Insights

Power of attorney in the UAE

Who can act for you, for what, and how to make sure the authorities on both sides will accept the document.

Guide · Indian Case Management · Updated 28 October 2026 · 9 min read

In short

A power of attorney (POA) lets someone act for you, for example in a court case, a property transaction or with a bank. In the UAE, a POA is usually notarised by a notary public, including through the Ministry of Justice and emirate court notary services, many of which now offer remote, digital notarisation.

A POA signed in the UAE for use in India is normally notarised here and then attested by the Indian mission before use, and may need to be stamped in India after it arrives. A POA signed abroad for use in the UAE usually needs legalisation in the country of signing, attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an Arabic translation.

General and special powers of attorney

A general power of attorney gives broad authority to act for you in many matters. A special power of attorney is limited to a defined purpose, such as selling a named property, acting for you in a particular case, or dealing with a specific bank account. Authorities and banks increasingly prefer special POAs, because they are clear about what the agent may do. When in doubt, be specific.

Purpose	Usually needs
Court case or legal proceedings	A special POA naming the case or type of proceedings, often in Arabic
Selling or buying property	A special POA describing the property and the powers to sign and receive money
Bank matters and settlements	A POA the bank will accept, often its own form or a notarised special POA
Company and government matters	A POA covering the specific transactions

Making a power of attorney in the UAE

Draft the POA clearly, naming you and your agent with passport and Emirates ID details, and listing the powers.
Translate if needed: many UAE uses require an Arabic or bilingual document.
Notarise it before a notary public. The Ministry of Justice and the emirate courts offer notary services, including remote video notarisation for many documents, and licensed private notaries operate in some emirates.
Keep the original and certified copies. Some authorities ask to see the original.

Using a UAE power of attorney in India

Clients who live in the UAE often need a POA so that a relative or counsel can act for them in India: in a court case, a property sale or a bank matter. The usual sequence is:

Prepare the POA in a form acceptable in India, often on the format the Indian counsel or authority requires.
Sign it before a notary in the UAE.
Have it attested by the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General of India in Dubai, through their appointed service centre.
Send the original to India, where it may need to be stamped (adjudicated) under the stamp law of the state concerned within a set period after it is received.

Requirements vary by state and by purpose, and property POAs in particular are scrutinised closely. We check the Indian requirements with counsel there before you sign.

Using a foreign power of attorney in the UAE

A POA signed outside the UAE for use here generally needs to be:

notarised in the country where it is signed;
legalised through that country's authorities and the UAE embassy or consulate there;
attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it arrives; and
translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator.

For some uses, such as UAE court cases, the authority may also require the POA to be in a particular form. It is much easier to get this right before signing than to fix it afterwards.

Revoking a power of attorney

A POA can usually be revoked by a notarised revocation, which should then be served on the agent and any bank, court or authority that relied on it. Until they are told, a third party may still act on the original. If a POA was given for a specific transaction, it often ends when that transaction is complete.

Common mistakes

Powers that are too vague for the authority to accept.
Names or passport numbers that do not match the identity documents exactly.
Skipping a step in the attestation chain, so the document is rejected on arrival.
Forgetting the stamping deadline when a POA is sent to India.

This guide is general information about UAE law and practice as at the date above, not legal advice for your situation. Procedures and fees change. For advice on your matter, contact us.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Many POAs can now be notarised remotely through the Ministry of Justice and emirate court notary services, using video and digital signatures. Some uses still require attendance.

A POA is generally valid until it is revoked, the purpose is completed, or the person who granted it dies or loses capacity, unless the document sets an end date. Some authorities ask for a recent POA in practice.

Sign it before a notary in the UAE, then have it attested by the Consulate General of India in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi through their service centre. It may then need stamping in India.

For use in the UAE, an Arabic or bilingual version is often required, especially for courts and government authorities. For use in India, English is usually accepted.

Yes, if it is a special POA that clearly authorises the sale of that property and meets the land department's requirements.