Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney in the UAE: Types, Cost & Process
The different types of POA, what each costs, and how the process works end to end.
What a Power of Attorney actually does
A Power of Attorney (POA) is a document that authorises another person, your "attorney", to act on your behalf for specific matters in the UAE. It can be broad or narrow, depending on what you need, and is drafted in Arabic and English before being notarised at a Dubai notary public.
General POA vs special POA
A general POA grants broad authority across a range of matters, while a special POA is limited to one specific task, such as selling a car, managing one property transaction, or handling a single court matter. A special POA is usually cheaper and considered safer, since it limits what the attorney can do. If your need is specific, for example a property sale, see our dedicated guide on POA for a property sale in Dubai.
Common reasons people need one
- Managing or selling a property
- Running a business or company matter
- Handling a bank or government task
- Representing you while you're travelling
Documents you'll need
- Passport and Emirates ID of both the principal and the attorney
- The purpose of the POA
- The specific powers you want to grant
Notarisation, cost and turnaround
Notarisation at a Dubai notary public is what makes a POA legally usable, see our full explainer on notarising a Power of Attorney in the UAE. DocuGulf's all-in service fee starts from AED 690, covering drafting, coordination with the notary and delivery, typically taking 1–2 days. Government notary fees are always shown separately at cost. For comparison, drafting alone typically runs AED 200–1,000 plus notary fees of around AED 220 per signature.
Once you no longer need it
A POA remains valid until it's used, expires, or is revoked, see our guide on revoking a Power of Attorney in the UAE if circumstances change and you need to cancel one.
Key takeaways
- A POA authorises someone else to act for you in the UAE, general (broad) or special (task-specific).
- It must be notarised at a Dubai notary public to be legally usable.
- DocuGulf's fee starts from AED 690, typically 1–2 days, government fees shown separately.
- Not valid abroad automatically, see our Outside-Person POA guide if you need it recognised in another country.
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.
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Message us for an exact quote and the document checklist for your situation, or read more about our Power of Attorney service.
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