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Company documents notarisation in Dubai, then attestation for use abroad
Company documents notarisation in Dubai is the first step for most company papers that a bank, registry or authority will rely on: board resolutions, company powers of attorney, memorandums of association, share papers and signatory declarations. The authorised signatories sign before a notary public, who checks their identity and their authority to sign, and seals the document. If the paper is going abroad, it then goes to MOFA as a commercial document and, where the other country asks, to that country’s embassy in the UAE.
We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. We draft or check the resolution or power of attorney, the signatories sign before our notary public at our office, online or at their own office, and we take the notarised papers on to MOFA and the embassy when they need to travel.
At a glance
- Company papers that will be relied on by a bank, registry or authority are usually signed before a notary public first. The notary checks each signatory’s identity and authority.
- Notary fees for company instruments are set by value in Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, starting at AED 200 per party for a low value instrument. Source: UAE Legislation.
- MOFA charges AED 2,000 to attest a commercial document, against AED 150 for a personal one. Source: MOFA FAQ.
- A general or commercial power of attorney is on MOFA’s commercial list, so it carries the commercial fee.
- A foreign company paper for UAE use goes through the home foreign ministry, the UAE embassy there and MOFA in the UAE. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention.
In this hub
1 page under Company documents
Service
Commercial invoice
Commercial invoice attestation is how a trade document becomes acceptable to customs, a bank or a buyer in another country.
Side by side
Which company papers we notarise
| Document | Usually needed when | Next step for use abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Board resolution | Appointing a manager, opening a bank account or branch abroad, signing a contract abroad | MOFA as a commercial document, then the embassy |
| Company power of attorney | Letting a manager, lawyer or agent act for the company, including a customs agent | MOFA as a commercial document, then the embassy |
| Memorandum and articles of association | Setting up a branch or subsidiary, or proving the company’s structure to a foreign bank | Depends on the registry and the receiving office |
| Share papers and share transfer documents | Changes in ownership, or proving ownership to a bank abroad | Depends on the receiving office |
| Signatory declaration | Confirming who may sign for the company | MOFA if the reader is abroad |
| Certified true copy of the trade licence or incorporation documents | Proving the company exists, to a foreign registry or bank | MOFA if the reader is abroad |
| Commercial invoice and certificate of origin | Exports and imports | Chamber of commerce, then MOFA eDAS |
The receiving office decides what it wants on the document. Ask it for its list, or send us the request and we read it with you.
Step by step
How company documents notarisation in Dubai works
01
Scope call.
You tell us the document, the country where it will be used and the office that asked for it. We ask for the trade licence and the passports of the signatories.
02
Drafting check.
We draft or review the resolution or power of attorney, in Arabic and English where the notary needs Arabic.
03
Signing before the notary.
The authorised signatories sign before our in-house notary public, in person, online by video, or on a visit to your office. We tell you if your document can be done online.
04
The notary seals it.
The notary checks each signatory’s ID and authority, watches the signature and applies the seal.
05
MOFA.
If the paper is going abroad, we submit it to MOFA as a commercial document and collect it.
06
Embassy.
We take it to the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE where it applies.
07
Handover.
You receive the originals and a scan of every page, with a note of every stamp on them.
The language point matters. The language of notarised instruments in the UAE is Arabic, with a conditional exception, and bilingual Arabic and English drafting is common practice. A legal translator registered with the UAE Ministry of Justice prepares the translation where one is needed. See legal translation for notarisation.
Board resolutions: the paper we see most
A board resolution is short, but it fails for small reasons. Before it goes to the notary, check:
- the company name matches the trade licence letter for letter;
- the resolution names the person being authorised exactly as their passport does;
- the signatories are the people the articles say can sign, and the resolution says so;
- the powers are specific enough for the office that will read it;
- the date and place of the meeting are stated.
01
Company powers of attorney
A company power of attorney lets a manager, lawyer or agent act for the company. Under the Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025), a power of attorney written only in general terms gives the agent acts of management only, so a power to sell, borrow or sign a specific contract should be stated expressly. Source: UAE Legislation. A UAE power of attorney has no fixed statutory validity period; its term is whatever the document says.
For use abroad, the power of attorney goes through the notary public, MOFA as a commercial document, and the destination embassy. Our page on power of attorney notarisation in Dubai covers personal and company powers of attorney.
Step by step
Foreign company papers coming into the UAE
01
Home country notary or registry.
The parent company’s documents are signed before a notary or certified by the registry.
02
Home country foreign ministry.
03
UAE embassy or consulate in that country.
04
MOFA in the UAE, as a commercial document.
05
Legal translation into Arabic, if the UAE registry or bank asks for it.
If the parent company is in a country that uses apostilles, tell the home office the papers are for the UAE. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so the embassy route is still needed. See whether the UAE is an apostille country.
Trade papers, DIFC and free zone companies
Trade papers follow their own route: the chamber of commerce, then MOFA, often through eDAS, MOFA’s electronic attestation system. Our commercial invoice attestation page covers the steps, and the notary side of trade papers such as a company power of attorney for a customs agent.
A company registered in the DIFC may need the DIFC Courts notary service for some documents instead of an onshore notary. The DIFC Courts service covers oaths, affidavits, affirmations, declarations and certified true copies. Source: DIFC Courts notary service. Free zone companies generally follow the onshore notary and MOFA route for papers going abroad.
Signatories who cannot come in
Directors travel, and not every signatory can come to us on the same day. We come to your office, or to a signatory’s home or hospital, anywhere in the UAE. See home visit notary. Some documents can also be signed online by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels, such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. See online notary in the UAE.
Prices
Prices
| Service | Our service price | Government fee, paid on top at cost |
|---|---|---|
| Board resolution | From AED 2,000 | Notary fee by value, then MOFA AED 2,000 if going abroad |
| MOA (memorandum of association) | From AED 600 | Notary fee by value, then MOFA AED 2,000 if going abroad |
| AOA, trade licence or incorporation documents | From AED 500 | Notary fee by value, then MOFA AED 2,000 if going abroad |
| Commercial documents, general notarisation | From AED 500 | Notary fee by value |
| Company power of attorney | From AED 1,500 | AED 100 per party (federal schedule), then MOFA AED 2,000 if going abroad |
| MOFA attestation, commercial document handling | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 |
| Home or office visit | Quoted when you book | Dubai private notary trip fee AED 1,000 per trip outside the place of work |
Watch for
Mistakes that send company papers back
- Paying the personal MOFA fee for a commercial paper. It means a second payment and a delay.
- A signatory the articles do not allow to sign. The notary may refuse, or the foreign office may reject it later.
- Company name spelled differently from the trade licence or the foreign registry.
- A power of attorney that says “general” and nothing more. It may not cover the act you actually need.
- Skipping the embassy step because the foreign office did not mention it in writing. Ask the receiving office what it wants on the document.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which company documents need a notary in Dubai?
Board resolutions, company powers of attorney, signatory declarations and many share papers are usually signed before a notary public when a bank, registry or authority will rely on them. The receiving office decides, so ask it for its list.
Why is MOFA attestation for company papers so much more than for personal ones?
MOFA sets two fees: AED 150 for personal documents and AED 2,000 for commercial documents. Board resolutions, company agreements and general or commercial powers of attorney are commercial.
Can our company’s lawyer abroad sign instead of the directors?
Only if the articles or an earlier resolution give that person the power to sign. The notary checks the signatory’s authority as well as their identity.
Can our directors sign online?
It depends on the document. Online notarisation runs by video through the UAE remote notarisation channels such as the Ministry of Justice e-Notary system and UAE PASS. We tell you if your document can be done online.
Do you notarise commercial documents for use inside the UAE only?
Yes. A commercial document for use inside the UAE often needs only the notary step. We notarise it and stop there if nothing further is needed.
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Send us the paper
Tell us the document, the country and the office that asked for it.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935
- Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com
- Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7.
Sources for this page
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (chain, fees, eDAS): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 on notary fees: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Articles 866 to 903 on agency: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the notary profession: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- DIFC Courts notary service: https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts/services/notary-service
- HCCH, Hague Convention status table (the UAE is not a party): https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- Dubai Media Office, Dubai Courts private notary fee decision: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public