For a company the binding constraint is rarely the notary. It is who the register shows as authorised to sign, whether the resolution names the specific act, and what the free zone or the Department of Economic Development expects to see. This page covers recurring corporate document work — resolutions, powers of attorney, share transfers, amendments — and the arrangements that remove the repeat rejections.
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Article contents10 sections
- Why Signing Authority Matters More Than the Notary
- What we handle
- Built for Companies With Recurring Document Requirements
- Corporate Document Management
- What Recurring Corporate Work Usually Costs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Our Team
- Official Legal and Authority References
- Legal Disclaimer
- Related pages
Why Signing Authority Matters More Than the Notary
Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 regulates the notary profession at federal level. Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 contains the Executive Regulations, and Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 addresses federal fees for public-notary transactions and private-notary fees. Local judicial systems and competent authorities can operate their own service channels and procedures. Requirements should therefore be checked for the specific Emirate and transaction rather than copied from another jurisdiction.
Our legal team assists with drafting, legal review and coordination of notary-related documents. The practice is managed by Emirati Senior Lawyer Abdulhamid Al Balooshi, who has practised legal services for more than two decades. Our office is in Dubai and we assist clients across the UAE according to the competent authority and the nature of the matter.
What we handle
Choose the outcome that matches your situation. Each card opens the page that explains the document, the likely route and what the competent authority will look for.
- Power of AttorneySpecial, general and company POAs drafted or reviewed and prepared for the appropriate notarial process.
- Agreements & contractsAgreements, MoUs and settlement documents drafted or reviewed and prepared for the applicable execution or notarial route.
- Corporate documentsBoard and shareholder resolutions, incorporation papers and amendments prepared or reviewed with reference to the company’s authority and the receiving entity’s requirements.
- Property documentsSale, gift, mortgage and management documents prepared or reviewed for the intended property transaction, subject to the relevant authority’s requirements.
- Attestation & legalisationAttestation and legalisation routes assessed, with each step identified for the competent authority or authorised provider.
- Wills & successionSupport with DIFC and UAE will drafting and registration requirements, subject to eligibility and individual circumstances.
- Declarations & undertakingsDeclarations, affidavits and undertakings prepared with reference to the receiving body’s current requirements.
- Legal noticesFormal notices drafted or reviewed, with the applicable service route explained.
- Documents for use abroadRoute guidance for documents moving into or out of the UAE, subject to destination and authority requirements.
Built for Companies With Recurring Document Requirements
Businesses rarely need one isolated document. A company may need a board resolution this week, a corporate Power of Attorney next month, an overseas parent-company document legalised for a registrar and later a settlement agreement or manager change. The useful service is therefore not simply “notarisation”; it is document control across the transaction.
Corporate Powers of Attorney
Corporate POAs can cover banking, property, litigation, government departments, company administration or defined transactions. Before drafting, the signatory's authority to delegate the relevant power should be established from the company's constitutional and registry records.
Board and Shareholder Resolutions
A resolution should be passed by the body that actually has authority under the company's constitution and applicable company or free-zone rules. A mainland company and a free-zone entity should not be assumed to use identical forms.
Company Amendments and Manager Changes
Changes to managers, authorised signatories, constitutional documents, ownership or registered information may require internal approvals plus filings with the competent registrar. Notarial formalisation, where required, does not replace the registry step.
Share Transfers and Business Sales
A share transfer can involve transfer instruments, resolutions, constitutional amendments, beneficial-owner information and regulator/registrar approvals. An asset/business sale can additionally involve leases, employees, IP, licences and contracts.
Commercial Agreements, Settlements and Undertakings
High-value commercial documents deserve substantive legal review before formal execution. The legal effect, payment/default mechanics, authority and intended enforcement route should be considered before deciding whether a notarial step is required.
Foreign Corporate Shareholders
Foreign certificates of incorporation, articles, resolutions and POAs may require authentication/legalisation and translation before UAE use. The receiving registrar's current checklist should be confirmed before documents are executed abroad.
Corporate Document Management
For recurring clients, a structured workflow can record entity names, licence/registry information, authorised signatories, constitutional documents and common transaction types. This reduces avoidable inconsistencies without assuming that an old document remains suitable for a new transaction.
Corporate clients with recurring requirements may discuss longer-term professional arrangements and special rates according to volume and scope. Official authority, translation, courier and third-party charges remain separate.
What Recurring Corporate Work Usually Costs
Official charges for notarisation, attestation and registration are set by the relevant authorities and published by them, so we link to the current sources rather than repeating figures — see notary fees and official charges. Drafting, review, coordination and legal translation are quoted separately.
For companies with regular filings, the cost that is easiest to reduce is the avoidable one: documents returned because the signatory on the register was not the person who signed, or because a resolution did not name the specific act. Establishing the registrar’s current requirement once, and drafting to it thereafter, removes most repeat work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who in the company actually has authority to sign?
Whoever the constitutional documents and the register say — not necessarily the general manager or the person holding the trade licence. Notarisation authenticates a signature; it does not establish the authority behind it, and a document signed by the wrong person is not saved by being notarised.
Does a corporate power of attorney need a board resolution?
Usually, and the resolution normally has to name the specific powers being granted rather than authorising a power of attorney in general terms. Free zones and registrars frequently have their own expected form for it.
Our shareholder is a foreign company — what does it have to provide?
Typically its certificate of incorporation, constitutional documents, evidence of its authorised signatory and the resolution approving the transaction, each attested through the chain for UAE use and translated. Prepare them together so the set is internally consistent.
Can we put something in place for recurring documents?
Yes, and for companies filing regularly it is usually the efficient route: a standing arrangement covering the recurring instruments, with the registrar’s current requirements confirmed at the outset and the drafting templates built around them.
Does it matter whether we are mainland or free zone?
It matters a great deal. A free zone maintains its own company register, its own forms and its own view of what a document must contain; mainland work runs through the Department of Economic Development of the relevant emirate. The same transaction can need different paperwork in each.
Will a notarised agreement be enforceable?
Notarisation authenticates execution. Enforceability depends on the agreement’s substance and on the forum, and certain instruments have particular consequences under UAE law that should be understood before signing rather than after.
What should we send first?
The trade licence, the constitutional documents, the current register extract if the entity is in a free zone, and a short description of the transaction and its deadline. That is enough to identify the authority route and the signing requirement before any drafting starts.
Contact Our Team
Our firm provides legal services including drafting, review and coordination of notary-related documents. The practice is managed by Emirati Senior Lawyer Abdulhamid Al Balooshi, with more than two decades of legal practice. Our office is in Dubai and we assist clients across the Emirates according to the competent authority and nature of the matter.
Website: https://uaenotarypublic.com/ Email: notary@uaenotarypublic.com Office: 14th Floor, Aspin Commercial Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Official Legal and Authority References
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 Regulating the Notary Profession.
- Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 on the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022.
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 determining federal public-notary transaction fees and private-notary fees.
- UAE Ministry of Justice E-Notary and Notary Public & Authentication services, where the federal service framework applies.
- Dubai Courts official notary services, for Dubai-specific matters.
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department official notary services, for Abu Dhabi-specific matters.
- The current official requirements of the relevant property authority, company registrar, free-zone authority, court, bank, MOFA or embassy should be checked where applicable.
Legal Disclaimer
This page provides general legal information and is not legal advice for a specific matter. Requirements vary by document, Emirate, free zone, court, notary, registrar, property authority and receiving institution. Official fees, service channels and documentary requirements may change. No notarisation, attestation, registration, third-party acceptance, completion time or legal outcome is guaranteed. Obtain matter-specific advice and verify current official requirements before signing or filing. For interpretation of UAE legislation, the official Arabic text should be consulted.