UAE notary fees are not based on one universal price. The official charge depends on the type of notarial act, the nature and value of the instrument, the number of parties and the competent authority. Some transactions have a fixed fee, while certain value-based instruments are charged according to the applicable fee schedule and statutory cap.
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Article contents16 sections
- What Determines a UAE Notary Fee
- Core UAE Legal Framework
- Why There Is No Single UAE Notary Price
- Federal Fee Schedule
- High-Value Instruments
- General and Special POA Fee
- Private Notary Fees
- What Official Fees Usually Exclude
- Worked Fee Example
- Corporate Cost Planning
- Fee Freshness
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Need Support With Your Document?
- Legal References
- Legal Disclaimer
- Related pages
What Determines a UAE Notary Fee
Clients should also distinguish official notary fees from professional legal drafting and review, certified legal translation, foreign document attestation, courier charges and fees payable to another authority involved in the underlying transaction. An accurate cost estimate therefore starts with the actual document and its intended use rather than the document title alone.
Core UAE Legal Framework
The federal starting point is Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 Regulating the Notary Profession, supported by Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 on the Executive Regulations and Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on fees. The UAE Legislation portal lists the 2024 resolutions as active. The federal framework recognises regulated public and private notarial functions and gives legal significance to electronic signatures and electronic documents notarised in accordance with the legislation.
Primary sources:
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2322
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
Why There Is No Single UAE Notary Price
The correct fee depends on the legal act, instrument value, parties, authority and jurisdiction. A responsible quote separates official fees from professional legal work, translation, attestation and other third-party charges.
Federal Fee Schedule
Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 is the principal federal fee instrument. The schedule differentiates execution, notarisation, signature authentication, POAs and other services.
High-Value Instruments
For notarisation of a high-value instrument, the federal schedule in Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 applies a percentage of the instrument value subject to a published cap, above a stated value threshold. Crossing that threshold does not mean a contract must be notarised. First determine whether notarisation is required at all, and which fee item applies.
General and Special POA Fee
The federal schedule sets a per-party charge for execution or notarisation of a general or special POA. For a Dubai transaction, the Dubai Courts POA service page publishes the charge that applies there, together with a Knowledge and Innovation charge.
Private Notary Fees
Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 also regulates private-notary fees and professional charges. A private-notary quote should be checked against the current Resolution rather than presented as the same total as a public-notary transaction.
What Official Fees Usually Exclude
Possible additional costs include legal drafting/review, certified translation, foreign legalisation or attestation, courier services and the fees of the court, land authority, registrar, bank or free zone involved in the underlying transaction.
Worked Fee Example
If an instrument genuinely falls within the federal item for a high-value instrument, the percentage rate is applied subject to the published cap. The example is not a conclusion that the underlying agreement requires notarisation.
Corporate Cost Planning
Companies should track document type, number of parties, jurisdiction, language, foreign-document status and receiving authority. That information makes official-fee estimates and professional work scopes more reliable.
Fee Freshness
Fee pages are YMYL content. They should carry a legal-review date and be checked whenever the UAE Cabinet, Dubai Courts, ADJD, DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts or another competent authority changes its schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a single national notary fee?
No. Charges vary by the authority performing the act, by the instrument, and in some cases by the value of the transaction. That is why this page describes the structure and links to the official schedules rather than quoting one number.
What do official fees usually exclude?
Legal drafting and review, legal translation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation, consular legalisation, courier and, where relevant, registration fees charged by a land department or registrar. The notarial charge is normally the smallest component of a cross-border matter.
Are private notary charges the same as court charges?
They are set separately. A private notary operates from a licensed private office with its own published charges, alongside the official fee elements. Ask for the full breakdown rather than a single figure.
Do high-value instruments cost more?
For certain instruments the charge is calculated against the value of the transaction rather than as a flat amount, and a ceiling may apply. Establish which basis applies to your document before budgeting.
Why does this page link to fee schedules instead of listing amounts?
Because published charges are revised, and a figure repeated here would eventually be wrong in a way a reader could not detect. Linking to the authority’s own page means the number you see is the number in force.
How should a company budget for recurring filings?
Budget for the whole chain rather than the notarial line, and separately for rework. The avoidable cost in recurring corporate filings is documents returned for a signatory or wording defect, which repeats steps that have already been paid for.
Need Support With Your Document?
Our firm provides legal drafting, document review, transaction support and assistance with notary-related procedures across the UAE. The practice is led by Emirati Senior Lawyer Abdulhamid Al Balooshi, who has more than two decades of legal practice. Based in Dubai, we assist individuals, companies, investors and overseas clients with matters involving notarial procedures and related legal requirements across the Emirates.
Website: https://uaenotarypublic.com/ Email: notary@uaenotarypublic.com Office: 14th Floor, Aspin Commercial Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Corporate clients with recurring requirements may ask about long-term service arrangements and corporate rates for the professional legal-support component. Official authority fees remain governed by the competent authority.
Legal References
This article has been prepared with reference to the current UAE legal and official-service framework relevant to the subject, including Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 Regulating the Notary Profession, Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2024 concerning the Executive Regulations, and Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 concerning applicable notarial fees where relevant. For Dubai procedures, current Dubai Courts service requirements should be checked before filing. For document attestation, the current UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs requirements should be checked. DIFC Wills matters should be verified against the current DIFC Courts Wills Service rules and fee schedule.
Legal and procedural requirements can change, and the competent authority may request additional documents depending on the facts of the transaction.
Legal Disclaimer
This article provides general legal information and is not legal advice or a guarantee that a document will be accepted, notarised, attested, registered or enforced. Requirements can differ by document, parties, transaction, Emirate, free zone, competent authority and receiving authority. Official fees, digital eligibility and procedures may change. Where the UAE Legislation portal states that the Arabic text prevails, the Arabic text is authoritative in the event of conflict. Verify current requirements and obtain advice on the facts before signing or relying on a document. Legal/source review date: 20 August 2026.