Notarising a document in Dubai is a short process that goes wrong for a small number of predictable reasons. This walks through it as it actually runs in 2026, including what the government charges, what you have to bring, and the three different ways the act can be performed.
What notarisation actually is
Notarisation is an official act, not a stamp you buy. A notary identifies the people signing, satisfies himself that they understand what they are signing, executes or notarises the instrument, and registers it. The registration is the part that gives the document its weight: it goes into the Dubai Courts system and is issued with a verification barcode that anyone receiving it can check.
That is worth understanding before you start, because it explains the requirements that follow. Identity has to be established in person or through UAE PASS. An original document has to be present if you want a copy certified from it. Neither of those is bureaucratic friction. They are the substance of what a notary is being asked to certify.
Step 1: Work out which instrument you need
This is the step people skip, and it is the one that causes most repeat appointments.
Describe the task rather than naming a document. “I need a general power of attorney” is a guess at a solution. “My brother needs to sell my apartment while I am abroad, and receive the money” is a description of the task, and it tells a notary that you need a property power of attorney whose scope covers receiving proceeds as well as signing the transfer.
The mismatch runs the other way too. People ask for an affidavit when the receiving party will accept an acknowledgement, which is a simpler and cheaper instrument. If whoever asked you for the document gave you their requirement in writing, bring it.
Step 2: Get the drafting and the Arabic right
Documents notarised in Dubai are bilingual. That single requirement is where most notarial matters fail, because a translation produced by someone who has never handled a notarial instrument gets returned at the counter.
You have two options. Bring a document already drafted and translated, in which case expect the notary to read the Arabic before accepting it. Or have the drafting done as part of the service, which is what most practices that handle this properly will do.
Either way, notarising a translation that forms part of an instrument is charged at AED 50 per page on the federal schedule. That is a government fee rather than a translation charge, and it applies whether the translation came from you or from the practice.
Step 3: Bring the right documents
The list is short and it is not negotiable.
- Your original Emirates ID and your original passport. Copies are not sufficient for identity verification
- The original document, if you want a certified true copy. A copy cannot be certified from a copy, a scan or a photograph
- A passport copy of anyone receiving authority under a power of attorney. They usually do not need to attend, but their details do
- The title deed or contract reference, for anything to do with property
- The trade licence and memorandum of association, for company matters, plus evidence that the person signing is authorised to bind the company
That last item is the single most common reason a corporate signing has to be rescheduled. A director turning up with a passport is not the same as a director turning up with proof they can sign for the company.
Step 4: Choose where the act happens
There are three routes and they produce the same legal result.
In the notary’s office. The default. You attend, identity is verified, the document is read with you and signed.
At your location. A notary can attend your office, your home or a board meeting. Attendance outside the office is a prescribed government fee of AED 1,000 under Dubai Courts Decision No. 312 of 2025. That is a single fee for the attendance, not a charge per signature, so it is often better value than it first sounds when several people have to sign.
Remotely. Dubai’s official E-Notary service performs the act by secure video call with identity verified through UAE PASS. It is a genuine notarial act registered in the same system. Not every document can be done this way, so confirm before you plan around it.
Step 5: Sign, and get the document issued
Identity is verified, the document is read, and the parties sign. Dubai Courts then issues the notarised document electronically with its verification barcode, and it reaches you by secure link.
Nobody honest will promise you a fixed turnaround, because issue depends on the Dubai Courts system, on UAE PASS where remote notarisation is used, and on other signatories. Be wary of any service that advertises a guaranteed time.
What it costs
The government fee is prescribed and is the same at any private notary in Dubai. It comes from two instruments: Dubai Courts Decision No. 312 of 2025, published in the Official Gazette of the Government of Dubai, Issue No. 752 and in force from 2 January 2026, and the federal schedule in Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024.
The items you are most likely to meet:
| Item | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Electronic registration | AED 100 per party |
| Signature verification | AED 100 per signature |
| General or special power of attorney | AED 100 per party |
| Executing and notarising an affidavit | AED 300 |
| Translation included in the instrument | AED 50 per page |
| Notary attending outside the office | AED 1,000 |
A document that states a sum of money is charged differently: as a percentage of that value rather than a flat fee. The full schedule, including the value based table and worked examples, is on the fees page.
Separately from the government fee, a private notary charges a professional fee for drafting, translation, identity verification and attendance. That part differs between practices and you should have it in writing before work starts. If you are given a single number with no split, ask for the breakdown.
The four things that go wrong
The original was left at home. Certifying a copy requires the original in the room. This is the most common wasted trip in the whole process.
The wrong instrument was requested. Usually a general power of attorney where a special one would have been safer, or an affidavit where an acknowledgement would have been accepted.
The Arabic was wrong. A translation prepared by someone unfamiliar with notarial instruments reads fine in English and fails in Arabic.
The destination country was not mentioned. A document drafted for use in the United Kingdom is not drafted the same way as one for Canada, and notarisation is usually a first step rather than the last one for anything going abroad. Say the country before the drafting starts, not after.
A short checklist
- Describe the task, not the document
- Confirm the instrument and the fee in writing before work starts
- Bring original Emirates ID and original passport
- Bring the original document if you need a certified copy
- Bring the passport copy of anyone receiving authority
- Say which country the document is for, if it is leaving the UAE
- Ask for the government fee and the professional fee separately
Where to ask
If you are unsure which instrument you need, that is the question to ask before you book anything, and it is not billable work. Describe what the document has to achieve and you should get back the instrument, the requirements list, and the cost.
You can see everything we notarise, read the full fee schedule with its sources, or go through the questions people ask most.
