---
title: "Notarisation"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/notarisation
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/notarisation.md
type: glossary-term
description: "Notarisation is the formal witnessing of a signature or certification of a document by a notary public, required before many documents are accepted in the UAE."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Notarisation

> Notarisation is the formal witnessing of a signature or certification of a document by a notary public, required before many documents are accepted in the UAE.

Also known as: Notarization, Notary public, Notarised document.

## What Notarisation means for a buyer

A notary public verifies the identity of the person signing a document and their authority and understanding, then seals it. In UAE property dealings, notarisation is required for documents that give someone legal authority or that have formal legal effect.

The usual occasions are:

- a [power of attorney](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/power-of-attorney) to buy, sell, mortgage or take handover
- company resolutions and constitutional documents where a property is bought through a company
- a landlord's 12-month eviction notice to a tenant in Dubai, which must be served through a notary public or by registered post
- wills, depending on where they are registered (see [DIFC will](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/difc-will))

Inside the UAE, notarisation is done by the notary public offices of the courts or by licensed private notaries, and some services are available by video call. Documents must be in Arabic or bilingual.

Outside the UAE, notarisation is only the first step. A document notarised in the UK has no standing in the UAE until it has been through [attestation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/attestation). Note also that in England and Wales a notary public is a separate profession from a solicitor. Either may be able to certify a document for legalisation, but UAE recipients often expect a notary's seal on a POA, so confirm what is required before you book.

Ask the receiving party, whether the developer, bank or land department, for their exact wording and format first. Redoing a notarised and legalised document costs weeks.

## Related terms

- [Attestation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/attestation): Attestation is the chain of official stamps that makes a document issued abroad legally usable in the UAE, ending with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- [Power of attorney](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/power-of-attorney): A power of attorney is a notarised document authorising another person to sign and act for you in a UAE property transaction you cannot attend.
- [DIFC will](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/difc-will): A DIFC will is a will registered with the DIFC Courts in Dubai, letting non-Muslim owners decide who inherits their UAE property under English-style rules.

## In depth

- [Buying UAE property from the UK: process, currency, mortgages and a budget in pounds](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-uae-property-from-the-uk)


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Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/notarisation. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.