The process for legal document attestation in the UAE involves 4 main steps. They are:

• Notarization to be done in your country of origin
• Attestation to be done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your country of origin
• Certification to be done by the UAE Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin
• Certification to be done by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Public and private notary services are available in the UAE – in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the other Emirates. Appointments for the notary public offices can be made directly or through the online notary system. (Please note that the system is separate for Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi online notary system requires the relevant documents to be uploaded and approved before a physical notary appointment is scheduled.)

Another option is to request the Notary public to visit you at your home or private office in some specific cases. This can be done by requesting such an appointment.

The general requirements for notarising a document in the UAE are:

• Original document (in Arabic or dual language side by side text) must be presented
• The person(s) signing the document should have the necessary powers to sign and provide supporting documentation as well as identification
• The document must conform to the applicable UAE laws
• All the persons signing the document have to be physically present

Once the necessary documents are submitted, the notary public reviews the document witnesses the document’s signing and verifies the signatories’ identity.

Please note that video call notarization is also allowed during the current COVID travel restrictions – you can contact Yaqoot Al Azraq for more information on this.

If you need support with document preparation and notarization for any of the Emirates, Dubai, or Abu Dhabi, we can help. Our company set up experts are highly experienced in all business set up processes, and the documents required for each of them. We will be delighted to assist you.

• All your legal documents and contracts are written for you.
• We ensure all your documents abide by the International and UAE law.
• We protect your business and your position.