi; we found none for Dubai or the MoJ. 6. Revocation. Record the notary, the document number and the inquiry service you will use to check status after any cancellation. 7. Recipient. Write down which notarisation and language the person relying on the POA expects. 8. Adviser. Has a licensed legal adviser reviewed the wording? [yes / no] | Channel | What its page states | Published fee line | Validity stated | |---|---|---|---| | MoJ digital POA | UAE PASS steps; "5 Minutes"; audience "Individuals" | "100Writing and authentication of contracts and deeds fees" | None found | | Dubai Courts Smart Electronic Notary | "virtual or personal attendance"; "24 hours a day" | "AED 100 for each signature of the parties to the POA." (Resolution 4/2014: "per party") | None found | | ADJD SmartPOA (Abu Dhabi only) | "2 working days"; "ADJD website" | "AED 100 for each year of the POA validity" | "three Gregorian years"; lawyers "five years" |

Who decides, what you prepare, what a provider may do

What the authority decides. The notary decides whether to authenticate a POA: the MoJ, a Dubai government notary or a registered private notary authorised for that function, or ADJD in Abu Dhabi. MoFA decides attestation. Ask the person or body that will rely on the POA what it requires. No provider decides any of these.

What you prepare. The scope you have set with the checklist, identity documents for all parties, any company authority, and any translation or foreign attestation the notary asks for. Drafting the wording belongs with a licensed legal adviser.

What a provider may do. Within whatever its licensed activity covers, a provider may prepare supporting documents, help with submission through the channel the authority names, and track progress. Signing and identity steps belong to the parties. For how providers fit in, see how document clearing services work in Dubai.

Last verified: 20 September 2026. Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

If you need a power of attorney submitted for notarisation, or an existing one cancelled, contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority.

A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. The notary public at the Ministry of Justice, the Dubai Courts or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department decides each notarisation, and no provider can promise the outcome.