Which authority handles a UAE notarial act depends on the emirate. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah run their own judicial departments; Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain come under the federal judiciary and the Ministry of Justice. DIFC and ADGM are separate common-law jurisdictions again. The pages below set out who handles what, and which body receives the document afterwards.
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Article contents11 sections
- Which Emirate Authority Handles Your Document
- Choose the Emirate or Jurisdiction Relevant to Your Document
- Special Jurisdictions
- Documents Commonly Needed
- Online, Remote and Overseas Processing
- Fees and Professional Charges
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Our Team
- Official Legal and Authority References
- Legal Disclaimer
- Related pages
Which Emirate Authority Handles Your Document
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.
Choose the Emirate or Jurisdiction Relevant to Your Document
The UAE does not operate every notarial transaction through one identical local process. Dubai has Dubai Courts channels. Abu Dhabi has the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department framework, including public/private notary arrangements and an English-language Notary Services Bureau. Federal Ministry of Justice electronic notary services are relevant to federal-court jurisdictions. Special jurisdictions such as DIFC and ADGM also require separate analysis for matters within their competence.
Dubai
Use the Dubai hub for Dubai Courts/private-notary questions, Dubai company documents, Dubai property POAs and Dubai legal notices.
Dubai runs its own judicial department and licenses private notaries alongside Dubai Courts. See notary services in Dubai for the three layers to establish before attending.
Abu Dhabi
Use the Abu Dhabi hub for ADJD notarial services, English-language digital notarial options and Abu Dhabi transactions. ADGM matters should be assessed separately.
Abu Dhabi has its own judicial department and contains a second legal jurisdiction in ADGM. See notary services in Abu Dhabi.
Sharjah
Sharjah users should distinguish federal notarial services from the requirements of Sharjah-specific registrars, property bodies and free zones.
Sharjah sits within the federal judiciary, with property registered locally by the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department. See notary services in Sharjah.
Ajman
Ajman transactions often combine federal e-notary formalities with local company, property or free-zone requirements.
Ajman is within the federal system, and documents signed here are frequently for transactions elsewhere. See notary services in Ajman.
Ras Al Khaimah
RAK matters require care where RAKEZ or another local registrar is involved; a registrar process is not automatically the same as the federal notarial process.
Ras Al Khaimah is one of only three emirates with its own judicial department, and it holds two distinct company registries. See notary services in Ras Al Khaimah.
Fujairah
Fujairah clients can use federal notarial channels where applicable while separately satisfying the authority receiving the document.
Fujairah is on the east coast, and much of its document work supports port, shipping and trading transactions with overseas counterparties. See notary services in Fujairah.
Umm Al Quwain
UAQ transactions should be mapped according to the federal notarial framework and the relevant local/free-zone recipient.
Umm Al Quwain is within the federal system, and most matters here involve a free-zone company or an owner who is not in the country. See notary services in Umm Al Quwain.
Special Jurisdictions
DIFC and ADGM should not be presented as ordinary Emirate location variants. Use the dedicated jurisdiction pages for their distinct services and rules.
Documents Commonly Needed
Depending on the matter, the review may require identity documents, the existing draft, company licence and constitutional records, resolutions, registry extracts, title/property documents, contracts, attorney details, foreign certificates, authenticated originals and any checklist issued by the receiving authority.
The checklist should be transaction-specific. Asking for every possible document creates unnecessary work; asking for too little creates avoidable rejection risk.
Online, Remote and Overseas Processing
Electronic notarial channels are now significant in the UAE. However, “online” does not mean that every instrument can be completed without identity checks, supporting documents, translation or virtual/personal attendance where the competent authority requires it.
For overseas parties, legal review before execution is particularly important. A document that has already been signed, legalised and couriered can be expensive to replace if the underlying powers or corporate authority are insufficient.
Fees and Professional Charges
Official notarial charges depend on the competent authority, document and transaction. Legal drafting/review, translation, MOFA or embassy authentication, courier, property/registry fees and other third-party charges may be separate.
Corporate clients with recurring requirements may enquire about special professional rates and longer-term arrangements based on volume and scope. Official and third-party fees remain subject to the relevant authority/provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter which emirate I notarise in?
Formally, a document notarised through the federal system is a federal instrument and is not tied to the emirate where it was signed. What matters is the body that has to accept it afterwards — a land department, a free-zone registrar or a bank — because each applies its own requirements regardless of where the notarisation took place.
Which emirates run their own courts?
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah have their own judicial departments. Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain come under the federal judiciary, so notarial work there runs through the Ministry of Justice.
Are official fees the same across the emirates?
No. Charges differ by authority and by instrument, and the emirates with their own judicial departments publish their own schedules. The current position should be taken from the authority’s own page rather than from a figure repeated elsewhere.
Do DIFC and ADGM count as separate jurisdictions?
Yes. Both are common-law jurisdictions with their own courts and registration authorities, and both operate document routes distinct from the onshore emirate around them. A document belonging to one of those jurisdictions generally cannot be handled by the onshore authority, and the reverse is also true.
Can I sign in one emirate for a transaction in another?
Usually, subject to the receiving body’s requirements. The practical constraint is almost never the location of the notary; it is whether the wording satisfies the authority at the other end.
Which page should I start from?
The one for the emirate where the document will be used rather than where you happen to be. Each page sets out the authority that handles notarisation there and the body that receives the document afterwards.
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.