Notary Public Services: What You Can Notarise

What a notary public actually does

A notary public witnesses signatures, confirms the identity of the people signing, and stamps the document as officially executed. It doesn't mean the notary checked whether the content is fair, sensible or even enforceable, that's a lawyer's job. A notary's role is procedural: making sure the right people signed the right document, at the right time, in front of an official.

Documents commonly notarised in the UAE

• Powers of Attorney: both general and special, so someone can act on your behalf.
• Debt acknowledgments: a record of a debt and its repayment terms, signed by both parties.
• Memoranda of Understanding and simple agreements between individuals or companies.
• Declarations and affidavits, such as a sworn statement about a fact or circumstance.
• Company documents, including certain resolutions and shareholder agreements.

Where notarisation happens

In Dubai, notarisation is typically handled through the Dubai Courts Notary Public, either at a physical service centre or through an online notary session for eligible documents. Other emirates run their own notary services with similar structures. Which channel applies to you depends on the document type and where you're based, we'll confirm the right one for your case.

What to bring

At minimum, bring valid Emirates ID or passport for everyone who needs to sign, and the drafted document itself, ideally reviewed and agreed by all parties beforehand. If a company is involved, you may also need a trade licence copy and proof that the signatory is authorised to sign on the company's behalf.

Notary vs lawyer: when you need both

A notary confirms the signing was done properly. A lawyer advises on whether the content protects your interests. For something simple and low-risk, a notary alone may be enough once the wording is agreed. For anything with real money, property or long-term obligations attached, a POA covering a property sale, or a debt acknowledgment for a large sum, it's worth having a lawyer review the wording before it's signed and notarised.

Key takeaways: a notary witnesses and stamps, it doesn't vet the content; common documents include POAs, debt acknowledgments and declarations; bring valid ID for every signatory; get review first for anything high-value. See our Power of Attorney service for a worked example of notarisation in practice.

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.