Fees and steps checked on
A special power of attorney (SPA) for use in the Philippines is made in Dubai by signing it in person before a consular officer at the Philippine Consulate General Dubai. The consulate acknowledges your signature, by appointment. It will not write the SPA for you, so you arrive with the text ready.
Price: Send your details on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
What is a special power of attorney for the Philippines?
An SPA lets one person, the principal, give a named person in the Philippines, the attorney-in-fact, authority to do specific things on their behalf. Filipinos working in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah use one most often for:
- selling, buying or renting out land or a house
- claiming money, opening or closing a bank account
- Pag-IBIG, SSS and other government transactions
- processing a title, a tax declaration or an estate
- school or travel papers for a child left with relatives
"Special" means the powers are listed one by one. Offices in the Philippines usually prefer this to a general power of attorney, because they can see exactly what the attorney-in-fact may sign.
What does the special power of attorney form contain?
The consulate checks identity and signature. It does not check whether the text will satisfy your bank or the Registry of Deeds. A usable SPA normally sets out:
- The principal: full name exactly as in the passport, citizenship, civil status and address in the UAE.
- The attorney-in-fact: full name, address in the Philippines and, ideally, a government ID number.
- The specific powers: each act written out, with details such as the title number, the bank and account, or the property address.
- Any limits: a price range, an end date, or acts the attorney may not do.
- The signature block for the principal, plus space for witnesses if the form asks for them.
- The acknowledgement portion, left blank, which the consular officer completes and seals.
If the receiving office has its own template, use it. The consulate even has a separate checklist for SPA forms supplied by a bank, a real estate company or Pag-IBIG.
How does the Philippine Consulate Dubai acknowledgement work?
The Philippine Consulate General Dubai lists these requirements for a special power of attorney:
| Item | What the consulate asks for |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Strictly by appointment, through the consulate's online notarial booking |
| Principal | Personal appearance of the principal, who signs in front of the officials |
| The SPA | The completed SPA form plus one copy |
| ID | Two photocopies of the principal's passport |
| Third-party form (bank, real estate, Pag-IBIG) | Original form and a copy, two copies of passport and residence visa |
The consulate warns that spurious or tampered documents can be seized, and the payment forfeited. Fees and checklists can change, so we check the consulate's page again before your appointment. If you live in Abu Dhabi, the Philippine Embassy there also offers notarial services; ask us which is easier to reach for your date.
What we do for your SPA in Dubai
The consulate handles the signing. Everything before and after it is where people lose time, so that is where we come in.
- Drafting. You tell us what your attorney-in-fact needs to do. We write the SPA in clear English with the specific powers, names and property or account details, or fill in the bank's or agency's own form.
- Typing and checking. We type it to a clean, printable layout and check every name against your passport, because a name that does not match is an easy reason for an office to refuse it. See our typing centre services.
- Booking. We help you book the consulate slot and prepare your file: SPA plus copy, passport copies and, for a third-party form, your residence visa copy.
- Courier. After signing, we arrange for the original SPA to be couriered to your attorney-in-fact in the Philippines.
If the SPA must also be read by someone in Arabic, for example because part of the matter is in the UAE, a legal translation can be added.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- No text on the day. The consulate will not draft it, and an appointment can be wasted. Bring it typed and checked.
- Powers too vague. "To handle all my property" is often refused. Name the lot, title, bank or agency.
- Name differences. Middle names and maiden names must match the passport. See Philippines certificate attestation if a birth or marriage certificate is also needed.
- Wrong office. An SPA made at a Dubai notary is a UAE document. It is the right choice for use in the UAE, not usually for use at home. See power of attorney in Dubai and power of attorney attestation for that route.
How we help
We are a private document service in Dubai, not the Philippine Consulate or any government office. Send us a WhatsApp message with what your attorney-in-fact must do and their full name. We send back a draft SPA, the list of what to bring on the day and the total price before any work starts.
