You can make a power of attorney online in Dubai through the Dubai Courts Smart Electronic Notary, as long as every party holds a valid Emirates ID. You sign with a one-time code, and the POA is emailed to you. For use abroad it then needs MOFA attestation.
Which online POA service applies to you?
The UAE has three online routes, depending on the emirate:
| Emirate | Who runs it | How you log in | What we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai Courts, Smart Electronic Notary | Dubai Courts account, UAE PASS | Fees set by Executive Council Resolution No. 72 of 2025; Emirates ID needed for online signing |
| Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi Judicial Department | UAE PASS | Template-based POAs; validity up to 3 years |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | Federal Ministry of Justice e-notary | UAE PASS | Digital POA service since 2022, eight POA types since 2023 |
If the POA will be used in a Dubai matter, such as a Dubai bank, a Dubai property or a Dubai court case, the Dubai Courts route is the usual choice. Our notary public in Dubai page covers the in-person options too.
Who can make a POA online?
Dubai Courts sets clear conditions:
- Valid Emirates ID. Online attestation is for parties who hold one. If a party holds only a passport, that person must appear before the notary in person.
- Age 21 or over. Younger applicants, or people without legal capacity, act through a guardian or trustee with the right permission.
- Supporting documents in order. Documents issued abroad must already be attested and translated into Arabic.
In Abu Dhabi, news reports on the automated service say the principal must be 21 for civil matters and 18 for commercial ones, and that an agent who is not a lawyer is usually a relative up to the fourth degree. Check the current rules on the Judicial Department site before you start.
How to make a power of attorney online in Dubai: step by step
- Register on the Dubai Courts website. Holders of a digital identity receive login details.
- Choose the service: general POA, special POA, vehicle POA and so on.
- Enter the details of the principal and the attorney and pick the powers (the "articles") you want to give.
- Upload PDFs: Emirates ID or passport of each party, plus documents tied to the POA, such as a title deed, trade licence or vehicle registration.
- Pay the fee online.
- Wait for the review. An auditor checks the data, fees and attachments and may ask for changes.
- Approve and sign with the one-time code sent to each party. Any change means a new code.
- Talk to the notary. The notary contacts you by video, or asks you to attend in person if the case needs it.
- Receive the POA by email once the notary approves it.
You can submit at any hour, but the review happens during official working hours.
How long does it take?
The Ministry of Justice says its digital POA can be generated in under 10 minutes when everything is in order. Dubai Courts does not publish a fixed time for its online route. Allow at least one to two working days for review and the notary call, more if documents need fixing or translation.
What should the POA say?
A common reason banks, the land department or courts refuse a POA is vague wording. Before you apply:
- Be specific. Name the property, account, vehicle or case number. A special POA limited to named acts is accepted more easily than a broad general one.
- Set an end date if the receiving office expects one.
- Check the language. Notarised POAs in the UAE are usually in Arabic or bilingual. English supporting documents may need a legal translation in Dubai.
Our power of attorney in Dubai page compares general, special and company POAs and the in-person fees.
Using an online UAE POA abroad
A POA made in the UAE is a UAE document. For use in another country, the usual chain is:
- Notarised by Dubai Courts, the Judicial Department or the Ministry of Justice.
- MOFA attestation. A company POA is filed as a commercial document.
- The destination country's embassy in the UAE, if it asks.
- A translation into the destination language, if the receiving office wants one.
The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille option. See UAE documents for use abroad for embassy steps.
What if you live abroad and have no Emirates ID?
The Ministry of Justice says its digital service is open to people inside or outside the country, but the Dubai Courts online route needs an Emirates ID. If you do not have one, the common route is to sign the POA before a notary in your own country, then have it attested there, at the UAE embassy and by MOFA. That route is explained on power of attorney attestation, and our guide to attesting documents without travelling home covers the courier side.
How we help
We are a private document service in Dubai, not Dubai Courts, the Ministry of Justice or MOFA. We check the POA wording against what the receiving office needs, arrange legal translation, and handle MOFA and embassy attestation when the POA is going abroad. MOFA attestation of a UAE document starts from AED 250 plus VAT for personal documents and AED 2,600 plus VAT for commercial ones, all official fees included. See attestation fees. Send a photo of the draft or a short description on WhatsApp for the exact price and steps.
