The Real Cost of Official Documents in the UAE (2026)

Why costs vary so much

Most UAE official documents have two layers of cost: a government or notary fee, which is fixed and non-negotiable, and a service or drafting fee, which varies enormously depending on who's doing the work. A private law firm charges for a lawyer's time; a typing centre charges a flat processing fee; a facilitation service like DocuGulf bundles drafting, coordination and delivery into one all-in figure. None of these is "wrong", they just suit different situations.

Wills

A DIFC or Abu Dhabi (ADJD) will for a non-Muslim resident typically runs from around AED 5,000 for a single-asset will up to AED 16,000 for a full will covering property, guardianship and business interests. Mirror wills for couples usually cost more, in the region of AED 18,000–21,000 for both together, since two linked wills need to be drafted and registered.

Power of Attorney

Drafting a general or special POA generally costs AED 200–1,000, plus notary fees of around AED 220 per signature, so a typical POA lands somewhere around AED 500–1,500 all in. A special POA limited to one task is usually cheaper than a broad general POA.

Attestation and certified copies

MOFAIC attestation typically costs around AED 150 in government fees plus a service charge, landing around AED 300–600 per document once you include embassy or home-country legalisation steps where needed. A certified true copy, a lawyer or chartered accountant confirming a copy matches the original, usually costs roughly AED 100–500 per set.

Ejari, formal notices and debt documents

• Ejari tenancy registration: government fee of AED 120–230 plus a typing-centre charge of AED 100–300.
• Formal notice (drafted and served): roughly AED 500–2,500 in drafting fees, plus notary and service fees.
• Debt acknowledgment: roughly AED 600–1,500 in total, including drafting and notary fees.
• MOHRE labour complaint: filing itself is free; preparation help typically runs AED 500–2,500.

Hidden costs to watch for

The most common surprise isn't the headline price, it's the extras that only appear halfway through: courier fees to move an original document between offices, translation costs if a document isn't in Arabic, and a second round of fees if a document has to be redone because of an error. Ask upfront whether a quoted price is truly all-in, or whether government fees will be added separately.

Key takeaways: government and notary fees are largely fixed; service fees vary by provider; ask whether a quote is all-in or excludes government fees; budget extra for translation and courier costs on multi-step processes. See our Ejari service for a worked example of transparent, all-in pricing.

A note on scope: DocuGulf is a documentation facilitation service. All kinds of work is performed by licensed notaries, translators and approved typing centres. Reach us at info@docugulf.com or +971 58 569 3628.