Online Notary in the UAE

Which documents can be notarised online

Video notarisation in the UAE covers far more than a power of attorney. Residents with an Emirates ID have access to the full range of notarial documents; non-residents can only notarise powers of attorney. Here’s why.

• Power of Attorney (POA) — general, special, for real estate, or for managing a company;
• Acknowledgement Letter — a written confirmation of a fact or obligation;
• Ekrar (Ikrar) a notarial acknowledgement;
• Memorandum and other constitutive documents of a local company;
• Board Resolution — a decision of the board of directors or founders;
• Declaration — an official statement of facts, rights or intentions;
• Last Will.

The general rule is simple: which authority handles your case depends on whether you hold a valid Emirates ID — not on which document you need.

Residents: notarisation through Dubai Courts

If you hold a valid Emirates ID, documents are processed through the Dubai Courts electronic system — this is where the full list above is available, not just powers of attorney.

1. A draft of the document is prepared in Arabic — typically as a bilingual Arabic-English version, by a licensed legal translation company.
2. The text is agreed with the client. Wording isn’t templated — the document is drafted freely, within the bounds of the law, for the specific purpose, with amendments made as needed.
3. A convenient time is scheduled for an online meeting with the notary via Zoom.
4. A 5-10 minute video call takes place between the notary and the person granting the document; an interpreter can join on request (from AED 150, depending on the language).
5. The notary reviews the original Emirates ID live on camera and approves the transaction.
6. The call is recorded, and the electronic document is issued based on that recording.
7. The finished document is sent to the email and phone number provided during verification — within 48 hours.

An important detail: it used to be possible to upload a pre-recorded video instead of a live call. That option no longer exists — only real-time video calls are accepted, with no exceptions.

The final document is fully electronic, with a QR code for online verification of its authenticity in the Dubai Courts system.

Non-residents: notarisation through the Ministry of Justice

If you don’t hold an Emirates ID, a power of attorney is processed through the UAE Ministry of Justice instead, and verified against your passport — the original is shown to the notary over video in the same way.

Key limitation: the Ministry of Justice only processes powers of attorney. Acknowledgement letters, ekrar, memorandums, board resolutions and other corporate notarial documents don’t go through this authority — those require resident status and Dubai Courts.

The video call takes the same 5-10 minutes, but the result is ready faster — typically within 30 minutes of the call ending. After that, the document needs to be signed online, either in the app or on the Ministry of Justice’s official website.

How the video call with the notary works

Regardless of the authority, the logic of the meeting is the same: the notary needs to see your document and confirm, live, that the person signing it is who they claim to be.

Table 1 — General notarisation process

The difference between the two authorities isn’t in the call itself — it’s in what can be notarised and how quickly you get the result.

Wills: why religion matters

A will is the one document on this list where formality plays a secondary role, and the substance requires separate attention.

A will must state the testator’s nationality and religion — and this isn’t a formality. For Muslims, a distinct part of the legal framework applies — Sharia rules, which materially shape how the estate is distributed among heirs. Non-Muslims are governed by different legal rules, which allow more freedom to distribute assets as the testator wishes.

All notarial documents, including wills, powers of attorney, acknowledgement letters, ekrar and board resolutions, are drawn up in accordance with UAE law. Where relevant, they also take into account international law and the principles of British Common Law — which brings us to when the standard Dubai Courts route isn’t enough.

DIFC: when you need this route instead

If you hold property, accounts, a business or other assets outside the UAE, a standard Dubai Courts will isn’t always the right tool — it’s designed primarily for the local market. For these cases there’s a separate instrument: notarisation through DIFC Courts (Dubai International Financial Centre).

The key difference: DIFC Courts documents are drafted and recognised under the principles of British Common Law and are valid across international jurisdictions worldwide — unlike Dubai Courts documents, which work primarily within the UAE.

Table 2 — Dubai Courts vs. DIFC Courts: which to choose

In short: if all your assets are in the UAE, Dubai Courts fully covers the task. If you hold accounts, real estate or a business abroad, DIFC saves your heirs from having to separately legalise a UAE will in another country.

Cost and timelines

Cost depends on the document type and the scope of work: translation, drafting the text to meet legal requirements, government fees, and organising the video notarisation are all included in the stated price.

Table 3 — Service pricing

Included in the price: drafting the document to meet legal requirements, translation into Arabic and English (or into the client’s required language for a special personal POA), a single round of review and editing, government fees, organising the video notarisation, and issuing the finished electronic certificate.

An interpreter for the call itself, if needed in addition to the standard document translation, is billed separately — from AED 150 depending on the language. Pricing is indicative and may vary depending on government fee levels at the time of your request.

How we handle it

Dynasty Business Adviser acts as a licensed agent for document notarisation in the UAE and guides clients from the first draft through to the finished certificate.

1. Choose the document type and submit a request.
2. Upload the required documents and details, and pay using whichever method suits you.
3. A specialist contacts you to confirm the details and schedule a convenient time for the video call.
4. Take the video call from the notary, show your passport or Emirates ID, and receive the notarised document.

We work with clients anywhere in the world — being physically present in the UAE isn’t required to notarise a power of attorney or a will.