Power of Attorney Dubai Procedure: Steps and Documents Required

Power of attorney Dubai procedure, step by step

Here is the power of attorney Dubai procedure in the order that avoids rework, so you know how to make a power of attorney in Dubai without a second visit.

1. Decide the purpose. Write down what the agent must do: sell a car, handle a bank account, sign a tenancy, appear in court. One clear purpose makes a clear document.
2. Choose general or special. See the next section.
3. Gather the documents. Use the checklist below.
4. Have the text prepared. We draft and, where needed, translate the wording so it matches your purpose.
5. Sign before the notary. The notary checks identity and capacity, then notarises the power of attorney.
6. Attest it if it goes abroad. A POA for use outside the UAE needs further steps, covered below.

Do not sign the draft before the appointment. A notary needs to see you sign, and a pre-signed page is turned away.

Choosing a general or special power of attorney

A general power of attorney gives the agent wide authority. A special power of attorney covers one named act or a short list of acts. Under the new Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, general and special agency are set out in Articles 869 to 871, and the whole chapter on agency is in Articles 866 to 903.

In practice, banks, courts and land offices often ask for a special power that names the exact act. A general document can be refused for a sale or a transfer. If you are unsure, tell us the purpose and we will tell you which type fits. For more detail, read our guide to the special power of attorney in Dubai and our page on power of attorney in Dubai and the UAE.

There is no general legal validity period for a power of attorney. The term is whatever the document says, so decide whether you want an end date.

Signing before our in-house notary, online or at home

You can sign in three ways: with our in-house notary public at our Business Bay office, online, or at your home through our home visit notary services. Our notary public works from the Business Bay office, so the in-person route is the simplest for most people.

The Ministry of Justice also runs the E-Notary system for remote notarisation. Read our page on the e-notary in Dubai to see how it differs from our online notary public services.

For how the notary signs, read notary public Dubai power of attorney. If you cannot travel, see our page on home visit notary services.

Translation, attestation and using the POA abroad

If the POA will be used outside the UAE, the notarised document usually goes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) for attestation. The MOFAIC attestation service charges AED 150 for personal documents and AED 2,000 for commercial documents. The receiving country may then ask for its own embassy to attest it.

The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille does not apply. Documents made abroad for use here are attested in the issuing country, including at the UAE embassy there, and then by MOFAIC in the UAE.

We take care of the attestation and guide you through each stage. Read more in power of attorney attestation in Dubai. If you are outside the UAE, see how to make a UAE power of attorney from abroad.

Common mistakes

• Signing the page before you meet the notary
• A purpose so broad that a bank or land office refuses it
• Names that do not match the passport or Emirates ID
• A foreign document without its full attestation chain
• No end date when you want the power to stop

To end a POA later, see how to cancel a power of attorney in Dubai. Dubai Land Department lists revocation of a POA as a free service for property matters.