# Witnessing of signature in Dubai: in person, online or at home > Need witnessing of signature in Dubai? Our in-house notary public witnesses it in person, online or on a home visit, and we handle attestation after. Source: https://notaryservicesdubai.com/witnessing-of-signature-in-dubai/ Last updated: 29 September 2026 Publisher: Notary Services Dubai, Business Bay, Dubai (+971 54 380 1094) Witnessing of signature is when an official, usually a notary, confirms that you are the person who signed a document, checks your identity, and adds their own signature and seal to confirm it. At Notary Services Dubai, our in-house notary public does this at our Business Bay office, online, or on a home visit. Foreign courts, banks, land registries and companies commonly ask for it on documents such as property sale forms, share transfer forms and overseas court paperwork. This page explains what having a signature witnessed involves in Dubai, who can do it, and how we prepare and witness your document. We prepare the document, check who needs to sign and in what order, and our in-house notary public carries out the witnessing. We make sure the paperwork is correct before you sign, so the appointment is not rejected over a detail that could have been fixed in advance. Quick answer ## At a glance - Witnessing a signature means a notary confirms your identity, watches you sign, and certifies the signature is genuine. - In Dubai this is carried out by the Government notary public at Dubai Courts or by a licensed private notary, under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013. - It is one of the most common notarial acts requested for foreign documents, alongside certified true copies and affidavits. - The federal fee schedule sets authenticating a signature on an instrument of unspecified value at AED 200 per party, under Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024. - If the document is going abroad afterwards, witnessing of signature is usually only the first step; attestation normally follows. ## What witnessing a signature means When a document needs a signature witnessed, it means someone with legal standing to do so, in Dubai, a notary public, has to confirm that the person named on the document is the one who signed it. This is different from simply having a friend or colleague sign as a witness on the page: notarial witnessing carries legal weight because it is done by an official acting under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai. Foreign institutions ask for a witnessed signature for exactly this reason. A land registry in another country cannot verify who signed a document sent from Dubai, so it relies on a notary's confirmation, backed by identity checks, as proof the signature is genuine. ## Notary witnessing versus lawyer witnessing There is a real difference between a lawyer simply co-signing a document as a witness and a notary carrying out formal signature witnessing. A lawyer can sign as an ordinary witness on many documents, which confirms they saw you sign but does not carry the same legal weight as a notarial act. Formal witnessing of a signature, the kind that foreign authorities, courts and land registries usually ask for, needs to be done by a notary public, either the Government notary at Dubai Courts or a licensed private notary on the Dubai Courts roll. If you are not sure which your document needs, tell us what it is for and we will confirm before you book. ## Documents that commonly need witnessing of signature Having a signature witnessed comes up most often on documents that will be used outside the UAE or that involve a legal transfer of rights. Common examples include: - **Foreign property sale documents** , where an overseas land registry needs proof that the seller or buyer signed. - **Share transfer forms** , where a company registrar abroad needs confirmation of the signatory's identity. See [power of attorney for share transfer](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/power-of-attorney-for-share-transfer/) for the related power of attorney route where someone else needs to sign on your behalf. - **Overseas court forms** , where a foreign court requires a witnessed signature before accepting a document filed from Dubai. - **Contracts and agreements between parties** where one side wants independent confirmation that the other signed. ## What to bring and the steps A notary appointment for having your signature witnessed in Dubai generally follows this pattern: 1. **Prepare the document** in its final form before the appointment. The notary witnesses a signature on a finished document, not a draft. 2. **Bring your original ID** , Emirates ID or passport, matching the name on the document. 3. **Attend the appointment** and sign in front of the notary, or confirm your existing signature if the document was already signed and needs recognition. 4. **The notary checks your identity** , reviews the document and watches you sign, then applies their seal and signature confirming the act. 5. **Receive the witnessed document** , now carrying the notary's confirmation. If the document is in a language other than Arabic, it may need translation by a legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice before the notary will proceed. We arrange this as part of preparing your document. ## Electronic signature witnessing Some signature witnessing can now be completed remotely through the Ministry of Justice's e-notary system, using identity verification and a video call instead of an in-person visit. We cover how the remote system works in general on [e-notary in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/e-notary-in-dubai/), and our own remote service on [online notary services in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/online-notary-services-in-dubai/). Not every case is eligible for electronic witnessing, particularly where the receiving authority abroad specifically asks for an in-person notarial act. ## Attestation after your signature is witnessed For most documents heading abroad, having your signature witnessed by a Dubai notary is only the first step. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so no apostille applies here for a document notarised in Dubai. Instead, the usual route is MOFAIC attestation in the UAE, and depending on the destination country, further legalisation or embassy attestation once the document arrives there. We handle this attestation step, and set out the full chain, on [documents attestation in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/documents-attestation-in-dubai/). ## Signature authentication and signature attestation You may also see this act called signature authentication or signature attestation, particularly in older paperwork or on forms from other countries. In Dubai, these describe the same underlying act as witnessing of signature: a notary confirming the identity of the signatory and certifying the signature is genuine. The federal fee schedule refers to it as authenticating signatures on an instrument. Fees ## Fees for having a signature witnessed Under Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, the federal fee for authenticating signatures on an instrument of unspecified value is AED 200 per party. A private notary may add a professional fee on top of the federal schedule. We set out the wider fee picture on [notary services fees in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/notary-services-fees-in-dubai/). ## Get your signature witnessed in Dubai Tell us what the document is and who needs to sign, and we will prepare it and have our in-house notary public witness your signature, in person, online or at your home. Call or WhatsApp +971 54 380 1094, email support@notaryservicesdubai.com, or visit us at Empire Heights Tower B, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. For our full range of services, see [notary services in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/). How we help ## How we help We provide signature witnessing in three ways: in person at our Business Bay office with our in-house notary public, through our online notary public services, or on a home visit. For having your signature witnessed, this is what working with us looks like: 1. You tell us what the document is for and who needs to sign. 2. We check the document is complete and correctly worded before the appointment, and translate it if it needs to be in Arabic or bilingual. 3. We confirm whether the document needs full notarial witnessing or whether a different route applies. 4. Our in-house notary public checks your ID, witnesses your signature and applies the seal, in person, online where it qualifies, or on a home visit. 5. If the document needs to be used abroad, we handle the attestation step afterwards. If you want the wider picture of notarisation in Dubai beyond signature witnessing specifically, see [notary public in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/notary-public-dubai/) or our step by step process on [how do I notarise documents in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/how-do-i-notarize-documents-in-dubai/). FAQ ## Frequently asked questions ### What does witnessing a signature mean? It means a notary confirms your identity, watches you sign a document (or recognises your existing signature), and certifies that the signature is genuine by adding their own seal and signature. This is what makes a signature legally reliable for a bank, court or authority that was not present when it was signed. ### How do you witness a signature? A notary checks your ID against the name on the document, reviews the document, watches you sign or confirms your signature, then applies an official stamp and their own signature to record that the witnessing took place. ### Can a lawyer witness a signature in the UAE? A lawyer can sign as an ordinary witness on some documents, but formal witnessing of a signature, the kind foreign authorities usually require, needs to be carried out by a notary public. ### Can a signature be witnessed electronically? Some cases can be completed through the Ministry of Justice's e-notary system, using identity verification and a video call. Not every receiving authority abroad accepts electronic witnessing, so we check this before booking. ### How do I get my signature notarised in Dubai? Bring your finished document and your original Emirates ID or passport to our Business Bay office, or use our online or home visit service, and our in-house notary public notarises your signature. We prepare the document beforehand so the process goes smoothly. ### What is signature attestation? Signature attestation, also called signature authentication, describes the same act as having a signature witnessed: a notary confirming a signatory's identity and certifying their signature is genuine. ### Who can witness a signature on a document from abroad? A Dubai notary public or licensed private notary can witness a signature on a document intended for use abroad, provided the document is correctly prepared and, where needed, translated. The document will usually then need MOFAIC attestation to be accepted in the destination country. More answers, grouped by topic, are on our [questions and answers page](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/faq/). Keep reading ## Related services Guide ### [How it works](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/how-do-i-notarize-documents-in-dubai/) The steps to notarise a document in Dubai: pick the route, prepare and translate it, sign before the notary, then attest it if it goes abroad. Read more Services ### [Notary public in Dubai](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/notary-public-dubai/) How a notary public works in Dubai, the Dubai Courts, private notary and MOJ e-notary routes, and how we prepare your paperwork and book the appointment. Read more Notary Services Dubai ### [Online notary services](https://notaryservicesdubai.com/online-notary-services-in-dubai/) Get a document notarised online in Dubai. We prepare it and guide you through the video appointment, then get the notarised result to you. 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About this page Prepared by the Notary Services Dubai team in Business Bay, Dubai. Last reviewed . ### Official sources we checked (5) - Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai. Dubai Legislation portal (dlp.dubai.gov.ae). - Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563) - Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notarisation fees: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491) - HCCH status table (UAE not a party to the Apostille Convention): [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41) - MOFAIC attestation service: [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) Get started ## Talk to us about your document Call or WhatsApp +971 54 380 1094, or email support@notaryservicesdubai.com, and tell us what document you have and where it needs to be used. We are at Empire Heights Tower B, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai.