ADGM company documents involve two distinct authorities. Corporate registration matters — incorporations, filings, amendments and company records — sit with the ADGM Registration Authority. Notarial acts are performed by ADGM Courts Notary Public, which operates in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and is licensed and authorised under Abu Dhabi’s notary framework.
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Article contents11 sections
- A Licence Signatory Is Not Automatically an Authorised Signer
- The Registration Authority Notary Pack
- Jurisdiction Screening Comes First
- Format Requirements That Affect Drafting
- Building the Authority Chain
- What ADGM Courts Notary Public Covers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Our Team
- Official Authority References
- Legal Disclaimer
- Related pages
This page covers the corporate side: establishing and evidencing the authority behind an ADGM document so that it holds up when it is filed or presented. For the notarial act itself — what ADGM Courts Notary Public can notarise, its fee schedules, translation and processing — see our ADGM Notary Public guide.
A Licence Signatory Is Not Automatically an Authorised Signer
ADGM’s current guidance makes a point that catches out a great many corporate transactions: appearing on a commercial licence as an authorised signatory does not by itself establish authority to sign documents for notarisation.
Authority may instead arise under the ADGM Companies Regulations, or through a suitable Power of Attorney or shareholder or board resolution. The practical consequence is that the licence is evidence of who represents the company generally — not proof that this person may execute this document for this purpose.
Checking that distinction before documents are drafted is considerably cheaper than discovering it at submission, particularly where overseas signatories have already signed.
The Registration Authority Notary Pack
For an ADGM entity, the Registration Authority can provide a ‘notary pack’ to certify an authority document for notarial purposes, including supporting confirmation about the authority document and directors’ powers.
Where authority is the open question — which it usually is for corporate documents — obtaining this at the outset resolves the point with the body that maintains the company record, rather than leaving it to be argued later.
Jurisdiction Screening Comes First
ADGM expressly states that its Notary Public will not notarise matters that fall within another local authority’s competence. Screening jurisdiction before submission is therefore essential, not optional.
A document connected to an ADGM company is not automatically an ADGM document. Where the transaction concerns mainland property, a mainland bank, another Emirate’s authority or a foreign recipient, that body’s route and requirements govern — and may point to the federal notary framework instead.
Format Requirements That Affect Drafting
Two ADGM requirements materially affect how a document should be prepared and executed:
- documents for notarisation are generally required to be bilingual Arabic/English and certified by a UAE Ministry of Justice licensed legal translator, unless Arabic is required;
- handwritten signatures are required on all pages, and electronic signatures are not accepted for this notarial process.
The second is easy to overlook in a remote transaction. Where signatories are overseas, an electronically executed document will not satisfy the requirement, so the signing logistics need to be planned alongside the drafting rather than after it.
Building the Authority Chain
For an ADGM entity the chain runs from the ADGM Companies Regulations and the company’s constitutional documents, through whatever resolution or Power of Attorney is required, to the person who signs. Each link should be evidenced rather than assumed.
Where a foreign parent or corporate shareholder is involved, that company’s own constitutional framework and the law of its incorporation govern whether the person signing may bind it. Seniority within the group is not the test, and a resolution passed without that check can fail at the point it matters most.
What ADGM Courts Notary Public Covers
For completeness: ADGM states that its Notary Public can notarise documents within its competence, specimen signatures, verification of document dates, declarations and affirmations, and non-Muslim Wills under its Wills Office. The scope, fees and process are set out in our ADGM Notary Public guide.
Corporate registration matters remain within the functions of the ADGM Registration Authority, and a notarisation should not be read as registration or as registrar approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am on the company licence as authorised signatory. Is that enough to sign?
Not by itself. ADGM guidance states that appearing on a commercial licence as an authorised signatory does not establish authority to sign documents for notarisation. Authority may arise under the ADGM Companies Regulations or through a suitable POA or shareholder or board resolution.
Can ADGM documents be signed electronically?
Not for this notarial process. ADGM states that handwritten signatures are required on all pages and that electronic signatures are not accepted, which affects how remote signings must be arranged.
Do ADGM documents need to be in Arabic?
ADGM’s current guidance generally requires documents for notarisation to be bilingual Arabic/English and certified by a UAE Ministry of Justice licensed legal translator, unless Arabic is required. This differs from DIFC, whose Courts Notary Service is described as an English-document service.
Will ADGM notarise any document for my ADGM company?
No. ADGM expressly states that its Notary Public will not notarise matters falling within another local authority’s competence, so the jurisdiction of the matter should be established before submission.
How do I prove directors’ powers?
The Registration Authority can provide a notary pack certifying an authority document for notarial purposes, including supporting confirmation about the authority document and directors’ powers.
Contact Our Team
Our firm provides UAE legal services including corporate document drafting, review, Powers of Attorney, resolutions, foreign-document coordination and notary-related support. The practice is managed by Emirati Senior Lawyer Abdulhamid Al Balooshi, with more than two decades of legal practice.
Website: https://uaenotarypublic.com/ Email: notary@uaenotarypublic.com Office: 14th Floor, Aspin Commercial Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Official Authority References
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 Regulating the Notary Profession, where the federal notary framework is applicable.
- Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024, Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022.
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, federal public/private notary fee framework.
- ADGM Courts Notary Public guidance and FAQs; ADGM Registration Authority requirements and applicable ADGM Companies Regulations.
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs requirements should be checked where foreign/UAE documents require attestation for cross-border use.
Legal Disclaimer
This page provides general legal information and does not constitute legal advice for a specific transaction. Free-zone rules, service forms, registrar requirements, notarial procedures, fees and document checklists can change. The competent registrar or authority may request additional documents. Notarisation does not guarantee registrar, bank, court, property-authority or third-party acceptance. No completion time, registration, notarisation or legal outcome is guaranteed. Obtain transaction-specific advice and verify the current official authority requirements before signing, legalising or filing documents.