Notary Services Dubai
Witnessing of signature in Dubai: in person, online or at home
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 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:
- Prepare the document in its final form before the appointment. The notary witnesses a signature on a finished document, not a draft.
- Bring your original ID, Emirates ID or passport, matching the name on the document.
- Attend the appointment and sign in front of the notary, or confirm your existing signature if the document was already signed and needs recognition.
- The notary checks your identity, reviews the document and watches you sign, then applies their seal and signature confirming the act.
- 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.
Talk to us
Tell us what the document is and where it will be used. We check it and notarise it in person, online or at your home.
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, and our own remote service on 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.
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.
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.
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:
- You tell us what the document is for and who needs to sign.
- We check the document is complete and correctly worded before the appointment, and translate it if it needs to be in Arabic or bilingual.
- We confirm whether the document needs full notarial witnessing or whether a different route applies.
- 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.
- 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 or our step by step process on how do I notarise 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.
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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.