Drafting, notarisation, attestation. Built for foreign founders and property buyers.
General, special, real-estate, banking and judicial POAs. Drafted in Arabic + English, notarised at Dubai Notary, an MOJ private notary or via UAE PASS e-Notary. Domestic POAs ready in 1-3 working days.
A POA is a notarised authorisation to act on someone's behalf under UAE law.
A UAE Power of Attorney (POA) is a notarised legal instrument issued under Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (Civil Transactions Law), authorising a named representative to act for the principal in specified matters. UAE law recognises two operative categories, General and Special, with sub-types for real estate, banking, judicial, commercial and medical purposes. All POAs used in the UAE must be in Arabic or accompanied by a certified Arabic translation, and must be notarised at the Dubai Notary, an MOJ-licensed private notary or via UAE PASS e-Notary.
Foreign-issued POAs (signed abroad) require additional steps: home-country notarisation, foreign-ministry attestation, UAE Embassy stamp in the origin country, then Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) attestation inside the UAE. The UAE is NOT a party to the Hague Apostille Convention as of January 2026, despite occasional contrary claims online.
General vs Special: the only two legal categories
Marketing pages list “10 types of POA” but UAE law recognises only two: General and Special. Every other label (financial, real-estate, judicial, commercial) is a Special POA scoped to a specific subject. Picking the right scope matters because government departments (DLD, banks, courts) reject General POAs for transactions that require a Special POA.
Broad authority over day-to-day administrative matters.
- Common uses
- Administrative paperwork, government services, generic representation.
- Property at DLD
- Rejected.
- Bank account operation
- Rejected for new accounts.
- Company MOA signing
- Rejected by free zones.
- Default validity
- 5 years (common cap).
- Government fee
- Standard government fee.
Named specific acts, assets, or counterparties only — what foreign founders almost always need.
- Common uses
- Property purchase or sale, bank account, court case, MOA signing, any named transaction.
- Property at DLD
- Required — and capped at 2-year validity by DLD.
- Bank account operation
- Required, naming the bank and the agent.
- Company MOA signing
- Required, explicitly authorising the MOA, lease and licence.
- Default validity
- 2 years for property (DLD-mandated); until the act completes otherwise.
- Government fee
- Government fee, value-tiered for property.
Six Special POA types we draft most often
Every Special POA must explicitly name the act, asset and counterparties involved. Vague language gets the POA rejected at the registering authority.
Real-estate POA
Buy, sell, mortgage, lease or transfer a named UAE property. Required by Dubai Land Department for all proxied property transactions. DLD enforces a 2-year maximum validity. The government fee is tiered by property value, so it rises with the value of the property — we confirm the current fee before drafting.
Banking / financial POA
Open, close, operate UAE bank accounts, transfer funds, issue cheques, hold debit cards. Required by every UAE bank for proxied account operation. Names specific banks and accounts. An official government fee applies.
Company-setup POA
Sign Memorandum of Association, lease office, apply for trade licence, open bank account on behalf of a foreign founder. Standard issuance during free-zone or mainland incorporation when the founder is abroad. Until task completed.
Judicial POA
Represent the principal in a named court case (civil, criminal, family). Cannot be drafted as “all litigation matters” — must name the case or the type narrowly. Issued by Dubai Courts or via private notary. An official government fee applies.
Commercial agency POA
Authority to act for a principal in named commercial transactions — sign contracts, negotiate with suppliers, distribute on behalf. Different from a Commercial Agency under the federal commercial agency law. An official government fee applies.
Medical POA
Authority to consent to medical treatment for a dependant (typically minor children or incapacitated parents). Recognised by Dubai Health Authority hospitals for major procedures requiring informed consent. An official government fee applies.
Does the UAE accept Apostille on foreign POAs in 2026?
The UAE has not acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention. Foreign POAs require the full consular legalisation chain — an Apostille on its own is rejected at MOFA UAE.
- WhereLocal public notary
- Indicative costSet by the local notary; varies by country
- WhereForeign Ministry / State Department / Foreign Office
- Indicative costSet by the foreign ministry; varies by country
- WhereUAE Embassy or Consulate in origin country
- Indicative costSet by the UAE embassy; varies by country
- WhereMinistry of Foreign Affairs UAE (Dubai or Abu Dhabi office)
- Indicative costOfficial MOFA fee per document
- WhereMOJ-licensed translator in UAE
- Indicative costPer page, set by the translator
- WhereDubai Notary or MOJ private notary
- Indicative costOfficial notary fee
An Apostille from a Hague Convention country (UK, USA, India since 2023) does not bypass the UAE Embassy step. Documents arriving with only an Apostille are rejected at MOFA UAE.
Three ways to notarise in the UAE in 2026
Pick the channel based on POA type, urgency and where you are. Each has different document requirements and turnaround.
Dubai Notary (Dubai Courts)
The government-run notary, located in Dubai Courts. All POA categories notarised. Walk-in queue or online appointment. Official fees depend on the POA type. Same-day turnaround. Principal’s physical presence required (or properly delegated representative for limited categories).
MOJ-licensed private notary
Private notaries licensed by the Ministry of Justice. Same legal force as Dubai Notary. Faster service (appointment-based, no queue), often a higher service fee on top of the government fee. 50+ licensed private notaries operate in Dubai.
UAE PASS e-Notary (video)
Digital notarisation via UAE PASS app, available since 2024. Video call with a notary. Document signed electronically and stamped. Available for selected POA types (General POA, Banking POA, Court POA). Property POAs and complex commercial agreements still require physical Dubai Notary. Official notary fee plus a small e-service fee.
When physical attendance is mandatory
Property POAs at DLD, commercial-agency POAs above AED 500K value, and any POA with multiple signatories needing same-time signature — Dubai Notary or private notary in person is required. The e-Notary route is for single-signatory, lower-value matters.
How to attest a POA from your home country
The legalisation chain (notary → foreign ministry → UAE Embassy in origin country → MOFA UAE) is the same everywhere, but the specifics, costs and turnaround vary by country. Eight jurisdictions covered most often.
- Foreign ministry stepFCDO Legalisation Office
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy London
- Typical timeline2-3 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepState Dept Authentications Office + State-level apostille
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Washington DC
- Typical timeline3-6 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepMEA Apostille / Sub-Divisional Magistrate
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Consulates (Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc.)
- Typical timeline2-3 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepForeign Office
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Islamabad or via online portal
- Typical timeline2-4 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepMinistry of Foreign Affairs
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Cairo
- Typical timeline1-2 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepSaudi MoFA
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Riyadh
- Typical timeline1-2 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepMinistry of Foreign Affairs & Emigrants
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Beirut
- Typical timeline2-3 weeks
- Foreign ministry stepMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Consular Dept)
- UAE embassy / consulateUAE Embassy Moscow
- Typical timeline3-5 weeks
For other jurisdictions, the principle is identical: home notary → foreign ministry → UAE Embassy in origin country → MOFA UAE. We coordinate the full chain via local lawyers in each country.
Six drafting errors that get POAs rejected
The notary doesn’t fix substantive errors. Most rejections are avoidable.
Vague scope language
“To do all things necessary” gets rejected by DLD and banks. Scope must name the act, the property/account, and the counterparty. Specificity is the price of acceptance.
No Arabic version
UAE notaries reject English-only drafts. Even if the principal doesn’t read Arabic, the certified Arabic version is the legally operative text and must accompany every POA.
Apostille used instead of consular legalisation
The most-common foreign-POA error. Apostille alone does not work for UAE. Full chain (home ministry → UAE Embassy → MOFA UAE) is required regardless of whether the origin country uses Apostille.
Missing identification of agent
The agent must be named with full passport details. “My brother” or “my employee” without full ID won’t notarise. Attach a passport copy of the agent.
Property value tier mistake
Real-estate POAs are priced in tiers by property value. Mis-declaring the value either over-charges or causes DLD to question the POA. Use the DLD valuation, not the personal estimate.
Revoking by silence
Asking the agent to “ignore” a POA doesn’t revoke it. The POA remains legally valid until a notarised revocation is issued. To kill a POA cleanly: notarised revocation + written notice to the registering authority (DLD, bank, court).
Common questions about UAE Powers of Attorney
Only when the principal cannot or will not appear in person for a specific transaction. Buying property in absentia, signing an MOA from abroad, operating a bank account through a manager — all require a Special POA. Personal day-to-day administration usually does not.
Yes. UAE notaries require POAs in Arabic, or in Arabic + certified translation. The Arabic text is the legally operative version even when a parallel English text exists.
Yes for selected categories via the UAE PASS e-Notary service (since 2024): General POA, banking POA, court POA. Property POAs, large commercial agreements and multi-signatory POAs still require physical Dubai Notary or MOJ private notary attendance.
No. As of January 2026 the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Foreign POAs require the full consular legalisation chain: home-country notary → foreign ministry → UAE Embassy in origin country → MOFA UAE attestation. Apostille alone is rejected.
General POA grants broad administrative authority and is accepted for routine government and personal matters. Special POA is scoped to named acts, named assets and named counterparties and is required by DLD (property), banks (account operation), free zones (company setup) and courts (litigation). Most foreign founders need a Special POA, not a General one.
Real-estate POAs: 2 years (DLD-enforced). General POAs: until revoked, typically capped at 5 years. Banking and commercial POAs: drafter’s choice (1-2 years common). Company-setup and judicial POAs: until task or case completes.
Official government fees depend on the POA type, with real-estate POAs tiered by property value. A private notary adds a service fee on top, and the UAE PASS e-Notary route carries a small e-service fee. We charge a flat drafting fee plus disbursements and give you a fixed quote before we start.
Yes with a Special Banking POA naming the specific bank, the proposed account type and the named agent. Most UAE banks require all signatories to attend in person OR a properly notarised banking POA with the agent in person. UAE PASS e-Notary works for account-operation POAs but not always for account-opening POAs.
Yes with a Special Company-Setup POA. The POA must explicitly authorise the agent to sign the MOA, lease the office, apply for the trade licence and open the corporate bank account. Free zones routinely accept properly drafted setup POAs from foreign founders.
Yes. A Real-Estate POA signed abroad, fully legalised (home country chain + UAE Embassy + MOFA UAE), translated into Arabic and registered with Dubai Land Department enables the agent to complete the purchase or sale. DLD validity capped at 2 years.
Original passport of the principal (and Emirates ID if UAE resident), draft POA in Arabic + English, passport copy of the agent, supporting documents (property title deed for real-estate POA, bank confirmation for banking POA, trade licence for company-setup POA). Two witnesses available if required by the specific POA type.
UK: FCDO Legalisation + UAE Embassy London + MOFA UAE, 2-3 weeks. India: MEA Apostille or Sub-Divisional Magistrate + UAE Consulate (Mumbai/Delhi/Hyderabad) + MOFA UAE, 2-3 weeks. USA: State-level apostille + State Department Authentications + UAE Embassy Washington DC + MOFA UAE, 3-6 weeks. We coordinate via local counsel in each country.
Notarised revocation document at any Dubai notary (an official notary fee applies), plus written notice to the registering authority (DLD for property POAs, bank for banking POAs, court for judicial POAs). Asking the agent to ignore the POA does not revoke it legally; the POA remains valid until formal revocation.
POA automatically lapses on the principal’s death, mental incapacity or formal bankruptcy. Any acts completed before the lapse remain valid; any acts attempted after are voidable. Heirs and successors do not automatically inherit POA-granted authority.
Yes. A UAE-issued POA notarised in Dubai is valid across all seven emirates. POAs notarised in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah etc. work similarly nationwide. Foreign-issued POAs once fully legalised work nationwide too.
Yes. A company can act as agent (donee) under a POA. The POA names the company by registered trade name and ID, and any natural person signing on the company’s behalf needs separate authority from the company’s own board (board resolution or sub-POA).
Any adult (18+) with full legal capacity and a valid passport can be named as agent (donee). The agent does not need to be a UAE resident. Restrictions: the agent cannot also be the counterparty in the same transaction (you cannot appoint the seller of a property to also represent you as buyer); minors and persons under guardianship cannot act as agents; a company can be named as agent only if its registered trade name and licence number are stated. Conflicts of interest are checked by the notary and DLD before acceptance.
Brief us on the POA you need.
Tell us the POA type (real-estate, banking, company-setup, judicial, commercial), where the principal will sign (in the UAE or abroad), and the named acts. We send a draft within one working day, book the notary, and handle the foreign legalisation chain if signed outside the UAE.
